INSS is pleased to host the Disruptive Technology and Future Warfare Conference at NDU on 4 Sept 2025.
The INSS Center for the Study of Weapons of Mass Destruction will host their Annual WMD Symposium: "Deter, Counter, and Defeat: WMD Challenges for the Joint Warfighter" on 16-17 July 2025.
On 8 May, INSS and faculty from CIC, CISA and NWC hosted the annual academic exchange between Ecole de Guerre students and NDU faculty.
INSS hosted Mr. Manabu Imakyurei, President of Japan’s National Institute for Defense Studies (NIDS) on 19 March 2025 for a discussion on regional issues.

Highlighted Articles

President Donald Trump sits with senior national security officials in the White House Situation Room during the U.S. operation targeting Iran's nuclear program on June 22, 2025. Photo credit: White House photo via whitehouse.gov; Public Domain.

A Better Way to Talk About Risk

Dr. Kim Cragin

Defense planners are prepared to accept risk to deter China, but what does that mean for counterterrorism?

Chinese PLA (People's Liberation Army) soldiers attend the 100-day countdown launch event for the G20 summit in Hangzhou city, east China's Zhejiang province, 27 May 2016.

China’s Military Diplomacy in the New Era

Dr. Phillip C. Saunders and Melodie Ha

Military diplomacy – including senior-level visits, port calls, and joint exercises – has become a vital tool of Chinese statecraft.

U.S. Marines with Animal Company, Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, prepare to embark an MV-22B Osprey aircraft assigned to Marine Medium Tilt Rotor Squadron 265 (Rein.) during a quick response force rehearsal as a part of MEU Exercise, at Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan, May 3, 2025. Marines rehearsed to increase their capability to respond at a moment's notice, in any clime and place. Marines rehearsed to increase their capability to respond at a moment's notice, in any clime and place.The 31st MEU, the Marine Corps’ only continuously forward-deployed MEU, provides a flexible and lethal force, ready to perform a wide range of military operations as the premiere crisis response force in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Victor Gurrola).

How China Could Counter U.S. Intervention in War Over Taiwan

Dr. Joel Wuthnow

Has Beijing found a new “assassin’s mace” to keep the U.S. military out of a fight over Taiwan?

U.S. Army Command Sgt. Maj. Jack Love, U.S. Forces Korea Senior Enlisted Advisor (right), along with U.S and ROK senior leaders pose inside an AAVP-7A1 Amphibious Assault Vehicle during the Ulchi Freedom Shield Battlefield Circulation, Aug. 22, 2024. The exercise was conducted as part of Ulchi Freedom Shield 24, one of the largest training events between the U.S. and ROK, UFS24 tests the Alliance with complex challenges and includes comprehensive after-action reviews to ensure constant improvement. This iterative annual event strengthens the security and stability on the Korean peninsula and across Northeast Asia. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Xavier Legarreta)

The South Korea-US Alliance Is Due for an Overhaul

Dr. Clint Work

At a time of growing U.S.-China competition, the purpose of the alliance is once again becoming a subject of debate.

Featured Experts

Distinguished Research Fellow, CSR / Director, CSCMA
Phillip C. Saunders
Director, CSCMA
Areas of Expertise:  China; Asia and the Pacific; International Political Economy; Deterrence;

Distinguished Research Fellow, CSR
Thomas F. Lynch III
Distinguished Research Fellow, CSMP

Asia and the Indo-Pacific (South and Central Asia); Middle East and North Africa (Gulf Arab States); Great Power Competition (GPC); Counter-terrorism


Jaclyn A. Kerr
Jaclyn Kerr
Senior Research Fellow, CDTFW

Defense and Technology Futures, Digital and Emerging Technologies


T.X. Hammes, Distinguished Research Fellow, CSR
T.X. Hammes
Distinguished Research Fellow, CSMP

Future Strategic Concepts; Humanitarian Assistance & Disaster Relief; Insurgency/Irregular Warfare

Institute for National Strategic Studies

Advancing National Security Through Research and Analysis

Foundation


Founded in 1984, the Institute for National Strategic Studies (INSS) serves as the dedicated research arm of the National Defense University. INSS is comprised of four research centers and NDU Press.

National Defense University

Experts


Our experts provide indispensable strategic and research support to key stakeholders, including the Secretary of Defense, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Services, and combatant commands. This commitment ensures that our nation's decision-makers are equipped with the latest insights and analysis.

National Defense University

Research Faculty


Our research faculty not only teach and advise students but also actively contribute to groundbreaking research and knowledge creation. This comprehensive approach is designed to advance strategic thinking and cultivate the next generation of national security leaders.

National Defense University

Research & Analysis