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NATO, Russia and the Black Sea

07/11/2018By Stephen Blank At NATO’s summit, the heads of state will discuss security in and around the Black Sea. No subject could be timelier for Russian threats and the capabilities needed to realize them are steadily growing. Indeed, Moscow’s activities in and around the Black Sea appear to be part of a broader military strategy that has a substantial naval… Read more »

The F-35, the Iron Dome and Saving Lives

07/11/2018By Edward Timperlake As Herman Kahn once noted: "Anything that reduces war-related destruction should not be considered altogether immoral." There is now the demonstrated promise of advanced weapons systems integrated together in an offensive and defensive enterprise to actually save the lives on innocents on both sides of combat action. The Israeli Defense Force is pioneering such lifesaving con-ops of… Read more »

The Latin American Challenge and Shaping a Realistic Way Ahead

07/10/2018By Stephen Blank The revelation that President Trump has seriously considered the desirability of invading Venezuela ought to focus our attention on that unhappy country and others like it in Latin America. While Venezuela’s crisis is an extreme manifestation of the kleptocratic autocracies masquerading under the socialist or Chavista sobriquet in Latin America; it is not the only such regime… Read more »

MAGTF Transformation and the Role of the CH-53K

07/10/2018By Robbin Laird With peer adversaries emphasizing technological change and force modernization, focusing on strategic advantage for US and allied forces is a key element for combat success. At the heart of such an approach, clearly will be the ability to operate more effective distributed forces and to leverage the capability of US and allied forces to operate flexibly and… Read more »

Moscow’s Collective Security Organization: A Challenge to NATO?

07/09/2018By Richard Weitz One issue that will probably not be on the NATO summit agenda, but should be, is to develop a strategy for dealing with the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). NATO has consistently rejected to do so, dismissing the organization as a façade for Moscow’s aspirations for regional hegemony. It is true that Russia dominates the CSTO, which… Read more »

Prevailing in a Disrupted and Degraded Combat Environment: MAWTS-1 Works the Challenge

07/05/2018By Robbin Laird During my visit to MAWTS-1 shortly after the completion of their latest WTI course, I had a chance to talk with Marines involved in the WTI about their combat focus. In the strategic shift, an adversary clearly has access to a variety of advanced combat capabilities and techniques. In a session led by Captain Michael Jacobellis, the… Read more »

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The Nordics and the Strategic Shift

05/25/2018The Russian seizure of Crimea and other aspects of its global activism have had a significant effect on the Nordics. The Nordics are working mores closely together to deal with the strategic shift. And they are adding new capabilities to shape a more effective approach to crisis management and deterrence in depth. Download PDF Now »