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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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Sept. 29, 2023

Agile and Adaptable: U.S. and NATO Approaches to Russia's Short-Term Military Potential

Russia’s war in Ukraine has triggered the worst security crisis facing Europe since the end of the Cold War. It brought a major conventional war of aggression to the European continent and enormous human suffering, but in doing so it has also unified and reenergized the NATO alliance and accelerated efforts to reconstitute transatlantic defense and deterrence.

Sept. 29, 2023

The Future of Security in the Black Sea Region

Please join the Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program for an online-only event discussing the future

Sept. 29, 2023

Why Xi Jinping Doesn't Trust His Own Military

Over the last two months, a series of senior Chinese generals have disappeared from public view, including the defense minister and the leadership of the force responsible for China’s intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). These disappearances are surprising given the perception that Chinese President Xi Jinping dominates the People’s Liberation Army and his ruthless commitment to rooting out malfeasance earlier in his tenure. In fact, that such incidents have not only continued but also affected some of the most sensitive parts of the PLA showcases the limits of Xi’s power.

Sept. 5, 2023

Constructing Russia's Strategic Space: Empire, Identity, and Geopolitics

The war in Ukraine may be Russia’s most blatant attempt to undermine the sovereignty and territorial integrity of a neighboring state, but it is in keeping with a long history of Russian attempts to dominate its smaller neighbors.

Aug. 22, 2023

Next Door to Ukraine, Moscow’s Grip is Tightening

In Belarus, Georgia, and Moldova, the Kremlin is waging a quiet war to consolidate its hegemony.

July 11, 2023

Priorities for NATO Partnerships in an Era of Strategic Competition

Since 2014, NATO has paid relatively little strategic attention to partnerships with nonmember states around the world. This study evaluates how select NATO partner states in Europe and the Indo-Pacific region see the strategic value of cooperating with NATO as the Alliance adapts for strategic competition, and it assesses the prospects for future cooperation.

July 11, 2023

Proxy Wars and Strategic Competition

This chapter of the Routledge Handbook of Proxy Wars (Eds. Assaf Moghadam, Vladimir Rauta, Michael Wyss) explores the character of proxy wars through the lens of great power competition, where conventional warfare remains a major concern given its potentially catastrophic consequences.

July 5, 2023

Assessing Strength of Russian Forces: Retired US Army Colonel

NTD Media interviews Dr. Thomas F. (Tom) Lynch on Implications for US-Russia-China Great Power relations in context of evolving Russia-Ukraine war.

June 26, 2023

Counterterrorism Jenga

Editor’s Note: As the United States focuses on China and Russia and moves away from the Middle East, its ability to strike at terrorist groups such as al-Qaeda and the Islamic State is in question. National Defense University’s Kim Cragin examines the Biden administration’s “over-the-horizon” approach and argues that its foundations are increasingly shaky.








INSS Around the Web | 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.

Strategic Insights | 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.


INSS Around the Web | 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.