Digital Commons Network^™

Controlling Chemical Weapons In The New International Order, John P. Caves , Jr., W. Seth Carus

WMD Proceedings

Mr. John Caves, CSWMD Distinguished Fellow, and Dr. Seth Carus, NDU Emeritus Distinguished Professor of National Security Policy examine the breakdown in consensus decision-making at the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and place this development in the context of Russia, China, and Iran’s larger challenge to a rules-based international order. The article further considers how this dynamic may play out in the OPCW in the coming years and discusses how the United States can continue to use the Chemical Weapons Convention and OPCW to defend the international norm against chemical weapons while better protecting itself and its …

Joint Force Quarterly 106 (3rd Quarter, July 2022), National Defense University Press

Joint Force Quarterly ARCHIVES

No abstract provided.

Joint Force Quarterly 105 (2nd Quarter, April 2022), National Defense University Press

Joint Force Quarterly ARCHIVES

No abstract provided.

Joint Force Quarterly 104 (1st Quarter, January 2022), National Defense University Press

Joint Force Quarterly ARCHIVES

No abstract provided.

Prism-19, Center For Complex Operations

PRISM (Full PDF Issues)

This special issue of PRISM is about the different perceptions and reactions to COVID-19 as people and governments experienced the disease, and their diverse understanding of its implications for national and international security.

Prism Vol. 9, No. 3, Center For Complex Operations

PRISM (Full PDF Issues)

PRISM Vol. 9, No. 3 focuses on how strategic competition, emerging technologies, and gray zone conflict are reshaping defense and national security. Articles address Russian strategic behavior, China’s artificial intelligence ambitions and military modernization, financial and technological competition between the United States and China, artificial intelligence and future warfare, gray zone aggression, Sweden’s total defense model, ethical governance of defense AI, and the electromagnetic spectrum as an operational domain. The issue highlights the growing importance of technological advantage, economic statecraft, resilience, and new forms of competition below the threshold of armed conflict.

Joint Force Quarterly 103 (4th Quarter, October 2021), National Defense University Press

Joint Force Quarterly ARCHIVES

No abstract provided.

Winning The Fight Taiwan Cannot Afford To Lose, Drew Thompson

Strategic Forums

Taiwan’s defense approach has long relied on purchases of U.S. equipment and attempts to emulate U.S. doctrine. The U.S. military, however, has focused on projecting power to fight smaller adversaries around the world, while Taiwan faces the prospect of defending its homeland from China’s increasingly capable People’s Liberation Army (PLA). The United States is deeply committed to defending Taiwan, particularly as it becomes increasingly clear that Taiwan’s military needs to adapt to the rising threat posed by the PLA and the risk that Xi Jinping might seek to use force to compel unification. China has long had the ability to …

Joint Force Quarterly 102 (3rd Quarter, July 2021), National Defense University Press

Joint Force Quarterly ARCHIVES

No abstract provided.

Cyber Threats And Weapons Of Mass Destruction, Shane Smith

WMD Proceedings

For two decades, U.S. policymakers, military leaders, and analysts have drawn connections between cyber threats and WMD that demand attention from experts who work in both fields. While recognizing there are a variety of definitions for WMD in use today, the WMD Center does not believe classifying cyber threats as WMD is warranted or advantageous for the United States at this time.

The Pla Beyond Borders: Chinese Military Operations In Regional And Global Context, Joel Wuthnow, Arthur S. Ding, Phillip C. Saunders, Andrew Scobell, Andrew N.D. Yang, John Chen, Dean Cheng, Chung Chieh, Kieran Green, Kristen Gunness, Isaac B. Kardon, Ying-Yu Lin, Joe Mcreynolds, Jonah Victor, Shinji Yamaguchi

Books and Book Chapters

No longer confined to China’s land territory or its near abroad, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is conducting increasingly complex operations farther and farther from China’s continental borders. Within Asia, the PLA now regularly operates into the far reaches of the South China Sea and deep into the Western Pacific, enforcing China’s territorial claims and preparing to counter U.S. intervention in a regional conflict. Beyond Asia, the PLA is present on the ground, at sea, or in military exercises with foreign partners across the Indian Ocean and into the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. Foreign militaries now regularly encounter the …

Pla Overseas Operations In 2035: Inching Toward A Global Combat Capability, Joel Wuthnow, Phillip C. Saunders, Ian Burns Mccaslin

Strategic Forums

Over the past decade, China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has followed two general development trajectories. The primary focus has been on deterring adversaries and building the capability to fight high-intensity, short-duration wars around China’s periphery—what the PLA often refers to as “informationized local wars.” This has included acquisition of advanced combat capabilities, supported by progress in doctrine, training, logistics, and command and control (C2). A central theme has been strengthening the PLA’s ability to conduct joint operations, thus correcting problems of ground force dominance and poor interservice cooperation. A secondary focus has been on nontraditional security operations, such as peacekeeping, …

Joint Force Quarterly 101 (2nd Quarter, April 2021), National Defense University Press

Joint Force Quarterly ARCHIVES

No abstract provided.

Prism Vol. 9, No. 2, Center For Complex Operations

PRISM (Full PDF Issues)

The global COVID-19 pandemic of 2020-2021 has catalyzed a re-examination of what national security consists of, and what responsibilities the world’s armed forces must or should assume to meet such non-military challenges. Yet the competition between the United States and its adversaries has intensified, requiring that the national security enterprise retain traditional capabilities while keeping up with the fierce pace of technological innovation. PRISM V.9,N.2 authors address the emerging challenges armed forces must meet, offer perspectives on competitors, and suggest major changes in the innovation ecosystem.

Joint Force Quarterly 100 (1st Quarter, January 2021), National Defense University Press

Joint Force Quarterly ARCHIVES

No abstract provided.

Baltics Left Of Bang: The Southern Shore, Marcel Hadeed, Mariusz Kaminski, Monika Sus, Brett Swaney, Amelie Theussen

Strategic Forums

Sponsored by the U.S. National Defense University (NDU) and the Swedish Defence University, this is the fourth and final paper in a series of INSS Strategic Forums dedicated to the multinational exploration of the strategic defense challenges faced by the Baltic states. The December 2017 U.S. National Security Strategy describes Russia as “using subversive measures to weaken the credibility of America’s commitment to Europe, undermine transatlantic unity, and weaken European institutions and governments.”¹ The American and European authors of this paper, along with many others, came together in a series of exercises conducted in late 2017 through the winter …

Social Media Weaponization: The Biohazard Of Russian Disinformation Campaigns, Sarah Jacobs Gamberini

Articles and Op-Eds

In a renewed era of Great Power competition, the United States is faced with adversaries engaging across multiple domains without the traditional distinctions of war and peace. America’s competitors are regularly operating below the threshold that would warrant a military response, including on the information battlefield. The blurred red lines that result from covert information operations waged by foreign actors on the Internet will force a change in how the United States operates and how its society consumes information. Russia used tactics of influence and coercion long before social media allowed for nearly ubiquitous access to its targets and a …

Strategic Assessment 2020: Into A New Era Of Great Power Competition, Thomas F. Lynch Iii, Hassan Abbas, Zachary M. Abuza, Justin Anderson, Richard Andres, David Auerswald, Paul Bernstein, R. Kim Cragin, Diane Dieuliis, Gerald Epstein, Douglas Farah, T.X. Hammes, Todd C. Helmus, Frank G. Hoffman, Steven Philip Kramer, Irene Kyriakopoulos, Bryce Loidolt, Amanda Moodie, Mariya Omelicheva, James Przystup, Phillip C. Saunders, Shannon Smith, Caitlyn Yates

Books and Book Chapters

Strategic Assessment 2020: Into a New Era of Great Power Competition provides a comprehensive analysis of how global strategic dynamics have shifted from the post–Cold War period into a renewed era of great power rivalry. Beginning with conceptual foundations and historical context, the book situates contemporary competition among major powers—especially the United States, China, and Russia, within broader geopolitical trends and power structures. It examines the evolving tools and domains of competition, including technological innovation, information operations, and weapons of mass destruction, and analyzes strategic deterrence and competitive behavior across regions such as the Indo-Pacific and Europe. The volume also …

The Tripolar Strategic Balance In 2030, Linton F. Brooks

Books and Book Chapters

Assessing the tripolar balance in 2030 is particularly difficult because of the uncertainty of the future U.S. strategic approach, which could depend heavily on the results of the November 2020 election. It is also difficult because it is important to consider the entire strategic posture and not look at the tripolar balance in purely nuclear terms. Even this may not be the most important factor. Whether our strategic deterrent will be adequate in 2030 may depend on the nature of Russian and Chinese leadership and on China’s overall strategic approach.

In what follows I argue that the greatest threat to …

Joint Force Quarterly 99 (4th Quarter, October 2020), National Defense University Press

Joint Force Quarterly ARCHIVES

No abstract provided.

Weapons Of Mass Destruction, Strategic Deterrence, And Great Power Competition, Paul I. Bernstein, Justin Anderson, Diane Dieuliis, Gerald L. Epstein, Amanda Moodie

Books and Book Chapters

Weapons of mass destruction (WMD)—nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons and the means to deliver them—are an important feature of the global security environment and a key element of Great Power competition. For Russia and China, WMD contribute to multiple goals: conflict deterrence at the strategic and regional levels; regime survival; coercion of rival states; and, potentially, as an adjunct to conventional forces to support operations. U.S-Russia competition in nuclear weapons has been constrained in recent decades by various arms control agreements, but the erosion of this regulatory regime in the context of deteriorating bilateral relations could create new competitive pressures. …

Toward An Integrated Strategic Deterrent, Paul I. Bernstein

Books and Book Chapters

This chapter explores the need for greater integration across the strategic forces toolkit as a means to strengthen deterrence and defense, the opportunities that exist to advance this goal, and obstacles that must be overcome to ensure progress. The chapter begins by framing the integration challenge broadly and as an aspiration over time that must nonetheless inform current thinking and planning. It then examines two current initiatives that address more discrete, near-term integration challenges: offense-defense integration for missile defeat, and conventional-nuclear integration to support regional deterrence strategies. It closes with a brief discussion of organizational approaches that could accelerate the …

Prism Vol. 9, No. 1, Center For Complex Operations

PRISM (Full PDF Issues)

Though Great Power Competition (or GPC) dominates the current national security discourse, the United States is a global power with global interests. In addition to GPC, PRISM V.9,N.1 offers insight on the future of NATO, on U.S. engagement in Africa, and on emerging technology domains of competition such as quantum computing, 5G technology, and influence operations. Read American and South East Asian perspectives on competition with China, as well as Huawei’s rejoinder to "The Worst Possible Day: U.S. Telecommunications and Huawei," from PRISM V.8,N.3.

Baltics Left Of Bang: Comprehensive Defense In The Baltic States, Dalia Bankauskaite, Janis Berzins, Deividas Slekys, Tony Lawrence, Brett Swaney, T.X. Hammes

Strategic Forums

Sponsored by the National Defense University (NDU) and the Swedish National Defense University, this paper is the third in a series of Institute for National Strategic Studies Strategic Forums dedicated to the multinational exploration of the strategic defense challenges faced by the Baltic states. The December 2017 National Security Strategy described Russia as “using subversive measures to weaken the credibility of America’s commitment to Europe, undermine transatlantic unity, and weaken European institutions and governments.” The U.S. and European authors of this paper, along with many others, came together in a series of wargames conducted in late 2017 through the winter …

The Micromanagement Myth And Mission Command: Making The Case For Oversight Of Military Operations, Christopher J. Lamb

INSS Strategic Perspectives

This paper argues that leaders, historians, and pundits have grossly exaggerated civilian micromanagement of the U.S. military, resulting in less effective civilian and military oversight of military operations and a reduced likelihood that military operations will achieve strategic results. Exaggerating the frequency and impact of civilian micromanagement encourages military leaders to distance themselves from oversight and disinclines Presidents from exercising it. There is also evidence that within the military chain of command, an exaggerated concern with civilian micromanagement has distorted understanding of good leadership and the Joint Staff’s “mission command” doctrine, encouraging the military to ignore its own time-honored leadership …

Innovation And Its Discontents: National Models Of Military Innovation And The Dual-Use Conundrum, Amy J. Nelson

Research and Case Studies

This study explores variations in national models of innovation in the hope of beginning to shed light on the pathways or levers those models afford in controlling innovation’s end product. It considers the “lifecycle” of dual-use innovation and resulting technologies in the United States and Germany by evaluating how these countries are adapting (or not) their national approaches to investment, development, and integration of dual-use innovation. It uses case studies of both U.S. and German investment in artificial intelligence and additive manufacturing to highlight national approaches to innovation consistent with each country’s foreign policy and domestic goals. It also assesses …

Joint Force Quarterly 98 (3rd Quarter, July 2020), National Defense University Press

Joint Force Quarterly ARCHIVES

No abstract provided.

Beyond Borders: Pla Command And Control Of Overseas Operations, Dr. Phillip C. Saunders

Strategic Forums

China’s latest round of military reforms is driven primarily by Xi Jinping’s ambition to reshape the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to improve its ability to win informationized [xinxihua, 信息化] wars and to ensure that it remains loyal to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The reforms are unprecedented in their ambition and in the scale and scope of the organizational changes. Virtually every part of the PLA now reports to different leaders, has had its mission and responsibilities changed, has lost or gained subordinate units, or has undergone a major internal reorganization. The relationships between and among the Central Military Commission …

Latin America 2020: Challenges To U.S. National Security Interests, Craig A. Deare

Strategic Monographs

U.S. national security interests in Latin America are undermined by three key threats: transnational criminal organizations, which exploit weak levels of governance across the majority of countries in the region; extra-regional actors, which fill the vacuum created by U.S. distraction and inattention to its neighborhood; and finally, a number of regional political actors embracing ideological positions opposed to open political systems and free markets, which undermine progress toward democratic governance and stability.

Prism Vol. 8, No. 4, Center For Complex Operations

PRISM (Full PDF Issues)

As the National Security and National Defense Strategies state, the world has entered a phase of great power competition in which the United States is confronted by a rising China and a resurgent Russia. PRISM V.8,N.4 offers perspective on this competition with articles by Sir Lawrence Freedman, the Honorable Joseph Nye, and the Honorable Andrew Natsios.