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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March 16, 2026
A Framework for Biological Weapons Deterrence
The United States and its allies and partners face a rapidly expanding array of biothreats, to include the potential employment of increasingly sophisticated and lethal biological weapons (BW).
March 10, 2026
INSS briefs NATO Committee on Proliferation about 'China’s Nuclear Weapons Posture and Launch on Warning'
On 6 March, INSS China Center Director Dr. Phillip Saunders briefed the NATO Committee on Proliferation about “China’s Nuclear Weapons Posture and Launch on Warning.”
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 9, 2026
INSS joins OSD Historical Office Speaker Series
On 4 March, Dr. Phillip Saunders and Dr. Joel Wuthnow spoke about their co-authored book, China’s Quest for Military Supremacy, to an audience of 180 people at the Pentagon as part of the OSD Historical Office Speaker Series.
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.
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. 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.