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March 11, 2026
Precision in Words, Precision in Warfare: Terminology and Control in Military Discourse on Unmanned Systems
Unmanned vehicular systems (UVS) spanning aerial, maritime, terrestrial, and sub-surface domains have become integral to intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR), logistics, strike operations, and electronic warfare. Yet despite the increasing ubiquity and sophistication of these technologies, discourse surrounding their capabilities can be undermined by imprecise terminology that conflates the terms automatic, remote, and autonomous in policy, technical, operational, strategic and policy briefings and planning.
March 10, 2026
From Theory to Policy: The Four Waves and U.S. Counterterrorism
This article examines United States (U.S.) counterterrorism policy through the lens of David C. Rapoport’s four waves theory.
March 4, 2026
Neuromodulating Mammals for Military Operations: Ethical Responsibility and Governance in Security Domains
Research into consideration and possible utility of employing marine mammals in military support operations is nothing new. During the Cold War, the United States (U.S.) and Soviet Union employed dolphins and sea lions for detection, retrieval, and harbor defense. Those programs operated within defined operational parameters and structured oversight. However, recent reports alleging that Russia is employing advanced neurotechnologies to modulate and direct the behavior of orcas for military purposes, if validated, represent an ethical inflection point.
March 2, 2026
Why Is Xi Still Purging His Generals?
The removal of PLA senior generals Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli in January 2026 represented the peak, if not the end, of a massive purge of the military leadership that began in mid-2023.
Feb. 26, 2026
Disruptive Technology & the Future of Warfare, Discussion with Dr. James Giordano
Dr. James Giordano joins the NATDEF podcast, hosted by NDU's College of Information and Cyberspace.
Feb. 25, 2026
Assessing Xi’s Unprecedented Purges of China’s Military: Key Developments and Potential Implications
On January 24, 2026, China’s Ministry of National Defense announced that the military’s top general, Zhang Youxia, and the chief of the Joint Staff Department, Liu Zhenli, had been placed under investigation for serious disciplinary and legal violations.
The Danger in the Middle: Will Xi’s Purges Increase the Risk of War?
Chinese leader Xi Jinping has purged dozens of senior People’s Liberation Army officers since mid-2023, including two in January, but will this increase the risk of war?
Feb. 24, 2026
Laser-focusing Defense Capabilities
Contemporary warfighting is undergoing rapid and profound transformation. As noted in prior analyses of disruptive technologies and future warfare, the convergence of precision guidance, hypersonic kinematics, distributed sensors, and iteratively autonomous machine systems has altered the character of conflict in both the tempo and geometry of engagement(s).
Feb. 23, 2026
How AI Can Help Enforce the Biological Weapons Convention
President Donald Trump’s recent proposal to the United Nations General Assembly regarding the use of artificial intelligence systems to support oversight and enforcement of the Biological Weapons Convention represents a significant milestone in focusing emergent technological approaches to international biosecurity.
Feb. 19, 2026
To Prevent a Great Power War: Conflict Prevention Efforts and Possibilities by the U.S. and China
War between rivalrous great powers (GPW) often is not a deliberate choice.