Digital Commons Network^™

System Overload: Can China’S Military Be Distracted In A War Over Taiwan?, Joel Wuthnow

China Strategic Perspectives

In his 2019 New Year’s Day address, Chinese Communist Party (CCP) General Secretary Xi Jinping issued a stern warning to Taiwan: “We make no promise to abandon the use of force, and retain the option of taking all necessary measures.” At the same time, he warned that force could also be used to forestall “intervention by external forces,” referring to the United States. While designed to intimidate recalcitrant Taiwan and U.S. leaders—and appeal to domestic nationalists—rather than to signal an imminent confrontation, Xi’s comments underscored the very real military threats that China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) poses to Taiwan. As …

Joint Force Quarterly 97 (2nd Quarter, April 2020), National Defense University Press

Joint Force Quarterly ARCHIVES

No abstract provided.

Joint Force Quarterly 96 (1st Quarter, January 2020), National Defense University Press

Joint Force Quarterly ARCHIVES

No abstract provided.

Prism Vol. 8, No. 3, Center For Complex Operations

PRISM (Full PDF Issues)

Emerging disruptive technologies, including artificial intelligence, machine learning, quantum computing, and neuroscience will dramatically alter the global security environment. PRISM Vol. 8, No. 3 “Singularity” maps this evolving challenge and propose solutions.

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

Books and Book Chapters

Chapter 8 of Strategic Assessment 2020: Into a New Era of Great Power Competition

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 …

Baltics Left Of Bang: Nordic Total Defense And Implications For The Baltic Sea Region, Håkon Lunde Saxi Ph.D., Bengt Sundelius, Brett Swaney

Strategic Forums

Sponsored by the U.S. National Defense University (NDU) and the Swedish National Defense University, this paper is the second in a series of Institute for National Strategic Studies Strategic Forums dedicated to the multinational exploration of the strategic and defense challenges faced by the Baltic states. The December 2017 U.S. 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 late 2017 to explore possible responses to the …

Mercenaries And War: Understanding Private Armies Today, Sean Mcfare

Strategic Monographs

Mercenaries are more powerful than experts realize, a grave oversight. Those who assume they are cheap imitations of national armed forces invite disaster because for-profit warriors are a wholly different genus and species of fighter. Private military companies such as the Wagner Group are more like heavily armed multinational corporations than the Marine Corps. Their employees are recruited from different countries, and profitability is everything. Patriotism is unimportant, and sometimes a liability. Unsurprisingly, mercenaries do not fight conventionally, and traditional war strategies used against them may backfire.

Fentanyl As A Chemical Weapon, John P. Caves , Jr.

WMD Proceedings

Fentanyl is a major topic in the news these days because of its significant contribution to the ongoing opioid epidemic in the United States. It clearly is a major counternarcotic challenge. But there also has been some reporting, including about congressional interest, as to whether fentanyl additionally should be considered a weapon of mass destruction (WMD) and whether U.S. Government chemical defense efforts should place greater emphasis on it. This paper provides some perspective on fentanyl as a chemical weapon.

Baltics Left Of Bang: The Role Of Nato With Partners In Denial-Based Deterrence, Robert M. Klein, Stefan Lundqvist, Ed Sumangil Usaf, Ulrica Pettersson Ph.D.

Strategic Forums

This paper is the first in a sequence of INSS Strategic Forums dedicated to multinational exploration of the strategic and defense challenges faced by Baltic states in close proximity to a resurgent Russia that the U.S. National Security Strategy describes as “using subversive measures to weaken the credibility of America’s commitment to Europe, undermine transatlantic unity, and weaken European institutions and governments." The American and European authors of this paper, along with many others, came together in late 2017 to begin exploration of the most significant Baltic states security challenges through focused strategic research and a series of multinational, interactive …

Joint Force Quarterly 95 (4th Quarter, October 2019), National Defense University Press

Joint Force Quarterly ARCHIVES

No abstract provided.

Prism Vol. 8, No. 2, Center For Complex Operations

PRISM (Full PDF Issues)

PRISM Vol. 8, No. 2 addresses a wide range of contemporary security challenges, from terrorism and lessons from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to hybrid warfare, Russian strategic behavior, and Iran’s regional activities. Articles also consider the implications of artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, and robotics for warfare and deterrence, Sweden’s revival of Total Defense, and comparative approaches to diplomatic security. The issue reflects the growing complexity of conflict as states and security institutions confront conventional, irregular, technological, and political challenges across multiple regions.

Joint Force Quarterly 94 (3rd Quarter, July 2019), National Defense University Press

Joint Force Quarterly ARCHIVES

No abstract provided.

Thucydides’ Other “Traps”: The United States, China, And The Prospect Of “Inevitable” War, Alan Greeley Misenheimer

NDU Case Studies

The notion of a “Thucydides Trap” that will ensnare China and the United States in a 21st century conflict—much as the rising power of Athens alarmed Sparta and made war “inevitable” between the Aegean superpowers of the 5th century BCE—has received global attention since entering the international relations lexicon 6 years ago. Scholars, journalists, bloggers, and politicians in many countries, notably China, have embraced this beguiling metaphor, coined by Harvard political science professor Graham Allison, as a framework for examining the likelihood of a Sino-American war.

Finding Ender: Exploring The Intersections Of Creativity, Innovation, And Talent Management In The U.S. Armed Forces, Susan F. Bryant, Andrew Harrison

INSS Strategic Perspectives

Current national-level strategic documents exhort the need for creativity and innovation as a precondition of America’s continued competitive edge in the international arena. But what does that really mean in terms of personnel, processes, and culture? This paper argues that an overlooked aspect of talent management, that of cognitive diversity, must be considered when retooling military talent management systems. Going one step further, talent management models must incorporate diversity of both skill set and mindset into their calculus. Specifically, the Department of Defense (DOD) needs to recruit, retain, and utilize Servicemembers and civilians with higher than average levels of creativity …

Joint Force Quarterly 93 (2nd Quarter, April 2019), National Defense University Press

Joint Force Quarterly ARCHIVES

No abstract provided.

China's Other Army: The People's Armed Police In An Era Of Reform, Joel Wuthnow

China Strategic Perspectives

China’s premier paramilitary force—the People’s Armed Police (PAP)—is undergoing its most profound restructuring since its establishment in 1982.

• Previously under dual civilian and military command, the PAP has been placed firmly under China’s military. As chairman of the Central Military Commission, Xi Jinping now has direct control over all of China’s primary instruments of coercive power. This represents the highest degree of centralized control over China’s paramilitary forces since the Cultural Revolution.
• Local and provincial officials have lost the ability to unilaterally deploy PAP units in the event of civil unrest or natural disasters, but can still request support through …

Prism Vol. 8, No. 1, Center For Complex Operations

PRISM (Full PDF Issues)

PRISM Vol. 8, No. 1 centers on security and political change across the Western Hemisphere, particularly Latin America and the Caribbean. Articles address democratic governance and human rights, U.S. strategic engagement in the region, Venezuela’s political crisis, security challenges in Mexico and Colombia, and the growth of transnational criminal organizations in Brazil and across Latin America. The issue looks at how governance challenges, transnational crime, regional instability, and growing external influence are shaping security across the Western Hermisphere.

Joint Force Quarterly 92 (1st Quarter, January 2019), National Defense University Press

Joint Force Quarterly ARCHIVES

No abstract provided.

A Persistent Fire: The Strategic Ethical Impact Of World War I On The Global Profession Of Arms, Timothy S. Mallard, Nathan H. White, Victoria J. Barnett, Nigel Biggar, Paul Coyer, Graham Fairclough, Michael H. Hoffman, Mark C. Lee, Marc Livecche, John Mark Mattox, James C. Mcconville, Patrick Naughton, Eric D. Patterson, C. Anthony Pfaff, David Richardson, Michael Snape, Thomas J. Statler

Books and Book Chapters

The profession of arms in the 21st century is at significant risk of losing its status as a profession due to several salient factors. Because of the rapid development of technology in relation to warfare, for instance, there are growing questions as to how much control human beings will retain of future combat, particularly given the speed of decisionmaking required for victory on the modern battlefield. As well, with the rise of new geopolitical and military coalitions, many are concerned as to how much war will remain an act of and in accordance with the political interests, values, and histories …

Chairman Xi Remakes The Pla: Assessing Chinese Military Reforms, Phillip C. Saunders, Arthur S. Ding, Andrew Scobell, Andrew N.D. Yang, Joel Wuthnow, Nathan Beauchamp-Mustafaga, Dennis J. Blasko, Edmund J. Burke, Arthur Chan, John Chen, Tai Ming Cheung, John Costello, Mark R. Cozad, Andrew S. Erickson, Kim Fassler, David M. Finkelstein, Daniel Gearin, Justin Godby, Brian Lafferty, David C. Logan, Leighann Luce, Ma Chengkun, Joel Mcfadden, Joe Mcreynolds, Ian Burns Mccaslin, Erin Richter

Books and Book Chapters

China’s current military reforms are unprecedented in their ambition and in the scale and scope of the organizational changes. Virtually every part of the People’s Liberation Army (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.

Prism Vol. 7, No. 4, Center For Complex Operations

PRISM (Full PDF Issues)

With this edition, PRISM completes our seventh volume and prepares to move toward full peer review status next year.  The edition is non-themed but offers several features that highlight the importance of innovation and non-kinetic warfare. Among the distinguished authors are a former Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, the Director of Strategic Operational Planning at the National Counterterrorism Center, and a senior executive with the U.S. Department of Treasury. The edition also features a senior executive with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, who is distinguished alumnus from NDU's Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy, as well as several …

Joint Force Quarterly 91 (4th Quarter, October 2018), National Defense University Press

Joint Force Quarterly ARCHIVES

No abstract provided.

China's Strategic Support Force: A Force For A New Era, John Costello, Joe Mcreynolds

China Strategic Perspectives

In late 2015, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) initiated reforms that have brought dramatic changes to its structure, model of warfighting, and organizational culture, including the creation of a Strategic Support Force (SSF) that centralizes most PLA space, cyber, electronic, and psychological warfare capabilities. The reforms come at an inflection point as the PLA seeks to pivot from land-based territorial defense to extended power projection to protect Chinese interests in the “strategic frontiers” of space, cyberspace, and the far seas. Understanding the new strategic roles of the SSF is essential to understanding how the PLA plans to fight and win …

Joint Force Quarterly 90 (3rd Quarter, July 2018), National Defense University Press

Joint Force Quarterly ARCHIVES

No abstract provided.

Prism Vol. 7, No. 3, Center For Complex Operations

PRISM (Full PDF Issues)

PRISM Vol. 7, No. 3 focuses on the evolving threat posed by weapons of mass destruction and the policies, capabilities, and institutions needed to counter them. Articles address nuclear and WMD terrorism, gaps in U.S. counter-WMD strategy, CBRN forensics, North Korea’s chemical and biological weapons capabilities, and the challenges of coordinating whole-of-government responses. The issue also considers counterterrorism operations in Iraq and the growing importance of gray zone conflict.

Joint Force Quarterly 89 (2nd Quarter, April 2018), National Defense University Press

Joint Force Quarterly ARCHIVES

No abstract provided.

Technology And National Security: The United States At A Critical Crossroads, James Kadtke, John Wharton

Defense Horizons

The United States is at a turning point in how technology shapes national security. Rapid global advances in science and technology are eroding traditional U.S. advantages. Competitors are gaining ground, and innovation is no longer driven by governments alone. Maintaining leadership will require more than research funding. The authors call for a more agile and coordinated approach, one that connects government, industry, and academia. Technology policy must also account for economic, legal, and social factors that shape innovation and competitiveness. Without reform, the United States risks falling behind.

Joint Force Quarterly 88 (1st Quarter, January 2018), National Defense University Press

Joint Force Quarterly ARCHIVES

No abstract provided.

Prism Vol. 7, No. 2, Center For Complex Operations

PRISM (Full PDF Issues)

No abstract provided.

Joint Force Quarterly 87 (4th Quarter, October 2017), National Defense University Press

Joint Force Quarterly ARCHIVES

No abstract provided.