PUBLICATIONS

Through its publications, INSS aims to provide expert insights, cutting-edge research, and innovative solutions that contribute to shaping the national security discourse and preparing the next generation of leaders in the field.

 

Publications

Results:
Category: Allies and Partners

Republic of Korea Air Force F-15K Slam Eagles taxi to parking after arriving at Kunsan Air Base, ROK, Nov. 3, 2025, during Freedom Flag 25-2. FF 25-2 is a routine, regularly scheduled training event designed to prepare joint and combined forces for combat to defend the Republic of Korea.

Feb. 11, 2026

Beyond the Peninsula: What OPCON Transfer Means for the Indo-Pacific

On the surface, wartime OPCON transition can appear a niche topic, marked by a change in the leadership of the South Korea-U.S. alliance’s combined military command structure.

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.

Jan. 22, 2026

The Arctic is a Strategic Distraction

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.

Dec. 22, 2025

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

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.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stands behind a podium wearing a suit, and delivers a fiery speech at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Dec. 3, 2025

Strategic Ambiguity: Erdoğan’s Turkey in a Multipolar World

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Finland and Sweden made the historic decision to seek membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

Gen. Dan Caine visits South Korea for the 50th MCM and 57th SCM.

Dec. 2, 2025

Can Seoul Take the Lead & The Alliance Expand Its Aperture?

South Korea taking a lead role in conventional deterrence of North Korea, appears linked with enabling the U.S. conventional posture and the alliance's combined posture on the peninsula to better handle multiple threats to the alliance on, around, and beyond it.

South Korean soldiers pull security on a M3 Bridge vehicle during a wet gap crossing exercise.

Dec. 2, 2025

The Variables of OPCON: What "Conditions"?

Language around wartime operational control (OPCON) transition has evolved over the last decade, revealing important patterns and subtle (or not so subtle) shifts in position and policy.

Multiple flags flying on tall flagpoles against a blue sky with clouds, with the Turkish flag prominently in the foreground and the European Union, United States, and other national and organizational flags visible in the background.

Nov. 17, 2025

Keeping Turkey in the fold

Turkey has become one of the most active middle powers navigating the erosion of the post-Cold War order.

Dr. Clint Work (right) is facing ahead in a suit and tie, with the words "ROK-U.S. Alliance: The Near Future—A Dialogue" with Dr. Clint Work's name and affiliation with the Institute for National Strategic Studies at National Defense University.

Sept. 9, 2025

ROK-U.S. Alliance: The Near Future—A Dialogue with Dr. Clint Work

Dr. Clint Work joined the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies (APCSS) Dialogue podcast.

"The German Defense-Industrial Zeitenwende: Implications for Transatlantic Security" by Brett Swaney, part of the Strategic Perspectives series (number 44) from the Institute for National Strategic Studies (INSS). The top section features the INSS logo and publication details. Below, a dramatic image shows industrial workers in heat-resistant suits working near a large foundry furnace with molten metal and sparks flying. The bottom includes the seal of the National Defense University and credits the INSS Center for Strategy and Military Power.

June 30, 2025

The German Defense-Industrial Zeitenwende: Implications for Transatlantic Security

The Zeitenwende, or “watershed moment”—announced by Chancellor Olaf Scholz in February 2022, days after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine—outlined a set of policy shifts, including the development of Germany’s first-ever National Security Strategy, that appeared to signal a greater role for Germany in the defense and security of Europe.

Cover page of the publication titled "China's Military Diplomacy" by Phillip C. Saunders and Melodie Ha, part of China Strategic Perspectives 19. The cover features a photograph of a formal meeting between Chinese military officials and foreign military representatives seated around a long conference table, with Chinese flags and a traditional landscape painting in the background. The bottom of the cover credits the Center for the Study of Chinese Military Affairs, part of the Institute for National Strategic Studies at National Defense University.

June 23, 2025

China's Military Diplomacy

Chinese military diplomacy serves both strategic and operational goals.