Institute for National Strategic Studies (INSS)

Institute for National Strategic Studies

The premier institute of strategic research at National Defense University
Institute for National Strategic Studies

The premier institute of strategic research at National Defense University
Institute for National Strategic Studies

The premier institute of strategic research at National Defense University
Institute for National Strategic Studies

The premier institute of strategic research at National Defense University
Institute for National Strategic Studies

The premier institute of strategic research at National Defense University

A Pennsylvania National Guard Soldier straps a shield over her face before the start of COVID-19 testing practice at Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., on April 19, 2020. The practice consisted of walk-throughs of the operation of the lanes that would be run by teams from the Pa. National Guard, Pennsylvania Department of Health and Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Matthew Keeler).

Orbis | Jan. 6, 2021

National Security in the Post-Pandemic Era

F.G. Hoffman

The geopolitical implications of COVID-19 are profound in the near term, and will have a ripple

RUSI | Dec. 18, 2020

Regaining the Initiative: Can the US Lead Again?

F.G. Hoffman

Restoring US leadership in global affairs will require a number of strategic shifts to change the trajectory set by the Trump administration. These substantial choices have to be made quickly by the new Biden team, which faces daunting domestic and political obstacles to its more internationalist approach.

A Russian shipyard worker uses a cutting torch to breakdown a large bulge section of a Russian Oscar Class submarine at the Little Star shipyard in Severodvinsk, Russia, May 29, 1996. Russian ballistic submarines are being dismantled as part of the Nunn-Lugar/Cooperative Threat Reduction Program. DoD photo by Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Todd P. Cichonowicz

CSIS | Dec. 18, 2020

A Kinder, Gentler Bear? Why Rumors of Russia’s Post-Soviet Retreat Are Premature

Jeff Mankoff

While 2020 has been an annus horribilis pretty much everywhere, it has been particularly challenging

Russian fighter jets were recently deployed to Libya in order to support Russian state-sponsored private military contractors

Strategic Insights | Nov. 24, 2020

Russia’s Escalating Use of Private Military Companies in Africa

R. Kim Cragin and Lachlan MacKenzie

In May 2020, fourteen unmarked Russian Mig-29 and Su-24 combat aircraft appeared in the possession of Russian paramilitaries in Libya. This transfer was unprecedented. While outdated, the aircraft have air-to-air and ground-attack capabilities similar to the United States (U.S.) Air Force F-15 and A-10. Why would Moscow send this equipment to a ragtag group of former military personnel moonlighting in Libya? As the United States military refocuses its attention on strategic competition with great powers, it will need to answer not only this question, but also broader questions related to how and why Russia utilizes its proxy forces.

Research & Analysis

Baltics Left of Bang: Comprehensive Defense in the Baltic States

Dalia Bankauskaite, Janis Berzins, Tony Lawrence, Deividas Šlekys, Brett Swaney, and T.X. Hammes

Baltics Left of Bang: Nordic Total Defense and Implications for the Baltic Sea Region

Håkon Lunde Saxi, Bengt Sundelius, and Brett Swaney

Baltics Left of Bang: The Role of NATO with Partners in Denial-Based Deterrence

Robert M. Klein, Stefan Lundqvist, Ed Sumangil, and Ulrica Pettersson

Beyond Borders: PLA Command and Control of Overseas Operations

Phillip C. Saunders

Just Another Paper Tiger? Chinese Perspectives on the U.S. Indo-Pacific Strategy

Joel Wuthnow

The PLA Beyond Asia: China’s Growing Military Presence in the Red Sea Region

Joel Wuthnow

System Overload: Can China’s Military Be Distracted in a War over Taiwan?

Joel Wuthnow

Finding Ender: Exploring the Intersections of Creativity, Innovation, and Talent Management in the U.S. Armed Forces

Susan F. Bryant and Andrew Harrison

The Micromanagement Myth and Mission Command: Making the Case for Oversight of Military Operations

Christopher J. Lamb

PRISM Vol. 9, No. 1 (October 2020)

Joint Force Quarterly 98 (3rd Quarter, July 2020)

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

Thomas F. Lynch III