Digital Commons Network^™

Cross-Currents In French Defense And U.S. Interests, Leo G. Michel

INSS Strategic Perspectives

France is the only European ally—except for the United Kingdom (UK)—that regards its military capabilities, operational performance, and defense industry as vital levers to exert global influence. While the French believe strongly in their need to preserve “strategic independence,” they see new challenges in the evolving international security environment that will oblige them to accept greater cooperation with others, even in areas once considered too sensitive to discuss. Although some French strategists remain uncomfortable with the notion of closer defense ties with the United States, others ask whether there might be a greater danger ahead: specifically, if Europe’s strength dissipates …

Prism Vol. 3, No. 2, Center For Complex Operations

PRISM (Full PDF Issues)

This issue of PRISM explores critical challenges in stabilization, reconstruction, and security operations in an era of evolving global threats. The Features section examines the need for institutional reform in stabilization efforts, the complexities of exporting civil-military models, and interagency coordination in stability operations. Articles also assess Britain’s post-2015 security landscape, Libya’s ongoing transition, and the Taliban’s governance strategies. Further analysis includes the effectiveness of the Commander’s Emergency Response Program (CERP) in Afghanistan, the Philippine military’s expanding role, and leadership in U.S. cybersecurity efforts. In From the Field, an article on Regional Command–East discusses civilian-military coordination in stability operations. The …

Reflections On Over Fifty Years In Research And Development; Some Lessons Learned, John W. Lyons

Defense and Technology Papers

This paper presents some thoughts about research in science and technology gleaned from Dr. Lyons’ more than 50 years working in scientific and engineering research – first in chemical industry, then at two different government laboratories, and later some years in S&T policy. It elaborates on a paper by Richard Chait in which he interviews three former S&T executives in the DoD on how to manage a research laboratory. Its objective is to provide some insights on what it is like to work in a scientific research establishment.

Space And The Joint Fight, Robert L. Butterworth

Strategic Forums

The world first saw the power of space to transform warfare in the 1991 Gulf War. In the years since, the U.S. military has come to depend heavily on space throughout its peacetime and combat operations. Satellites acquired by the Department of Defense (DOD) principally provide protected communications; data for position and timing, terrestrial and space weather, missile launch warning and tracking, and space situational awareness; and experiments and other research and development activities. Satellites for reconnaissance and surveillance are the domain of the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), under the Director of National Intelligence (DNI).

The Iron Triangle Manifested: U.S. Air Force Tanker Lease 2001–2005 Case Study, Shahnaz M. Punjani

ICAF Case Studies

The proposed lease of the KC–767 tanker aircraft was one of the most infamous procurement scandals of the post–Cold War era. Interactions within the military-industrial-congressional complex led to legislation permitting the Air Force to lease tankers from Boeing using an operating lease rather than standard procurement. Following the outcry from Congress, industry, the media, and numerous watchdog groups, Congress and the Department of Defense (DOD) launched a wave of investigations and hearings. During the lease debate, participants reached a number of compromises documented in congressional legislation. However, this was not sufficient to continue the lease process. After nearly 4 years, …

Defining "Weapons Of Mass Destruction", W. Seth Carus

WMD Occasional Papers

In January 2005, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld directed that U.S. Strategic Command become “the lead combatant commander for integrating and synchronizing DOD [Department of Defense] in combating WMD [weapons of mass destruction].” This assignment was in response to the White House’s December 2002 National Strategy to Combat Weapons of Mass Destruction.

The Secretary’s memorandum, however, raised a thorny definitional problem with clear bureaucratic implications: what are weapons of mass destruction? Unfortunately, that is not an easily answered question. There are numerous definitions of WMD with some official or semi-official standing (more than 40 are identified in this paper), although …

Joint Force Quarterly 64 (1st Quarter, January 2012), National Defense University Press

Joint Force Quarterly ARCHIVES

No abstract provided.

Raising Our Sights: Russian-American Strategic Restraint In An Age Of Vulnerability, David C. Gompert, Michael Kofman

Strategic Forums

The United States and Russia have sought to reduce the danger of nuclear war by limiting offensive strategic capabilities through negotiated agreements, relying on mutual deterrence based on reciprocal threats and the corresponding fear of retaliation. Although nuclear arsenals have been pared, this is fundamentally the same way the United States and Soviet Union sought to reduce the danger of nuclear war during the Cold War, when both were impelled to do so because they were adversaries and able to do so despite being adversaries. It is ironic—not to say unimaginative—that although the two are no longer adversaries, they stick …

Sino-American Strategic Restraint In An Age Of Vulnerability, David C. Gompert, Phillip C. Saunders

Strategic Forums

For all their power, both the United States and China are increasingly vulnerable. Each faces a range of strategic dangers, from nuclear weapons to disruption of critical computer networks and space links. Because their relationship is at once interdependent and potentially adversarial, the United States and China are especially vulnerable to each other: interdependence exposes each to the other, while the potential for conflict impels each to improve strategic capabilities against which defenses can be futile. Strategic vulnerability cannot be eliminated, only mitigated.

Deterrence And Escalation In Cross-Domain Operations: Where Do Space And Cyberspace Fit?, Vincent Manzo

Strategic Forums

Warfare has become even more complicated since Richard Smoke wrote this description of escalation in 1977. The National Security Space Strategy describes space as “congested, contested, and competitive,” yet satellites underpin U.S. military and economic power. Activity in cyberspace has permeated every facet of human activity, including U.S. military operations, yet the prospects for effective cyber defenses are bleak. Many other actors depend on continued access to these domains, but not nearly as much as the United States.

U.S. Ratification Of The Chemical Weapons Convention, Jonathan B. Tucker

WMD Case Studies

On October 1, 1990, two months after Iraq’s surprise invasion and annexation of Kuwait had put the United States and other members of the international community on a collision course with the Saddam Hussein regime, President George H.W. Bush spoke to the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in New York. He described Iraq’s brutal aggression against its neighbor as “a throwback to another era, a dark relic from a dark time.” Noting that Saddam Hussein had waged a “genocidal poison gas war” against Iraq’s restive Kurdish minority during the 1980s, President Bush hinted that if it ultimately proved necessary to …

Prism Vol. 3, No. 1, Center For Complex Operations

PRISM (Full PDF Issues)

This issue of PRISM critically examines the evolving landscape of counterinsurgency, stabilization, and security cooperation in the wake of the Afghanistan conflict. The Features section explores the crisis facing counterinsurgency doctrine, the challenges of negotiating a settlement in Afghanistan, and the limitations of U.S. stabilization and reconstruction efforts. Articles on indirect military approaches, nation-building, and the absence of a "Marshall Plan" for the Middle East offer perspectives on state resilience and post-conflict recovery.

Further analysis delves into the role of military engagement in Sub-Saharan Africa and enduring military-to-military partnerships during the Arab Spring. From the Field provides a case study …

The Use Of High Performance Computing (Hpc) To Strengthen The Development Of Army Systems, John W. Lyons, Richard Chait, Charles J. Nietubicz

Defense and Technology Papers

This paper seeks to discuss the growth and trends in High Performance Computing (HPC) and how the Army has utilized HPC in research. It also addresses the possibilities for design and production of new systems and how industry has advanced the use of HPC. One intent of this paper is to re-evaluate the advanced manufacturing area in light of the many recent developments in computational capability and availability. It concludes with comments and recommendations for strengthening Army acquisition using advanced computer technology.

Elevating The Role Of Socioeconomic Strategy In Afghanistan Transition, Michael Baranick, Albert Sciarretta, Cyrus Staniec, John Applebaugh

Defense and Technology Papers

This paper reviews the System Analysis and Studies Panel of the NATO Research and Technology Organization which created a Specialist Team in June 2010 in response to an International Security Assistance Force request to help develop, define, and implement a strategy for data collection and management. The goal of the initiative was to provide direct assistance to NATO, ISAF, and the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.

Joint Force Quarterly 63 (4th Quarter, October 2011), National Defense University Press

Joint Force Quarterly ARCHIVES

No abstract provided.

Nato And The Arab Spring, Isabelle François

Transatlantic Currents

The public debate that surrounded the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)–led operation in Libya gave an impression of an Alliance in trouble. There is, however, a good story to tell. The United States, as the host of the May 2012 NATO Summit in Chicago, may wish to present the case for a new type of operation and call for a strategy review on Libya in order to develop a balanced approach to Allies’ possible contributions to stability in North Africa and the Gulf region.

Challenges To Leadership: Responding To Biological Threats, Paul Rosenzweig

Defense and Technology Papers

This paper seeks to identify certain gaps and overlaps in existing structure and mechanisms and to advance potential solutions that can be implemented. It examines two issues of concern: Federal Coordination Structure and Federal/State Coordination and recommends that a more comprehensive set of planning and response exercises be developed in order to better understand and develop a doctrine of incident leadership suitable for a biological crisis.

Task Force Stryker Network-Centric Operations In Afghanistan, Harry Tunnell Iv

Defense and Technology Papers

This case study examines the real-world application of the network-centric warfare concept during combat operations in Afghanistan.

Prism Vol. 2, No. 4, Center For Complex Operations

PRISM (Full PDF Issues)

This issue of PRISM explores contemporary challenges in conflict transformation, state-building, governance, security, and strategic engagement across multiple global contexts. The Features section examines critical issues such as transforming the conflict in Afghanistan, the role of investment and job creation in state-building, and operationalizing anticipatory governance. The issue also addresses Africa’s regional engagement strategies and NATO’s response to hybrid threats.

In From the Field, a case study on the 2009 Malakand operation highlights counterinsurgency’s role in peace-building. The Lessons Learned section critiques the debate surrounding the effectiveness of the Commander’s Emergency Response Program (CERP). There is an interview with General …

Joint Force Quarterly 62 (3rd Quarter, July 2011), National Defense University Press

Joint Force Quarterly ARCHIVES

No abstract provided.

Strengthening Government Laboratory Science And Technology Programs: Some Thoughts For The Department Of Homeland Security, Samuel Musa, Richard Chait, Vincent Russo, Donna Back

Defense and Technology Papers

This paper summarizes the second phase of a research and analysis project that stemmed from the initial work which provided DHS Science and Technology leadership with examples of practical approaches to risk-informed decisionmaking and metrics for program and project selection. The second phase was undertaken to provide additional relevant information to DHS as it seeks to strengthen its laboratory programs.

Prism Vol. 2, No. 3, Center For Complex Operations

PRISM (Full PDF Issues)

PRISM is published by the National Defense University Press for the Center for Complex Operations. PRISM is a security studies journal chartered to inform members of U.S. Federal agencies, allies, and other partners on complex and integrated national security operations; reconstruction and nation-building; relevant policy and strategy; lessons learned; and developments in training and education to transform America’s security and development apparatus to meet tomorrow’s challenges better while promoting freedom today.

Analysis Of The Threat Of Genetically Modified Organisms For Biological Warfare, Jerry B. Warner, Alan J. Ramsbotham Jr., Ewelina Tunia, James J. Valdes

Defense and Technology Papers

This study seeks to better understand the evaluation of the potential threats posed by advances in biotechnology, especially genetically modified organisms and synthetic biology. It narrows the scope of consideration into two parts: defining a catastrophic biological attack focused on bioterrorism and that this attack would be restricted to the United States.

Joint Force Quarter 61 (2nd Quarter, April 2011), National Defense University Press

Joint Force Quarterly ARCHIVES

No abstract provided.

Iran’S Islamic Revolution: Lessons For The Arab Spring Of 2011?, Michael Eisenstadt

Strategic Forums

The Islamic Revolution surprised senior U.S. policymakers as well as the Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. On the eve of revolution, Iran—a key U.S. ally—seemed relatively stable despite bouts of urban terrorism in the early and mid-1970s. At the first signs of escalating unrest in early 1978, neither Iranian nor U.S. officials considered the possibility that Iran’s armed forces, the largest and most modern in the region (next to those of Israel), would prove unable to deal with whatever trouble lay ahead. The fall of the Shah a year later, therefore, raised searching questions regarding the role of the …

Secret Weapon: High-Value Target Teams As An Organizational Innovation, Christopher J. Lamb, Evan Munsing

INSS Strategic Perspectives

This study argues that interagency teams were a major catalyst in turning around the Iraq War, and that they will disappear from America’s arsenal unless the knowledge base supporting the innovation can be secured. Most explanations credit the dramatic reduction in violence in Iraq between 2007 and 2008 to new U.S. leadership, the surge in U.S. forces, and/or U.S. financial support to Sunni tribal leaders. In contrast, we argue that the United States employed an underappreciated organizational innovation—interagency teams—to put insurgent clandestine organizations on the defensive and give population security measures a chance to take effect.

Assessing Army Power And Energy For The Warfighter, John W. Lyons, Richard Chait, James J. Valdes

Defense and Technology Papers

This paper reviews some of the landscape of research and development on power and energy as it pertains to the needs of the Army warfighter. It focuses on the battlefield and considers questions related to vehicles, dismounted soldiers, and forward operating bases. The context of the study is twofold: the National need to reduce the use of petroleum-based fuels and the Army’s need to reduce the logistical burden and hazards moving said fuels on the battlefield.

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

PRISM (Full PDF Issues)

PRISM is published by the National Defense University Press for the Center for Complex Operations. PRISM is a security studies journal chartered to inform members of U.S. Federal Agencies, allies, and other partners on complex and integrated national security operations; reconstruction and nationbuilding; relevant policy and strategy; lessons learned; and developments in training and education to transform America's security and development apparatus to meet tomorrow's challenges better while promoting freedom today.

Toward A Theory Of Spacepower: Selected Essays, Charles D. Lutes, Peter L. Hayes, Vincent A. Manzo, Lisa M. Yambrick, M. Elaine Bunn

Books and Book Chapters

This volume is a product of the efforts of the Institute for National Strategic Studies Spacepower Theory Project Team, which was tasked by the Department of Defense to create a theoretical framework for examining spacepower and its relationship to the achievement of national objectives. The team was charged with considering the space domain in a broad and holistic way, incorporating a wide range of perspectives from U.S. and international space actors engaged in scientific, commercial, intelligence, and military enterprises.

This collection of papers commissioned by the team serves as a starting point for continued discourse on ways to extend, modify, …

Conventional Prompt Global Strike: Strategic Asset Or Unusable Liability?, M. Elaine Bunn, Vincent Manzo

Strategic Forums

The Conventional Prompt Global Strike (CPGS) concept calls for a U.S. capability to deliver conventional strikes anywhere in the world in approximately an hour. The logic of the CPGS concept is straightforward. The United States has global security commitments to deter and respond to a diverse spectrum of threats, ranging from terrorist organizations to near-peer competitors. The United States might need to strike a time-sensitive target protected by formidable air defenses or located deep inside enemy territory. Small, high-value targets might pop up without warning in remote or sensitive areas, potentially precluding the United States from responding to the situation …