Alexander Velez-Green is a Senior Policy Advisor in The Heritage Foundation’s Allison Center for National Security. His analysis focuses on defense, deterrence, and alliance management in the Indo-Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East.

Velez-Green previously served as National Security Advisor to U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO). In this capacity, he staffed Senator Hawley on the Armed Services Committee. He also advised on matters related to strengthening deterrence against China, including U.S. conventional and nuclear force structure and posture, Taiwanese defense requirements, and the impact of U.S. military activities in Europe and the Middle East on America’s ability to deter or fight effectively in a Taiwan contingency. Performance of these duties involved regular engagements with the National Security Council, Department of Defense, State Department, members of the Intelligence Community, and foreign governments. Velez-Green also traveled regularly to the Indo-Pacific, where he led engagements with U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and assigned forces in Hawaii, Alaska, Washington, California, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Marshall Islands, and other locations. Velez-Green also routinely collaborated with committee staff and personal offices in the Senate and House of Representatives to advance the Senator’s priorities, including bipartisan and bicameral legislation to provide U.S. security assistance to Taiwan on a conditional basis.  

Prior to the Senate, Velez-Green served as a Defense Strategy and Policy Analyst at Systems Planning and Analysis, Inc., where his work focused on nuclear and conventional deterrence in the Indo-Pacific and Europe. Velez-Green also previously held roles at the Center for a New American Security, where his research focused on the impact of emerging technologies on U.S.-Russian strategic stability.

Velez-Green has published articles in The Washington Post, War on the Rocks, The National Interest, National Review, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, Russia Matters, and Lawfare, among others. He speaks regularly at conferences in the United States, Europe, and Asia, and has traveled widely, including backpacking from Cairo to Cape Town.

Velez-Green graduated cum laude from Harvard College.