About
AT A GLANCE:
Retired Defense Analyst and National Security Scholar
RESEARCH AREAS:
• Defense Strategy
• Military Innovation and Adaptation
• National Security Policy
• Civil-Military Relations
BIOGRAPHY:
Francis G. Hoffman, PhD is a retired defense analyst and national security scholar.
Most recently, he served as a Distinguished Research Fellow at the Institute for National
Strategic Studies (INSS) at the National Defense University, where he worked from
2011 until his retirement in 2024.
He held senior political appointments in both the Department of the Navy and the Office of the Secretary of Defense. From 2017–2018, he served as Special Assistant for Strategic Matters to the Secretary of Defense, contributing to the 2018 National Defense Strategy. Dr. Hoffman has advised leaders such as the Commandant of the Marine Corps, the Secretary and Undersecretary of the Navy, and the Commanding General of the Marine Combat Development Command.
In addition to his research, Hoffman teaches across the Joint Professional Military Education system. He serves on the Board of Advisors at the Foreign Policy Research Institute and is an Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute in London. Francis Hoffman holds a Ph.D. in War Studies from King’s College London, master’s degrees from the Naval War College and George Mason University, and a B.S. from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.