Publications

Should the Trump administration intervene more forcefully in the Middle East, particularly in its anti-terrorism efforts? This report thinks so and encourages it to 1) look closer at shared US-European objectives, and 2) assign responsibilities based on...chevron_right

In this US Congressional testimony, CNAS’ Julianne Smith discusses the underlying complexities of the US-Russian bilateral relationship. According to Smith, Russia is using a wide range of military, cyber, intelligence, and economic tools to harm the US and...chevron_right

This report touts the benefits of a flourishing aerospace industry for a nation’s global competitiveness. The potential advantages include 1) an orbital surveillance and reconnaissance capability; 2) the opportunity to access abundant natural resources in...chevron_right

This report argues that it’s time for the US to think harder about how it’s going to facilitate a peaceful post-conflict transition in Afghanistan. At a minimum, Washington needs to 1) stabilize the country’s ‘strategic alignment’; 2) promote Afghan sovereignty and...chevron_right

Many policymakers, intelligence analysts and academics believe expelling the self-proclaimed Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) from Mosul and Raqqah is the key to the terrorist group’s defeat and the destruction of its self-declared caliphate. Well, this analysis believes that’s only partially correct. ISIL will no doubt…chevron_right

In November 2016 CNAS published a report (“Counterbalance: Red Teaming the Rebalance in the Asia-Pacific”) which evaluated the progress the US military has made in shifting its primary focus to Asia. This brief builds on that report and provides recommendations that the US Congress might follow as it helps…chevron_right

This report looks at the gradual integration of automated components into the US’ Patriot air and missile defense system. It does so in order to raise and consider broader issues about the interplay of automation, human factors and organizational dynamics in modern technologies.chevron_right

This report examines what the US Department of Defense (DoD) is trying to do in order to address its military-technical challenges. The report’s authors specifically argue that the US’ eroding military-technical advantages are...chevron_right

This paper analyzes the US’ need for surveillance reform. While the federal government’s executive branch and Congress have introduced key improvements to US surveillance practices since 2013, the authors maintain that they are...chevron_right

This paper 1) provides a framework that clarifies the multidimensional interests at stake in the South China Sea, and 2) argues that the US needs to adopt a more balanced approach towards these interests. The framework, by the way, centers on...chevron_right

This paper first examines the work of classic naval theorists Captain Alfred Thayer Mahan (1840–1914) and Sir Julian Corbett (1854–1922) and contemplates whether their ideas on sea power could be applied to outer space. The text’s authors then examine the...chevron_right

The multiple authors in this text focus on how the US military’s Third Offset Strategy, which puts a premium on maintaining military superiority by investing in technological, organizational, and operational innovations, could affect the future security of the Korean Peninsula.chevron_right

This paper recommends a number of cost-cutting business reforms which the incoming Trump administration could implement in the US Department of Defense (DoD). The reforms basically fall into 3 categories – 1) those that require the personal attention from...chevron_right

This study, which draws on interviews and field research in two recipient nations of US counterterrorism (CT) security assistance (Jordan and Kenya), examines how Washington can improve the CT programs it has initiated with other states. Given the results of their data, the text’s authors ultimately provide the following recommendations...chevron_right

In the case of the Asia-Pacific region, this paper discusses whether the strategic outlooks of the US and its European allies coincide, particularly when it comes to their threat perceptions and general expectations. The paper’s authors also...chevron_right