PUBLICATIONS

Through its publications INSS provides cutting-edge research, analyses, and innovative solutions on critical national security issues in support of the joint warfighter and Department of War stakeholders.

 

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INSS Center for Strategic Deterrence and WMD Studies employees stand in front of the Framework for Biological Weapons Deterrence: Report Rollout event at National Defense University.

March 19, 2026

A Framework for Biological Weapons Deterrence Rollout Event

On 12 March, the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) and the National Defense University (NDU) co-hosted the Framework for Biological Weapons Deterrence: Report Rollout event.

Members of Komala of the Toilers of Kurdistan, an Iranian Kurdish dissident group, gather in Khalifan, Iraq.

March 18, 2026

Iranian Kurds Can Fight, but How Effectively?

As Operations Epic Fury and Roaring Lion dismantle the Iranian regime’s nuclear and military infrastructure, Iranian Kurdish opposition groups have expressed their willingness to join the fight—even though U.S. objectives are not premised on supporting or arming a local force.

Dr. Denise Natali (left) and Dr. Mahsa Rouhi (right) sit opposite of each other during an INSS National Security Talk.

March 17, 2026

INSS hosts National Security Talk on Iran

On 13 March, Dr. Mahsa Rouhi led a timely, regional security discussion on Operation Epic Fury.

Biohazard symbol inside a high-containment lab

March 17, 2026

Biodeterrence in an Era of Convergent Threats

A recent report reveals that the Peoples’ Republic of China (PRC) has increasing focus upon and fiscal dedication to biosciences and biotechnology, with an estimated economic commitment of 5-8% of its total national research and development spending, amounting to approximately $32 billion in comparable USD in annual funding.

Steve Lance (left) sits down with Dr. Tom Lynch (right) to discuss how effectively the U.S. military's Operation Epic Fury is performing, and its implications for the balance of power between the U.S. and its adversaries Russia and China. Both men are in suits, sitting facing one another. A small table separates the men, with two mugs of coffee placed on the table.

March 17, 2026

How China May Proceed in Reaction to U.S. Operation in Iran

Dr. Thomas Lynch III discusses how effectively the U.S. military's Operation Epic Fury is performing, and its implications for the balance of power between the U.S. and its adversaries Russia and China.

U.S. Navy SEAL secures deck of ship and conducts board, search, and seizure training with British Royal Marine Commandos and Ukrainian special forces in Odesa, Ukraine, June 21, 2021 (U.S. Army/Patrik Orcutt)

March 16, 2026

Joint Force Quarterly 119 (4th Quarter 2025)

At 32 years and now 119 issues, Joint Force Quarterly has had over 40 people involved in making the magic happen.

Cover of a report titled “A Framework for Biological Weapons Deterrence.” The design features blue circular graphics with the word “UNCLASSIFIED” at the top and bottom. The subtitle reads: Center for the Study of Weapons of Mass Destruction, Institute for National Strategic Studies, National Defense University, August 2025. Two photos appear on the cover: one shows emergency responders wearing bright yellow hazmat suits standing near a fire truck; the other shows a U.S. Army soldier in uniform examining a sample through a laboratory microscope. A disclaimer notes that the views expressed are those of the authors and not official U.S. government policy. Logos for the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, National Defense University, and the Institute for National Strategic Studies appear at the bottom.

March 16, 2026

A Framework for Biological Weapons Deterrence

The United States and its allies and partners face a rapidly expanding array of biothreats, to include the potential employment of increasingly sophisticated and lethal biological weapons (BW).

A Green Beret assigned to the 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) calibrates an unmanned aerial system during Next Generational Command and Control (NGC2) training support of Ivy Sting IV at Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site, Colorado Feb. 4, 2026. The training enhanced Special Operations Forces integration into NGC2 systems alongside 4th Infantry Division to improve mission command capabilities and interoperability in large-scale combat operations.

March 11, 2026

Precision in Words, Precision in Warfare: Terminology and Control in Military Discourse on Unmanned Systems

Unmanned vehicular systems (UVS) spanning aerial, maritime, terrestrial, and sub-surface domains have become integral to intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR), logistics, strike operations, and electronic warfare. Yet despite the increasing ubiquity and sophistication of these technologies, discourse surrounding their capabilities can be undermined by imprecise terminology that conflates the terms automatic, remote, and autonomous in policy, technical, operational, strategic and policy briefings and planning.

Cover Image for Terrorism and Political Violence, Volume 38, Issue 2, (2026), Special Issue: A Legacy of David C. Rapoport

March 10, 2026

From Theory to Policy: The Four Waves and U.S. Counterterrorism

This article examines United States (U.S.) counterterrorism policy through the lens of David C. Rapoport’s four waves theory.

U.S. Navy Marine Mammal Program dolphin trainers tend to their dolphins before a flight from Naval Air Station Key West, Fla., to NMMP in San Diego

March 4, 2026

Neuromodulating Mammals for Military Operations: Ethical Responsibility and Governance in Security Domains

Research into consideration and possible utility of employing marine mammals in military support operations is nothing new.