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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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Left map: Titled "All Senior Military Leader Engagements with Africa". Countries are shaded in green by number of senior leader visits (1–27). South Africa and Sudan have the highest with 27 visits each, followed by Zambia (16), Angola (15), and Tanzania (15). Other countries show smaller numbers, ranging from 1 to 13. Right map: Titled "CMC Vice Chair Travel to Africa". Countries are shaded in light to dark green by number of visits (1–2). Tanzania has the most with 2 visits, while Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique each have 1. Most other countries are gray (no visits).

Aug. 20, 2025

China’s Military Diplomacy in Africa

This article shows another application for regional researchers, analysts, and policymakers. Specifically, it uses the database to explore some specific aspects of the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA’s) evolving engagement in Africa.

Cover art for the podcast 'School of War with Aaron MacLean,' featuring two soldiers in combat. One soldier is standing and pressing a rifle down on a soldier lying on the ground, both wearing military helmets and uniforms. The background is a solid blue, with the title in large white letters at the top.

Aug. 13, 2025

INSS China Center Researchers join School of War Podcast

INSS China Center Director Dr. Phillip Saunders and Senior Research Fellow Dr. Joel Wuthnow are interviewed discussing their new book China’s Quest for Military Supremacy on the latest School of War podcast.

Four adults pose inside a museum or exhibition space in front of large framed images of Xi Jinping and a military parade. Two men stand together in the center for a photo, while a woman on the right takes their picture with a smartphone. Another man stands to the left holding a phone. Red Chinese characters and decorative murals with mountains and waterfalls surround the display.

Aug. 13, 2025

Dr. Joel Wuthnow quoted in NYT on challenges within China's military

On 10 August, INSS China Center Senior Research Fellow Dr. Joel Wuthnow was quoted in a New York Times story by Chris Buckley titled “Xi Looks to Tighten Grip After Scandals Shake China’s Military Elite.”

Illustration of two soldiers facing each other: a Chinese soldier on the left with a red background featuring the Chinese flag, and a U.S. soldier on the right with a blue and green background featuring the American flag. Bold text in the center reads “How to Preserve Peace.” The image is a thumbnail for a National Committee on U.S.-China Relations video discussing how the U.S. and China use deterrence to maintain peace, featuring INSS China Center Senior Research Fellow Joel Wuthnow.

Aug. 6, 2025

How the U.S. and China Use Deterrence to Preserve Peace

On 1 August 2025, INSS China Center Senior Research Fellow Joel Wuthnow appeared in a National Committee on U.S.-China Relations Faultlines video on “How the U.S. and China Use Deterrence to Preserve Peace.”

Promotional image for the "China Desk Podcast" by Federal Newswire, featuring host Steve Yates. The background is red with white and yellow text. Steve Yates is shown in a suit and tie at the bottom left. The podcast is available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Aug. 6, 2025

INSS China Center Researchers join China Desk Podcast

On 5 August 2025, INSS China Center Director Phillip Saunders and Center Senior Research Fellow Joel Wuthnow appeared on the China Desk podcast with Steve Yates to discuss their book China’s Quest for Military Supremacy.

Chinese Defense Minister Chang Wanquan meets with Vietnamese Minister of Defense Ngo Xuan Lich in Beijing, January 13, 2017.

Aug. 5, 2025

Visualizing China’s Military Diplomacy

The National Defense University (NDU) recently released a major update to its comprehensive, publicly available database tracking the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) international military-diplomatic engagements from 2002 to 2024.

General of the Army Douglas MacArthur, Commanding General for the unified U.N. forces Aiding the Republic of Korea to repel the North Korean Communists, and a staff officer (right) inspecting a Communist tank, destroyed during the recent U.N. landings at Incho.

Aug. 1, 2025

The Variables of OPCON

The control rod logic, while not outwardly promoted by U.S. officials, had reemerged to shape the process around the status of wartime OPCON.

Image of a micro-UAV shown on China Central Television

July 30, 2025

COMMENTARY: Insect-Sized Microdrones: A Tiny Vector for Big Biothreats

Recent demonstrations by China’s National University of Defense Technology, aired on state broadcast CCTV-7, revealed mosquito-sized robotic micro-unmanned aerial vehicles that are approximately two centimeters long and weigh 0.3 grams.

Cover of podcast series by The Telegraph, "China’s military: How it went from obsolete to world-class."

July 28, 2025

China’s military: How it went from obsolete to world-class

Dr. Phillip Saunders and Dr. Joel Wuthnow join Battle Lines, The Telegraph's Defence & Foreign Affairs Podcast.

Cover of podcast series by The Telegraph, "China’s military: How it went from obsolete to world-class."

July 28, 2025

INSS researchers join Battle Lines Podcast on the Chinese military

Dr. Phillip Saunders and Dr. Joel Wuthnow (CSCMA) joined Battle Lines for a three-part series focused on the Chinese military.

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

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.
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
INSS Around the Web | Aug. 27, 2025

With the Armenia-Azerbaijan Deal, It’s a New Era in the Caucasus

A peace treaty would settle a long and bloody conflict—and create new geopolitical options in the region.
Strategic Insights | Aug. 25, 2025

Moving at WARP Speed Toward Developing the Cyborg Soldier

There is an adage that the fruits of scientific achievement applicable to real-world settings tend to blossom with the fertilization of time and trends.