Center for Strategy and Military Power

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Director: Dr. Kim Cragin

The INSS Center for Strategy and Military Power (CSMP) supports the warfighter through research and analysis on defense strategy and policy.

Focus Areas

Critical Threats. Research and analysis focus on critical threats arising from strategic competitors, such as the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Russian Federation, as well as threats posed by regional state and non-state adversaries. Recent studies and strategic support address Russia’s “concert of civilizations,” the future of Iran’s nuclear program, and PRC irregular warfare in the South China Sea, and DoW-sponsored wargames.

Defense Industrial Base. Research and analysis assesses the defense industrial base (DIB) and ways to improve and reform the United States’ DIB. Recent studies examine iterative acquisition during the Ukraine crisis, fielding weapons of affordable mass, legacy vs autonomous systems, the German defense industrial zeitenwende, and Türkiye’s role in the transatlantic DIB.

Military Allies. INSS fellows conduct research and analysis on U.S. military allies and strategic partners, including NATO, the U.S.-Republic of Korea (ROK) Alliance, and the U.S.-Japan Alliance. INSS fellows also have continuing studies related to the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD). Recent projects address NATO’s eastern flank, the Nordic-Baltic alignment, Indo-Pacific deterrence, and QUAD defense activities within the Indian Ocean region.

Homeland Defense. INSS fellows conduct research and analysis on homeland and missile defense, including space strategy and policy, border security, and counterterrorism. Recent projects examine space-based missile defense interceptors, the U.S. military’s use of commercial space, novel orbits, U.S. border security and the active-duty force, as well as the evolution and adaptation of foreign terrorist fighters.

Research and Commentary

The icebreaker USCGC Healy (WAGB 20) keeps station while conducting crane operations alongside a multi-year ice floe for a science evolution in the Beaufort Sea, Aug. 9, 2023. Healy is the Coast Guard’s only icebreaker specifically designed for Arctic research, as well as the nation’s sole surface presence routinely operating in the Arctic Ocean. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Briana Carter)

The Arctic is a Strategic Distraction

By T.X. Hammes | Jan. 22, 2026

Over the past five years, numerous articles have called for increased U.S. defense resources focused on the Arctic. This is a strategic mistake, a distraction.

U.S. and Republic of Korea Army soldiers stand guard near the border of North and South Korea during a Swedish Delegation visit to the Joint Security Area, Oct. 15, 2025. The Joint Security Area is maintained by the United Nations Command.

What Would OPCON Transfer Mean for the UN Command in Korea?

By Dr. Clint Work | Dec. 22, 2025

Considered by some as an artifact of the Cold War, the United Nations Command (UNC) continues to serve several critical roles, from maintaining the armistice agreement to coordinating multinational support for the South Korea-U.S. alliance.

First 6 regiments of the Soviet military contingent withdrawal. Democratic Republic of Afghanistan.

The Imperial Trap: Russia’s War in Ukraine and the Lessons of Failed Conquests

By Jeffrey Mankoff | Dec. 16, 2025

Since the release of the U.S. 28-point draft peace plan in late November, many officials and observers have suggested that a ceasefire in Ukraine may be on the horizon.