Armed ForcesCategory

Implications of Service Cyberspace Component Commands for Army Cyberspace Operations

The first 7 years of U.S. Cyber Command operations are paved with milestones that mark the steady operationalization of modern cyberspace as the newest domain of military conflict as well as a realm of international power. The creation of the Cyber Mission Force and Joint Force Headquarters-Cyber are significant steps toward improving the timeliness and… Continue Reading Implications of Service Cyberspace Component Commands for Army Cyberspace Operations

Communication Campaigning: Primer for Senior Leaders

  Traditional approaches to strategic communication have focused on a single leader’s ability to influence stakeholders and other audiences through exceptional communication skills. But there is much more to it. What about the content of the message? How well does the message permeate the organization, allowing it to speak and act as one with the… Continue Reading Communication Campaigning: Primer for Senior Leaders

Contemporary Chemical Weapons Use in Syria and Iraq by the Assad Regime and the Islamic State

This monograph focuses on an understudied, but yet a critically important and timely component of land warfare, related to the battlefield use of chemical weapons by contemporary threat forces. It will do so by focusing on two case studies related to chemical weapons use in Syria and Iraq by the Assad regime and the Islamic… Continue Reading Contemporary Chemical Weapons Use in Syria and Iraq by the Assad Regime and the Islamic State

Artificial Intelligence and National Security

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a rapidly growing field of technology with potentially significant implications for national security. As such, the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) and other nations are developing AI applications for a range of military functions. AI research is underway in the fields of intelligence collection and analysis, logistics, cyber operations, information operations,… Continue Reading Artificial Intelligence and National Security

Russian Compliance with the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty: Background and Issues for Congress

The United States and Soviet Union signed the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty in December 1987. Negotiations on this treaty were the result of a “dual-track” decision taken by NATO in 1979. At that time, in response to concerns about the Soviet Union’s deployment of new intermediate-range nuclear missiles, NATO agreed both to accept deployment… Continue Reading Russian Compliance with the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty: Background and Issues for Congress

U.S. Army in the Iraq War – Volume 2: Surge and Withdrawal 2007-2011

The Iraq War has been the costliest U.S. conflict since the Vietnam War. To date, few official studies have been conducted to review what happened, why it happened, and what lessons should be drawn. The U.S. Army in the Iraq War is the Army’s initial operational level analysis of this conflict, written in narrative format,… Continue Reading U.S. Army in the Iraq War – Volume 2: Surge and Withdrawal 2007-2011

U.S. Army in the Iraq War – Volume 1: Invasion – Insurgency – Civil War, 2003-2006

The Iraq War has been the costliest U.S. conflict since the Vietnam War. To date, few official studies have been conducted to review what happened, why it happened, and what lessons should be drawn. The U.S. Army in the Iraq War is the Army’s initial operational level analysis of this conflict, written in narrative format,… Continue Reading U.S. Army in the Iraq War – Volume 1: Invasion – Insurgency – Civil War, 2003-2006

Nonstrategic Nuclear Weapons

Recent debates about U.S. nuclear weapons have questioned what role weapons with shorter ranges and lower yields can play in addressing emerging threats in Europe and Asia. These weapons, often referred to as nonstrategic nuclear weapons, have not been limited by past U.S.-Russian arms control agreements, although some analysts argue such limits would be of… Continue Reading Nonstrategic Nuclear Weapons

Missile Defense Review 2019

The 2018 National Defense Strategy (NDS) states that the Defense Department’s “enduring mission is to provide combat-credible military forces needed to deter war and protect the security of our nation.” This 2019 Missile Defense Review (MDR) is fully aligned with the NDS, writes acting US Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan. The MDR was conducted pursuant to… Continue Reading Missile Defense Review 2019