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 16, 2026
The Silent Service: Assessing PLAN Influence in the Central Military Commission
Despite its impressive expansion, the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) is more of a "decision-taker" than a "decision-maker," with its growth driven by top-down political directives from leaders like Xi Jinping rather than by its own institutional influence.
May 11, 2026
The Pentagon Needs a Playbook for Munitions Surge Production
Using uneven U.S. munitions ramp ups after Russia’s 2022 Ukraine invasion as evidence, the article argues that munitions surge capacity is determined before a crisis begins.
May 8, 2026
INSS Joins NATDEF Podcast to Discuss a Biodeterrence Framework
INSS expert consultant Dr. Diane DiEuliis was interviewed on the NATDEF podcast on the topic of a Biodeterrence Framework.
April 27, 2026
INSS Participates in 2026 Carlisle Conference on the PLA
INSS's Dr. Phillip Saunders, Dr. Elliot Ji, and Dr. Joel Wuthnow participated in the US Army War College Strategic Studies Institute’s annual Carlisle Conference on the PLA on March 25 and 26, 2026, at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania.
March 25, 2026
INSS gives talk on "China's Quest for Military Supremacy" at National University of Singapore
On 19 March, INSS China Center Director Dr. Phillip C. Saunders gave a talk on China’s Quest for Military Supremacy at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at National University of Singapore (NUS).
March 19, 2026
A Framework for Biological Weapons Deterrence Rollout Event
On 12 March, the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) and the National Defense University (NDU) co-hosted the Framework for Biological Weapons Deterrence: Report Rollout event.
March 17, 2026
PLA Autonomy and the Chinese Military Purges
This essay assesses Xi Jinping’s January 2026 purge of Central Military Commission (CMC) Vice-Chair Zhang Youxia and Chief of the Joint Staff Department General Liu Zhenli.
Biodeterrence in an Era of Convergent Threats
A recent report reveals that the Peoples’ Republic of China (PRC) has increasing focus upon and fiscal dedication to biosciences and biotechnology, with an estimated economic commitment of 5-8% of its total national research and development spending, amounting to approximately $32 billion in comparable USD in annual funding.
How China May Proceed in Reaction to U.S. Operation in Iran
Dr. Thomas Lynch III discusses how effectively the U.S. military's Operation Epic Fury is performing, and its implications for the balance of power between the U.S. and its adversaries Russia and China.
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).