In today’s rapidly changing world, developing effective strategies in the defense, security, and military sectors has become a critical necessity. The increasing complexity of operational environments, the emergence of hybrid threats, and the rapid advancement of modern military technologies necessitate that strategic planning institutions employ precise, flexible, and up-to-date models to formulate, implement, and evaluate defense policies and programs. Accordingly, selecting an appropriate strategic planning model is considered a strategic and decisive factor, constituting a fundamental pillar of success in addressing the multifaceted challenges of the operating environment. The present study aims to identify the most appropriate model or models for strategic planning in the defense, security, and military sectors. To this end, it seeks to identify the most widely used and prevalent strategic planning models, define the key criteria that a strategic planning model must address in defense, security, and military environments, and ultimately rank the most appropriate model or models for these sectors using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). This applied research adopts a descriptive-analytical methodology with a mixed-methods approach. Eleven experts were interviewed, and a sample of 19 participants was included in the study. Finally, the proposed models were ranked according to five key criteria identified by the expert panel. The findings indicated that the macro-environmental factor analysis model, Kurt Lewin’s force field analysis model, and dynamic operational planning demonstrated the greatest alignment with the structural and operational requirements of the defense sector