Concept art of a laser-armed aircraft destroying a missile. Photo Credit: Defense One. North Korea remains a clear threat to American security. Despite demonstrating a willingness to carry out major diplomatic spectacles and “dismantle” satellite launch sites such as the Sohae facility, North Korea continues to develop its ballistic missile and nuclear arsenal. The Kim … Continue reading Beam Us Up Donnie: The Future of Boost Phase Missile Defense
Category: Military & Defense
Breaching Fortress Russia: The Uncertain Future of U.S. Expeditionary Warfare
Russian soldiers marching in Red Square. Photo Credit: The Kremlin. Pivot to Near-Peer Competition Currently, the United States possesses unmatched military power projection capabilities, spending almost as much on its military as the next eight highest-spending countries combined, as well as possessing the greatest number of forward-deployed forces in the world.[I] However, as the U.S. … Continue reading Breaching Fortress Russia: The Uncertain Future of U.S. Expeditionary Warfare
The Russian Edge in Electronic Warfare
A Russian serviceman prepares to launch a drone during a military exercise. Photo Credit: RIA Novosti. By: Madison Creery, Columnist The U.S. has spent nearly two decades dedicated to counterterrorism operations where it enjoyed significant qualitative and quantitative advantages over adversaries. In these conflicts, the U.S. was able to quickly gain local air, sea, and … Continue reading The Russian Edge in Electronic Warfare
Comparing PMCs and Their Private Force Antecedents
Battle of San Romano. Photo Credit: National Gallery By: Nikolai F. Rice, Columnist The last time private military forces were so widely employed as today, America was a confederacy without a constitution, every currency depended on the value of precious metals, and sailing ships were the fastest mode of transportation. Simply put, the two-hundred-year norm … Continue reading Comparing PMCs and Their Private Force Antecedents
Moving the National Security AI Conversation Beyond Killer Robots
Drone in the sky. Photo credit: Pixabay.com By: Diane Pinto, Columnist When discussing the applications of artificial intelligence (AI) as they relate to the military and defense spaces, it is easy to think about terminators and cylons running … Continue reading Moving the National Security AI Conversation Beyond Killer Robots
Russia’s Race for Next-Gen Weapons Has Turned Into a Crawl
Russian T-14 tanks drive during rehearsal for the Victory Day parade in Moscow. Photo Credit: Reuters. By: Madison Creery, Columnist While the U.S. is concerned about competing against Russia’s next-generation weapons, Russia is struggling to get them off the production line. The legacy of economic turmoil following the collapse of the Soviet Union continues to impact the … Continue reading Russia’s Race for Next-Gen Weapons Has Turned Into a Crawl
Israel’s Election and Deterrence in the Gaza Strip
Illustrative image of a kite with a Molotov cocktail prepared to be flown by Palestinians during clashes with Israeli security forces on the Gaza Israeli border east of Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip on April 20, 2018. Photo Credit: Abed Rahim Khatib/Flash90. By: Taylor Clausen, Columnist This week, Israelis will go to the … Continue reading Israel’s Election and Deterrence in the Gaza Strip
How to Stop the Insurgency in Southern Thailand
Thai soldiers in Pattani in 2011. Photo Credit: AFP By: Yuri Neves, Columnist For decades, Thailand has been experiencing an insurgency in its three southern provinces of Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat. Despite thousands of deaths, the Thai government has done little to actually address the causes of this insurgency. The military junta has contemplated opening … Continue reading How to Stop the Insurgency in Southern Thailand
How the Gulf States’ Investments are Destabilizing the Horn of Africa
An Ethiopian farmer watches as his farmland is confiscated and reworked by foreign investors. Photo Credit: Deutsche Welle By: Jordan Abu-Sirriya, Columnist In December of 2018, diplomats from six states—Jordan, Yemen, Somalia, Sudan, Djibouti, and Egypt— adjacent to the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea arrived in Saudi Arabia to discuss and form the Red … Continue reading How the Gulf States’ Investments are Destabilizing the Horn of Africa
The Competition Heats Up: Climate Change and the Erosion of U.S. Military Power
A fire burns several miles behind Space Launch Complex-3, housing the Atlas V rocket & WorldView 4 satellite, at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. Photo Credit: Mike Eliason/Santa Barbara County Fire Department via AP. By: Christine Bang-Andersen, Columnist The costs and risks associated with climate change have long been exacerbated by its denial, but the … Continue reading The Competition Heats Up: Climate Change and the Erosion of U.S. Military Power