Defense and Security Studies Commons^™

Cadet Voice: Extended Deterrence And Resilience In The Baltic States, Liam J. Connolly

Space and Defense

The following USAFA cadet independent study was supported by the Academy’s Nuclear Weapons & Strategy minor and the Cadet Summer Language Immersion Program to Lithuania. With minor formatting changes, the paper here appears as submitted to the USSTRATCOM Larry D. Welch Writing Award and the summer Deterrence Symposium (Omaha, NE), July 31-Aug. 1, 2019, where it won junior division, first place.

Since the end of the Second World War the United States has practiced extended deterrence as a means of resisting Russian expansion and aggression. In Europe, the US has done this with the support of the North Atlantic Treaty …

Cadet Voice: Artificial Intelligence And Stability In Nuclear Crises, Marshall D. Foster

Space and Defense

The following USAFA cadet independent study, with the exception of minor grammatical corrections, is produced as presented at the winter conference of the Project on Nuclear Issues (PONI), Center for Strategic and International Studies, Washington, D.C., Dec. 11, 2019 (https://www.csis.org/events/poni- 2019-winter-conference).

Technological advances in artificial intelligence (AI) by the United States, China and Russia jeopardize the longstanding nuclear peace that the world has enjoyed since the end of the Cold War.1 The desire to obtain AI capabilities for the purpose of strengthening defense and security postures could spur a new arms race among these powerful nuclear states, and the United …

Deterrence In Cyberspace: A Game-Theoretic Approach, Abderrahman Sokri

Space and Defense

This novel application of the Stackelberg leader-follower game from economic theory illuminates situational constraints that point to a sweet spot, an optimal level of investment in cyber defense, for deterrence by denial.

Deterrence is a form of persuasion intended to manipulate the cost-benefit analysis of would-be attackers and convince them that the cost of taking an action against the defender outweighs its potential benefit (Brantly, 2018; Wilner, 2017).1 It is the prevention (of a target) from committing unwanted behavior by fear of the consequences (United States (US) Department of Defense (DoD), 2008; Taipale, 2010). Deterrence differs from compellence by focusing …

Duffer's Drift And Space Operations, Roger Wortman

Space and Defense

Defence of Duffer’s Drift, a popular Boer War tale among British infantry officers, teaches lessons for the future of space operations.

Published in the early 20th Century, The Defence of Duffer's Drift is a work of fiction written as an educational tool for small unit leaders. The novella outlines the experiences for a young lieutenant and his tumultuous path to success when charge with defending key terrain. Told through a series of dreams, Duffer's Drift provides multiple tactical lessons through and iterative process, each building on the previous sequence. The officer fails multiple times while learning from various mistakes while …

As Delivered Remarks General John E. Hyten, John E. Hyten

Space and Defense

Senior Leader Voice

…I always thought, many times as I look back, if life would have been different if I’d gone to the Air Force Academy because one of the big advantages you guys are about to experience as you go into the world, into the United States Air Force, is that you will have a support structure built in from the day you come into the service. You will have this group of people that you had a common experience with for your four years. As you go through that structure you will have that common bond that will …

Editor's Note Vol. 12 No. 1, Damon Coletta

Space and Defense

No abstract provided.

Table Of Contents Vol. 12 No. 1, Space And Defense

Space and Defense

No abstract provided.

Front Matter Vol. 12 No. 1, Space And Defense

Space and Defense

No abstract provided.

Notes For Contributors, Space And Defense

Space and Defense

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Aaron F. Brantly, The Cyber Deterrence Problem (Rowman & Littlefield International, Ltd. 2020), 202pp., Yen Huynh

Space and Defense

The usage of cyberwarfare has become increasingly prevalent in the global landscape, but there remains a lack of cohesive strategies and policies surrounding cyber deterrence. Aaron Brantly and a team of scholars specializing in different disciplines team up to develop the outline for a robust deterrence strategy concerning cyberspace. Brantly is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Virginia Tech. He is also a Senior Research Scientist at the Army Cyber Institute at the United States Military Academy, West Point. In his book, he proposes different approaches that can and should be utilized to enhance deterrence in cyberspace.

Deterring Terroists Organizations In Times Of A Global Pandemic: An Arguement For An Indirect Approach To Deterring Terrorism, Grant Van Robays

Space and Defense

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted nearly every facet of life across the world. While the United States is the world's social, economic, and political powerhouse, it is no exception to the indiscriminate virus. The U.S. faces economic volatility, social unrest, political polarization, and a devastating loss of American life due to the pandemic. To make matters worse, these crises leave the U.S. vulnerable to opportunist terrorist organizations at home and abroad, who may seek to take advantage of these vulnerabilities, whether perceived or real. While the pandemic appears to be slowing down both in the U.S. and abroad, the vulnerabilities …

Hypersonic Weapons: Strategic Drivers And Policy Proposals, Jonah S. Bhide

Space and Defense

Whether it is troop movement across terrain, the performance of military aircraft, or the time required responding with national force, speed has always been a critical element in securing U.S. national security objectives. Indeed, Sun Tzu acknowledged that speed is the essence of war, and an essential component in speed is technology. Emerging technologies influence and alter strategic analyses as they are developed and deployed.

Lieutenant General Ret. H.R. Mcmaster, Usafa Assembly Keynote Adress: National Security And American Polarization: The Competition For Truth, H. R. Mcmaster

Space and Defense

Thank you for the great privilege of joining you for the Academy Assembly and thanks, especially, for your decision to serve your country and your fellow servicemen and women during what, I believe, is a time of growing danger to American security, prosperity, and influence in the world. But I am confident that you will make significant and lasting contributions across a career of service and help build a better future for generations of Americans to come.

Nuclear Planning In An Uncertain World, Brooke Mitchell

Space and Defense

...research is called for on what type of thermonuclear war might eventuate, and on the possible volume of material destruction and loss of human life that might occur in varying hypothetical attack situations.

The 2018 Nuclear Posture Review (NPR) emphasizes a return to great power competition in a world that is no longer preoccupied by violent Islamic fundamentalism in the Middle East and Central Asia. 2 Great power politics are back in style, as the Trump administration made clear. In the post-Cold War era, the United States Department of Defense is focused on modernizing its nuclear enterprise in the face …

Pakistan's Space Program: From Sounding Rockets To Satellite Setbacks, Sannia Abdullah

Space and Defense

Why did Pakistan struggle for 50 years to launch its satellites into Earth's orbit when it was Asia's third country to send sounding rockets into space? Four years ago, India launched 104 satellites from a single rocket to set a groundbreaking record, whereas Pakistan launched only six satellites with assistance in the design, built, launch, and even funding from China. Pakistan plans to send its first astronaut into space by 2022; India put its first astronaut into "space in 1984 as part of a Soviet-led mission." Despite a good head-start, why is Pakistan's space program decades behind when India's space …

Russian Development Of New Hypersonic Weapons: Drivers And Implications, Julia L. Diamond

Space and Defense

The Treaty between the United States of America and the Russian Federation on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms (New START) is, at the time of writing, nearing its 5 February, 2021 expiration date. Both the U.S. and Russia have suspended their obligations under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. A renewal of New START would be the most logical future step that aids the cause of arms control. This is the option that requires the least political will and therefore might suit the current political climate. Nevertheless, the political relationship between the two countries …

Letter From The Editor, Michelle Black

Space and Defense

No abstract provided.

Table Of Contents Vol. 12 No. 2, Space And Defense

Space and Defense

No abstract provided.

Front Matter Vol. 12 No. 2, Space And Defense

Space and Defense

No abstract provided.

Notes For Contributors To Space And Defense, Space And Defense

Space and Defense

No abstract provided.

Report Of The 62nd Air Force Academy Assembly

Space and Defense

In partnership with the Olmsted Foundation, ARDI-The Academic Excellence Foundation, United States Air Force Academy Endowment, USAFA Department of Political Science, and USAFA Association of Graduates, the United States Air Force Academy Department of Political Science hosted the 62nd Air Force Academy Assembly, 13-14 October, 2020 in Colorado Springs.

A total of 122 undergraduates from twenty-two colleges gathered virtually and in-person to engage experts from academia and civil society on American politics and national security. The event featured three plenary panel discussions and a Keynote Address by Lt. General (ret.) H.R. McMaster, published in Space & Defense Vol. 12, No. …

Review: A Fiery Peace In A Cold War: Bernard Schriever And The Ultimate Weapon By Neil Sheehan (New York: Random House, 2009), Paul Bolt

Space and Defense

A Fiery Peace in a Cold War is a fascinating book that focuses on the life of Air Force General Bernard Schriever and his competition with the Soviets to develop an ICBM that would prevent a nuclear Pearl Harbor.['􀀃] The story is wide-ranging, covering development of the bomb in both the United States and Soviet Union; the dynamics of the Cold War; Soviet and American espionage successes and failures; defense politics in the Eisenhower administration; and the Cuban Missile Crisis. Sheehan dives into the personalities, military officers and scientists, who contributed to the research and development of American weapon systems, …

Mcmaster's Master Work On Geopolitics And The Future Of America: A Review Of Battlegrounds: The Fight To Defend The Free World (Ny: Harpercollins, 2020), Noah Grady

Space and Defense

Student Voice

In his most well-known work, Vom Kriege, Carl von Clausewitz suggested war is a continuation of policy. He proposed governments primarily use warfighting to achieve political ends. Since America's independence in 1776, geopolitics have shaped the nature of America's conflicts overseas. In the last century, the U.S. endured several different geopolitical phases. Despite Woodrow Wilson's reelection slogan, "He kept us out of war," America involved itself in an eruption of imperial interests in Europe during the Great War. Two decades after the First World War, on December 7, 1941, the Japanese Naval Air Service attacked Pearl Harbor. President …

Efficacy Of The National Security Innovation Network's Hacking / Designing For Defense Programs, Max Di Lalla

Space and Defense

Student Voices

The National Security Innovation Network requires further reform to achieve its hope for long-term effects on defense innovation.

The National Security Innovation Network (NSIN) was crated in 2016 after a rebranding of the MD5 National Security Technology Accelerator and is actively changed with the mission to "build networks of innovators that generated new solutions to national security problems." NSIN is just one of the plethora of government organizations tasked with some form of "innovation." As the world begins to change and the United States no longer enjoys a period of unrivaled growth and security, government, military, and private …

Climate Change As A Dangerous Accelerant Of Mass Atrocity, Jesse Jenkins

Space and Defense

Student Voices

Investigating potential connections between mass atrocity and climate change reveals that the vulnerability of food systems may be valuable predictive factor in understanding which states will respond to climate change with violence.

An ongoing study by Dr. John Riley and Lt Col. William Atkins shows that strong states tend to be able to cope well with the effects of climate change and not turn to violence. They also argue that the weakest states are already broken and on the path of committing a mass atrocity regardless of the effects of climate change. This leave a middle section of …

No Method To Madness: The Failures Of Madman Diplomacy In All Its Forms, Henry Gilchrist

Space and Defense

Student Voices

Madman diplomacy fails to work as advertised. Internal contradiction of the strategy in it s ideal form reduce the chances it will succeed in future crises.

Effective deterrence requires an actor to pair powerful capabilities with a believable will to use them. The world of United States' dominance has relegated the question of will to the periphery. However, the U.S. is emerging from its hegemony with enough self-awareness to acknowledge the painful consequences of this relegation. Democratic restraint has historically played an important role in nuclear deterrence for obvious reasons, and the issue of will deficit is not …

Boosting Space Diplomacy At State, David A. Epstein

Space and Defense

Notes from the Field:

Space diplomacy remains an esoteric specialty of State.

With ever-increasing speed, humanity is expanding the scope of its activities in outer space, thanks to private enterprise as well as via national pursuits. In the last two years alone, for example, the number of active and defunct satellites in lower Earth orbit has increase by more than 50 percent, to around 5,000, with plans to add tens of thousands more in the coming years. Equally surprising, these satellites are owned and operated by nearly 100 difference countries and organizations around the world - no just the small …

Contextualizing Russia's Hypersonic Threat: Perceptions, Motivations, And Strategic Stability., Jeffery D. Taylor

Space and Defense

Rather than specific military objectives in Europe, Russian hypersonic missile development manifests deep-rooted perceptions of the United States and NATO undermining strategic through missile defense.

Future Directions For Great Power Nuclear Arms Control, T. Justin Bronder

Space and Defense

Extending the current New START regime can help maintain traditional strategic stability; however, such an approach fails to address destabilizing trends related to non-nuclear strategic technologies and China's expanding forces.

Arms control in the nuclear age has proved a useful tool of national security, meeting ends as diverse as reducing the risks of nuclear war to channeling strategic competition. Yet recent trends indicate arms control may be at an inflection point; the suitability of this tool in general and the viability of securing new agreements specifically are both unclear. The New Strategic Arms reduction Treaty (New START) extension somewhat reverses …

Editor's Note Vol. 13 No. 1, Damon Coletta

Space and Defense

Editor's Note