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The Institute for National Strategic Studies serves as a focal point for analysis of critical national security policy and defense strategy issues.

 
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Oct. 28, 2020

Book Review: Shields of the Republic

Brett Swaney reviews Shields of the Republic: The Triumph and Peril of America's Alliances by Dr. Mira Rapp-Hooper at the Strategy Bridge.

Oct. 26, 2020

Podcast: Double Crisis Double Feature

Colleen Wood and Jeff Mankoff break down the Kyrgyzstan and Nagorno Karabakh crises.

Oct. 1, 2020

Why Armenia and Azerbaijan Are on the Brink of War

Dr. Jeffrey Mankoff provides insights into the recent clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan and the dynamics that entangle the region.

Oct. 1, 2020

How Will Russia Respond to the U.S.-China Cold War?

Dr. Jeffrey Mankoff examines the dynamics of the Russia-China entente and what this means for the competition between the United States and China.

Sept. 4, 2020

Book Review: Terror and Technology from Dynamite to Drones

T.X. Hammes reviews Power to the People: How Open Technological Innovation is Arming Tomorrow's Terrorists by Audrey Kurth Cronin at War on the Rocks.

Aug. 25, 2020

Tactical Partnerships for Strategic Effects: Recent Experiences of U.S. Forces Working By, With, and Through Surrogates in Syria and Libya

Drawing on interviews with senior policymakers, diplomats, and military officials with knowledge of Operations Inherent Resolve in Syria and Odyssey Lightning in Libya, this paper confronts commonly-held perspectives on the “by, with, through” approach to warfare. It argues that will-to-fight and skillset play important roles in US military partnerships with irregular forces.

Aug. 13, 2020

The Maduro Regime's Illicit Activities: A Threat to Democracy in Venezuela and Security in Latin America

Nicolás Maduro’s global web of illicit activities provides a lifeline of support to his regime and

Aug. 10, 2020

Distilling the Essence of Strategy

This succinct set of considerations provide the fundamentals distilled from a detailed review of Professor Colin Gray’s studies. There is nothing guaranteed in the realm of human affairs, but strategists who recognize these considerations will increase the likelihood that their strategy will be “good enough.” There is heroic difficulty in resolving the competing tensions inherent to crafting and implementing strategy, and only a few heroes that have taught this craft with Colin’s intense style. He will be remembered for keeping the strategic flame alive and passing it along to future generations of strategists.

July 31, 2020

Of Russian Influence in Germany - Russian Roulette Podcast Episode 104

In this episode of Russian Roulette, Heather Conley sits down with Dr. Jeffrey Mankoff and Tabea

July 28, 2020

With Friends Like These: Assessing Russian Influence in Germany

As Europe’s unquestioned heavyweight and a country with deep political, economic, and cultural ties


Strategic Insights | Sept. 24, 2025

Beyond Mechanistic Control: Causal Decision Processing in Neuromorphic M...

Recently, a paper by Kevin Mitchell and Henry Potter in the European Journal of Neuroscience provided a valuable overview of current understanding of causation in neurocognitive processing, which has interesting implications for military applications

Strategic Insights | Sept. 17, 2025

Autonomous Artificial Intelligence in Armed Conflict: Toward a Model of ...

Artificially intelligent systems are being developed to have iteratively autonomous function, and these systems are increasingly being considered for use in military settings, weapon platforms, and operations.

INSS Around the Web | Sept. 15, 2025

The Greatest Danger in the Taiwan Strait

Dr. Joel Wuthnow writes a piece for Foreign Affairs on how a war between China and Taiwan could result from an accident or miscalculation that spirals out of control.


INSS Around the Web | Sept. 9, 2025

Expendable Drones: Appreciating the Evolving Technology – and Character ...

This publication address the expanding weaponized capabilities — and threats — of unmanned vehicular systems when coupled to iterative forms of artificial intelligence.

Strategic Insights | Sept. 8, 2025

Tiny Particles, Big Stakes: The Strategic Implications of Micro‑ and Nan...

During World War II, plastic production was ramped up to meet demands from the defense industry. In the post-war consumer culture, using technological innovations and advanced synthesis methods to create and manipulate isomers, synthetic polymers

INSS Around the Web | Sept. 4, 2025

Evaluating Anomalous Health Incidents of the Havana Syndrome: The Case f...

Dr. Giordano writes his latest publication for EC Neurology that explicates the need, and calls for the development of a systematic questionnaire to assess the symptoms of patients with anomalous health incidents (AHI) of the Havana Syndrome.

Strategic Insights | Sept. 3, 2025

Disruptive Technologies in Current and Future Warfare: Definition and De...

This week, the Center for Disruptive Technology and Future Warfare (DTFW) of the Institute for National Strategic Studies is presenting its first major conference, addressing DTFW at large, and in-depth. In the spirit of this conference, I believe it