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June 7, 2021

Back from the Brink? Prospects for U.S.-Russia Relations

As the current American and Russian leaders, Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin, prepare for their first summit on June 16 in Geneva, prospects are slim for the kind of breakthrough achieved by Reagan and Gorbachev. Tensions remain high due to Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea and subsequent invasion of Ukraine; its interference in U.S. elections; its aggressive behavior in cyberspace—including the recent SolarWinds hack, which compromised a range of public and private sector entities across the West—and the sanctions that Washington imposed in response to all those activities. ...

May 25, 2021

Arms Control in Today’s (Dis)Information Environment Part II

Dr. Justin Anderson's recent article is the second in a series of papers by Institute for National Strategic Studies (INSS) Fellows examining Arms Control in Today’s (Dis)information Environment. The goal of the series is to contribute to a discussion about how disinformation could play a role in future arms control treaties and agreements.

May 19, 2021

Managed Risks, Managed Expectations: How Far Will Targeted Killing Get the United States in Afghanistan?

The United States may be withdrawing from Afghanistan, but thus far al-Qaeda certainly hasn’t. The central instrument in the U.S. arsenal to prevent al-Qaeda from reemerging will inevitably be the monitoring and targeted killing of al-Qaeda operatives residing in or near Afghanistan.

May 11, 2021

Arms Control in Today’s (Dis)Information Environment Part I

Ms. Sarah Jacobs Gamberini's recent article for Inkstick Media examines arms control and disinformation. This is the first article in series of papers by Institute for National Strategic Studies (INSS) Fellows on Arms Control in Today’s (Dis)information Environment. The goal of the series is to contribute to a discussion about how disinformation could play a role in future arms control treaties and agreements.

May 5, 2021

Alliance in Evolution: The Biden-Suga Summit

The Biden‒Suga Summit represents the latest phase in the evolution of the U.S.‒Japan Alliance. What follows outlines the steps in the adaptation of this critical alliance made by governments in Washington and Tokyo.  This paper relies upon key statements made in the most recent summits to strengthen the alliance and broaden its perspective and interests.  

May 4, 2021

#Reviewing Power on the Precipice: The Six Choices America Faces in a Turbulent World

Power on the Precipice offers a less poetic, but equally vivid, evaluation of a United States in decline.[2] The theme of the rise and fall of great powers goes back to Edward Gibbon’s classic study of the Roman Empire, and Paul Kennedy broadened our understanding in The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers, with an emphasis on finance and economics.[3] More recently Michael Beckley explored the interaction between a rising China and the United States and found more cause for optimism in his Unrivaled: Why America Will Remain the World's Sole Superpower.[4]  

April 28, 2021

Great Power Competition Explained

Dr. Thomas F. Lynch. III discusses Great Power Competition with FPRI on the Chain Reaction Podcast.

April 21, 2021

U.S. Defense Strategy After The Pandemic

After a year of loss and lockdowns, America’s vaccination efforts are slowly allowing the country to reopen. At long last, things are very slowly starting to feel normal. Among other things, this moment provides analysts the opportunity to consider how the pandemic has affected domestic support for America’s defense strategy, and whether the country will be able to afford it over the long term. This will be a difficult conversation, as it will necessarily require questioning longstanding assumptions in America’s strategic community.

April 7, 2021

A Year Of Working Intentionally

In the second article in Inkstick's series on The Future of National Security Work, CSWMD's Sarah Jacobs Gamberini pens a personal essay on the unexpected benefits of pandemic telework as a working mom in the defense world.

March 18, 2021

Quantum Sensing's Potential Impacts on Strategic Deterrence and Modern Warfare

Sarah Jacobs Gamberini and Lawrence Rubin recently wrote an article in the Foreign Policy Research Institute's Orbis journal of world affairs researching how quantum sensing could impact WMD, deterrence, and modern warfare.


INSS Around the Web | May 6, 2025

Xi Can’t Trust His Own Military

An unending purge in China's top military ranks raises serious questions over the country's readiness for offensive war.

INSS Around the Web | May 5, 2025

China's Cockpit Advances Pose Challenges for U.S. Combat Pilots

China’s latest AI-enabled fighter jet systems are redefining the rules of air combat. With real-time predictive targeting and near-perfect accuracy, these advancements challenge even the most skilled U.S. pilots.

INSS Around the Web | March 31, 2025

What Would a Military Strike on Iran Mean for the Middle East?

An attack by the United States or Israel would have profound effects on domestic Iranian politics, the strategy of U.S. Gulf allies, and broader regional dynamics.

INSS Around the Web | March 25, 2025

China’s exploitation of overseas ports and bases

This paper examines the potential for the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to exploit its growing network of overseas ports and bases to challenge control of the seas in a conventional war with the United States.


INSS Around the Web | March 10, 2025

China's Quest for Military Supremacy: A Conversation

On 25 Feb, INSS China Center Director Dr. Phillip Saunders and Senior Research Fellow Dr. Joel Wuthnow (INSS) spoke about their new book China’s Quest for Military Supremacy on the podcast, Mapping Global China Initiative, hosted by Maria Carrai at

INSS Around the Web | Feb. 19, 2025

Drones and Biotechnological Weaponry: Emerging Risks, Strategic Threats,...

Dr. Diane DiEuliis (CSWMD), in collaboration with Dr. James Giordano (CDTFW) from INSS, delve into the formidable challenge posed by the convergence of drone technology, synthetic biology, and gene-editing.


INSS Around the Web | Feb. 3, 2025

Warship Weapons for Merchant Ship Platforms

T.X. Hammes co-authors this article about how turning merchant ships into warships with missiles and drones would expand the combat fleet quickly.

INSS Around the Web | Feb. 3, 2025

Build Containerized Missile Ships for Rapid and Affordable Fleet Growth

T.X. Hammes co-authors this article for CIMSEC, supporting building containerized missile ships for rapid and affordable fleet growth.