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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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Category: Disruptive Technology

A U.S. Soldier in camouflage uniform and tactical gear looks at a large digital display showing a glowing map of the world with blue cyber-like graphics and data overlays, symbolizing cyber warfare or digital defense operations.

Sept. 17, 2025

Autonomous Artificial Intelligence in Armed Conflict: Toward a Model of Strategic Integration, Ethical Authority, and Operational Constraint

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.

Soldiers loading sea mines during a military exercise in Kaohsiung, Taiwan

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.

Dr. Clint Work (right) is facing ahead in a suit and tie, with the words "ROK-U.S. Alliance: The Near Future—A Dialogue" with Dr. Clint Work's name and affiliation with the Institute for National Strategic Studies at National Defense University.

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.

Image of drones depicting

Sept. 9, 2025

Expendable Drones: Appreciating the Evolving Technology – and Character – of War

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

The cover of the journal EC Neurology that depicts an image of a human brain and the word "Neurology" and "Open Access" across the front. The bottom spells out ECRONICON

Sept. 4, 2025

Evaluating Anomalous Health Incidents of the Havana Syndrome: The Case for a Structured Qualitative and Quantitative Symptom Assessment Instrument

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.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, U.S. President Donald Trump, and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan join hands during a signing ceremony at the White House in Washington.

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.

Digital illustration of a human head profile with a glowing brain composed of circuitry, overlaid on a digital background of electronic circuits, symbolizing artificial intelligence and the fusion of technology with the human mind.

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.

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.”

Homeland Defense | 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.
INSS Around the Web | March 4, 2026

Neuromodulating Mammals for Military Operations: Ethical Responsibility ...

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
China | 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.
China | Feb. 25, 2026

Assessing Xi’s Unprecedented Purges of China’s Military: Key Development...

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
China | Feb. 25, 2026

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?
INSS Around the Web | 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
Disruptive Technology | 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
China | Feb. 19, 2026

To Prevent a Great Power War: Conflict Prevention Efforts and Possibilit...

War between rivalrous great powers (GPW) often is not a deliberate choice.
INSS Around the Web | Feb. 17, 2026

The Recent Rash of Biotechnology Risks: A Call to Fortify Force Capability

The tools of modern biology such as state-of-the-art gene editing, modular DNA assembly, cell-free systems, benchtop automation, and AI-enabled formulation have distributed bioweapon capability beyond the skillcraft of traditional state laboratories.
Allies and Partners | Feb. 11, 2026

Beyond the Peninsula: What OPCON Transfer Means for the Indo-Pacific

On the surface, wartime OPCON transition can appear a niche topic, marked by a change in the leadership of the South Korea-U.S. alliance’s combined military command structure.