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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July 20, 2020
China's 'New-Type' Private Think Tanks: Is 'New' Better?
China’s public policy research community has long been dominated by large state-run research
An End to Exquisite Weapons
The convergence of new technologies is creating smaller, cheaper, autonomous weapons that challenge America’s arsenal of few, costly, but exquisite weapons. This convergence also presents the nation with an opportunity to field forces that are not only more effective, but also cheaper. By focusing on weapons systems that can be made platform-agnostic—launching from air, sea, or land—the U.S. can forgo the huge expense of many of today’s weapons systems.
Al-Qaeda’s Iran Dilemma: Evidence from the Abbottabad Records
Through a comprehensive review of documents recovered from Usama bin Ladin’s Abbottabad compound, this study provides a new periodization of al-Qaeda’s relationship with Iran. The analysis reveals that al-Qaeda often had to reconcile conflicting operational and ideational pressures in its interactions with the Islamic Republic over time. Beyond offering insight into the trajectory of this important relationship and direction for future scholarship, the analysis suggests some ways through which the United States might expand the strategic wedge that exists between these unlikely allies and highlights the need for a more flexible understanding of state sponsored terrorism.
July 14, 2020
Terrorism in Afghanistan: A Joint Threat Assessment (Chapter III)
Chapter III: Afghanistan in the Regional Security Interplay ContextAs it has for centuries,
July 13, 2020
Western Way of War
RUSI Western Way of War audio discussion featuring Dr. Frank Hoffman.
June 24, 2020
How Will the EU Survive the Coronavirus?
What will be the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on Europe? How will the pandemic change the
June 23, 2020
An Affordable Defense of Asia
US military advantages over China are steadily eroding…For the last two decades, China has studied
June 10, 2020
China’s Inopportune Pandemic Assertiveness
For a state just beginning to recover from Covid-19, China has been remarkably active in pressing
May 11, 2020
Still First to Fight? Shaping the 21st Century Marine Corps
The headline in the New York Times on June 1, 1918, read “Marines – First to Fight.” The day before,
May 7, 2020
Governing a Pandemic
In their article in Inkstick, Ms. Sarah Jacobs Gamberini and Ms. Amanda Moodie examine China's authoritarian approach to COVID-19 in the context of great power competition.