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How to Unsettle an Alliance:  Subordinate Extended Deterrence to Antiquated Arms Control Initiatives Dr. Keith B. Payne Dr. Keith B. Payne is a co-founder of the National Institute for Public Policy, professor emeritus at the Graduate School of Defense and Strategic Studies, Missouri State University, a former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense and former Senior Advisor to the […]

The Death of the New START Treaty Dr. Mark Schneider Dr. Mark B. Schneider is a Senior Analyst with the National Institute for Public Policy. Before his retirement from the Department of Defense Senior Executive Service, Dr. Schneider served as Principal Director for Forces Policy, Principal Director for Strategic Defense, Space and Verification Policy, Director […]

Arms Control in the Emerging Deterrence Context[1] Keith B. Payne Keith B. Payne is a co-founder of the National Institute for Public Policy, professor emeritus at the Graduate School of Defense and Strategic Studies, Missouri State University, a former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense and former Senior Advisor to the Office of the Secretary of Defense. David J. […]

Self-Perceptions and Nuclear Weapons  Dr. Shmuel Bar Dr. Shmuel Bar heads Shmuel Bar Research and Analysis, an independent boutique analytic group that specializes in the Middle East and Russia and is CEO of IntuView Ltd.  He is a former senior officer in the Israeli Intelligence. Introduction The Middle East may be on the brink of […]

On Arms Control and Why New START’s Suspension Does Not Really Matter Dr. Michaela Dodge Dr. Michaela Dodge is a Research Scholar at the National Institute for Public Policy. The United States ought not mourn Russia’s suspension of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START). Claims that the treaty was “a key stabilizing force […]

Information Operations against the United States: Defensive Actions are Needed John A. Gentry John A. Gentry is an adjunct professor at Georgetown University. He is a former CIA analyst and a retired U.S. Army Reserve officer. He writes frequently on intelligence-related topics. Countries long have tried to influence important foreign audiences, often by using their […]

Emerging Challenges to Extended Deterrence, Assurance and the Future of U.S. Alliances Dr. Keith B. Payne Dr. Keith B. Payne is a co-founder of the National Institute for Public Policy, professor emeritus at the Graduate School of Defense and Strategic Studies, Missouri State University, a former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense and former Senior Advisor to the Office […]

An Interview with General Kevin Chilton (USAF, Ret.), former Commander of U.S. Strategic Command Gen. Chilton addresses the Biden Administration’s nuclear policies, the threats posed by China and Russia, and the importance of having a credible nuclear deterrent in a dynamic international strategic environment.  This interview was conducted by David J. Trachtenberg, Vice President of […]

Continuity and Change in Nuclear Modernization: Ensuring an Effective Future Nuclear Deterrent Thomas S. Troyano Thomas S. Troyano is a Vice President at Systems Planning and Analysis (SPA) and former Director for Strategic Deterrence and Capabilities in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment.  The views expressed in this article […]

Nuclear Disarmament:  The Contemporary “Great Illusion”? Dr. Keith B. Payne Dr. Keith B. Payne is a co-founder of the National Institute for Public Policy, professor emeritus at the Graduate School of Defense and Strategic Studies, Missouri State University, a former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense and former Senior Advisor to the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Introduction […]

Cybersecurity Considerations for the New Congress Laurin Groover Laurin Groover spent over a decade on Capitol Hill as senior staff to House Armed Services Committee leaders. With nearly 30 years at the nexus of government, politics, and industry, she is a business development and government relations consultant specializing in cyber solutions for the warfighter. Col. […]

Commemorating the Fortieth Anniversary of President Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative Speech Dr. Michaela Dodge Dr. Michaela Dodge is a Research Scholar at the National Institute for Public Policy. Forty years ago, on March 23, 1983, President Ronald Reagan delivered a speech containing an audacious call to reverse the conventional wisdom of the day – that […]

Strategic Lessons from the Russia-Ukraine Conflict Marc J. Berkowitz Marc J. Berkowitz is a former Vice President for Strategic Planning at Lockheed Martin. Previously, he served as Assistant Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Space Policy. Introduction The 1991 Persian Gulf conflict was called the first “space war” because of the extent to which space […]

Deterrence Lessons from Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine:  One Year After Dr. Keith B. Payne Dr. Keith B. Payne is a co-founder of the National Institute for Public Policy, professor emeritus at the Graduate School of Defense and Strategic Studies, Missouri State University, a former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense and former Senior Advisor to the Office of the […]

Allied Assurance, Extended Deterrence, and Adjusting for the Multipolar Environment: The Way Forward[1] Dr. Michaela Dodge Dr. Michaela Dodge is a Research Scholar at the National Institute for Public Policy. The United States is facing new challenges in trying to assure allies and deter revisionist adversaries, most notably Russia, China, and North Korea. These revisionist […]

The Unchanging Nature of Russian Combat Methods James Lariviere James Lariviere is a retired Marine Corps Major General with more than 20 years of senior civilian and military experience in national security affairs. He served as Deputy Director Politico-Military Affairs (Africa), J5 Strategic Plans and Policy on the Joint Staff and on Capitol Hill. As […]

  National Strategy for Countering North Korea Robert Joseph, the principal author, chaired the group of experts that developed the strategy outlined in this document.  The other members of the group included Robert Collins, Joseph DeTrani, Nicholas Eberstadt, Olivia Enos, David Maxwell, and Greg Scarlatoiu.  All members of the group provided inputs and share in […]

The 2022 NPR:  Commendation and Concerns Dr. Keith B. Payne Dr. Keith B. Payne is a co-founder of the National Institute for Public Policy, professor emeritus at the Graduate School of Defense and Strategic Studies, Missouri State University, a former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense and former Senior Advisor to the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Introduction […]

Turkey’s Future in NATO: Asset or Liability? Paul J. David-Justus Paul J. David-Justus is an Assistant Research Fellow at the National Defense University’s Center for the Study of Weapons of Mass Destruction and is a current doctoral candidate at Missouri State University’s graduate Department of Defense and Strategic Studies. The views reflected here are his […]

Mischaracterizing U.S. Nuclear Deterrence Policy: The Myth of Deliberate Civilian Targeting David J. Trachtenberg David J. Trachtenberg is Vice President of the National Institute for Foreign Policy. Previously, he served as Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy from 2017-2019. Introduction As the debate over the proper role for nuclear weapons in U.S. national security […]

Extended Deterrence:  Back to the Future David J. Lonsdale David J. Lonsdale is a Senior Lecturer in War Studies, at the University of Hull, UK. His publications include Understanding Contemporary Strategy, Understanding Modern Warfare, and Alexander the Great: Lessons in Strategy. Introduction It is well understood that deterrence is a challenging strategic activity.[1] Said challenge […]

Tilting at Windmills: Nuclear Disarmament Advocacy in an Anarchic World Order Dr. Keith B. Payne Dr. Keith B. Payne is a co-founder of the National Institute for Public Policy, professor emeritus at the Graduate School of Defense and Strategic Studies, Missouri State University, a former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense and former Senior Advisor to the Office of […]

Five Arms Control Lessons for the 100th Anniversary of the 1922 Washington Naval Conference Matthew R. Costlow Matthew R. Costlow is Senior Analyst at the National Institute for Public Policy.  He was formerly Special Assistant in the Office of Nuclear and Missile Defense Policy at the Pentagon. The 100th anniversary of the conclusion of the […]

Joint Prepared Statement and Opening Remarks Before the United States Senate Committee on Armed Services, United States Nuclear Strategy and Policy, September 20, 2022 Eric S. Edelman, Counselor, Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments and Franklin C. Miller, Principal, The Scowcroft Group. Joint Statement Introduction Chairman Reed, Ranking member Inhofe, members of the Committee, thank […]

A Curious Criterion: Cost Effective at the Margin for Missile Defense Matthew R. Costlow Matthew R. Costlow is Senior Analyst at the National Institute for Public Policy.  He was formerly Special Assistant in the Office of Nuclear and Missile Defense Policy at the Pentagon. Introduction What are the valid criteria for choosing a homeland missile […]

Deterrence Via Mutual Vulnerability? Why Not Now Dr. Keith B. Payne Dr. Keith B. Payne is a co-founder of the National Institute for Public Policy, professor emeritus at the Graduate School of Defense and Strategic Studies, Missouri State University, a former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense and former Senior Advisor to the Office of the Secretary of Defense. […]

The Importance of Professional Nuclear Policy Analysis Tom Ramos Tom Ramos is a physicist at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and author of From Berkeley to Berlin: How the Rad Lab Helped Avert Nuclear War (Naval Institute Press, 2022). In a recent article entitled, “Deterrence is Not Rocket Science: It is More Difficult,”[i] Keith Payne […]

Allied Assurance and Extended Deterrence in Multipolarity[1] Dr. Michaela Dodge Dr. Michaela Dodge is a Research Scholar at the National Institute for Public Policy. Today, the United States and its allies find themselves amidst significant changes in the strategic environment. These changes are generating new extended deterrence and assurance requirements.[2] Extended deterrence and assurance are […]

Rethinking Deterrence:  How and Why[1] Dr. Keith B. Payne Dr. Keith B. Payne is a co-founder of the National Institute for Public Policy, professor emeritus at the Graduate School of Defense and Strategic Studies, Missouri State University, a former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense and former Senior Advisor to the Office of the Secretary of Defense. The following […]

Trust Without Verification: The Wrong Approach to Arms Control Dr. Mark B. Schneider Dr. Mark B. Schneider is a Senior Analyst with the National Institute for Public Policy. Before his retirement from the Department of Defense Senior Executive Service, Dr. Schneider served as Principal Director for Forces Policy, Principal Director for Strategic Defense, Space and […]

China’s Strategic Ambitions: A Strategy to Address China’s Nuclear Breakout Jennifer Bradley Jennifer Bradley is a Senior Deterrence Analyst in the Plans and Policy Directorate at United States Strategic Command.  She is also a doctoral student in Missouri State University’s Defense and Strategic Studies program.  The views presented in this article are those of the […]

Nuclear Fears: Are We Forgetting Nuclear Dangers? Michael Rühle Michael Rühle is Head of the Climate and Energy Security Section in NATO’s Emerging Security Challenges Division. The views expressed are his own. Some Western observers have long been lamenting about what they perceive as a fading of nuclear fears among the broader population. In contrast […]

The U.S. ASAT Test Ban: Implications for Security Steve Lambakis Steve Lambakis is a Senior Defense Analyst at the National Institute for Public Policy, Fairfax, VA, and the Strategic Alliance Business Group, Fairfax, VA. On April 18, 2022, Vice President Kamala Harris announced that the United States had adopted a unilateral ban on conducting direct-ascent anti-satellite (ASAT) […]

Western Ideas of War and the Russia-Ukraine Conflict Beatrice Heuser Beatrice Heuser is an historian and holds the Chair of International Relations at the University of Glasgow. She is currently seconded to the General Staff College of the Bundeswehr in Hamburg. Her recent book, War: A Genealogy of Western Ideas and Practices, was published by […]

Deterrence is Not Rocket Science: It is More Difficult Dr. Keith B. Payne Dr. Keith B. Payne is a co-founder of the National Institute for Public Policy, professor emeritus and former Department Head of the Graduate School of Defense and Strategic Studies at Missouri State University, a former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense and former Senior Advisor to […]

The Logic of Israel’s Laser Wall Ilan Berman Ilan Berman is Senior Vice President of the American Foreign Policy Council in Washington, DC. In early February, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett announced a major new defense initiative when, in an address to Tel Aviv University’s Institute for National Strategic Studies, he laid out his administration’s […]

Russian Nuclear Strategy in the Ukraine War: An Interim Report Dr. Stephen Blank Dr. Stephen Blank is a Senior Fellow with the Foreign Policy Research Institute. The views expressed here are his own and do not necessarily represent the views of the Department of Defense or the United States government. Introduction Russian nuclear threats preceded […]

Russia’s War in Ukraine and Implications for Its Influence Operations in the West Dr. Michaela Dodge Dr. Michaela Dodge is a Research Scholar at the National Institute for Public Policy. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, and its subsequent atrocities on Ukrainian territory have affected Moscow’s ability to successfully conduct influence operations in […]

Deterrence in Contemporary U.S.-Russian Relations Dr. Keith B. Payne Dr. Keith B. Payne is a co-founder of the National Institute for Public Policy, professor emeritus and former Department Head of the Graduate School of Defense and Strategic Studies at Missouri State University, a former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense and former Senior Advisor to the Office of the […]

Multilateral Deterrence:  What’s New and Why it Matters Dr. Keith B. Payne Dr. Keith B. Payne is a co-founder of the National Institute for Public Policy, professor emeritus and former Department Head of the Graduate School of Defense and Strategic Studies at Missouri State University, a former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense and former Senior Advisor to the […]

Russian Use of Nuclear Coercion against NATO and Ukraine Dr. Mark B. Schneider Dr. Mark B. Schneider is a Senior Analyst with the National Institute for Public Policy. Before his retirement from the Department of Defense Senior Executive Service, Dr. Schneider served as Principal Director for Forces Policy, Principal Director for Strategic Defense, Space and […]

The Value of Nuclear Crisis Simulations Dr. James H. Anderson Dr. James H. Anderson served from 2018 to 2020 as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy, Plans, and Capabilities and as Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy.  Introduction Reports over the past year about China’s growing nuclear capabilities, to include the discovery of new […]

Deterring China:  A Victory Denial Strategy Dr. Keith B. Payne Dr. Keith B. Payne is a co-founder of the National Institute for Public Policy, professor emeritus and former Department Head of the Graduate School of Defense and Strategic Studies at Missouri State University, a former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense and former Senior Advisor to the Office of […]

This Special Issue of National Institute’s Information Series commemorates the 39th anniversary of President Reagan’s March 23, 1983 speech introducing the Strategic Defense Initiative.  Below is the speech given by the Rt Hon the Baroness Thatcher LG OM FRS to a conference hosted by the National Institute for Public Policy on December 3, 1998.  In […]

Different Countries, Different Methods, Same Goal: Destroy Democracy Dr. Michaela Dodge Dr. Michaela Dodge is a Research Scholar at the National Institute for Public Policy.  Influence operations enable the Russian Federation to compensate for disadvantages in other areas of state power.[1] New technologies are making them cheaper and more potent, even if their principles haven’t […]

Pitfalls in Deterring a Taiwan Strait Conflict: “Unpreparable War” Sugio Takahashi Sugio Takahashi is Head of the Defense Policy Division of the Policy Studies Department at Japan’s National Institute for Defense Studies. The views reflected here are his own. Introduction With the end of the Cold War, the fear of all-out nuclear war drastically declined. […]

This Changes Many Things: Post-Truth and National Security Dr. Gary L. Geipel Dr. Gary L. Geipel is a Senior Associate of the National Institute for Public Policy, a professor and coordinator of the doctoral program in Defense and Strategic Studies at Missouri State University, and a corporate-communications and external-affairs consultant to industry. Introduction In the […]

An Introduction to the 2020 Report on the Nuclear Employment Strategy of the United States Dr. Robert Soofer Dr. Robert Soofer is a former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear and Missile Defense Policy.  Matthew R. Costlow Matthew R. Costlow is Senior Analyst at the National Institute for Public Policy.  He was formerly Special […]

Deterring Eastern Storms Dr. Keith B. Payne Dr. Keith B. Payne is a co-founder of the National Institute for Public Policy, professor emeritus and former Department Head of the Graduate School of Defense and Strategic Studies at Missouri State University, a former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense and former Senior Advisor to the Office of the Secretary of […]

Russia and Missile Defense: Toward An Integrated Approach Dr. Peppino DeBiaso Dr. Peppino DeBiaso served as Director of the Office of Missile Defense Policy at the U.S. Department of Defense from 2000-2021. He is currently Adjunct Professor in Missouri State University’s Defense and Strategic Studies Graduate Program in Washington D.C. and a Senior Associate (non-resident) […]

To Deter China, Think Big Steven Metz Steven Metz is Professor of National Security and Strategy at the U.S. Army War College. This essay is solely the work of the author and does not represent the official position of the U.S. Army or U.S. Army War College. Under the Communist Party, China has always insisted […]

NNSA’s Role in the Biden Nuclear Posture Review John R. Harvey John R. Harvey is former Principal Deputy Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Nuclear, Chemical and Biological Defense Programs and former Director, Policy Planning Staff of the National Nuclear Security Administration. His comments below were delivered at a webinar sponsored by the Advanced […]

The Taiwan Question:  How to Think About Deterrence Now Dr. Keith B. Payne Dr. Keith B. Payne is a co-founder of the National Institute for Public Policy, professor emeritus and former Department Head of the Graduate School of Defense and Strategic Studies at Missouri State University, a former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense and former Senior Advisor to […]

Taiwan’s Turn – Deterring and Derailing an Existential Threat Heino Klinck Heino Klinck was the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for East Asia, 2019-2021. He is the most senior U.S. Defense Department official to visit Taiwan since 1979. As an Army Foreign Area Officer, he served as a military attaché in China, 2004-2010. Potential conflict […]

Back to the Future: A Misguided Understanding of China’s Nuclear Intent David J. Trachtenberg David J. Trachtenberg is Vice President of the National Institute for Public Policy.  Previously, he served as Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy from 2017-2019. The discovery of hundreds of new Chinese missile silos that could house multiple warhead intercontinental […]

Cultivating Intellectual Capital – Linking Deterrence Practitioner to Academician Dr. Keith B. Payne Dr. Keith B. Payne is a co-founder of the National Institute for Public Policy, professor emeritus and former Department Head of the Graduate School of Defense and Strategic Studies at Missouri State University, and a former deputy assistant secretary of defense. I […]

The Folly of Limiting U.S. Missile Defenses for Nuclear Arms Control Matthew R. Costlow Matthew R. Costlow is Senior Analyst at the National Institute for Public Policy.  He was formerly Special Assistant in the Office of Nuclear and Missile Defense Policy at the Pentagon. Introduction U.S. military leaders have for years called for a greater […]

Missile Defense and the Space Arena Dr. Steven Lambakis Dr. Steven Lambakis is the Director of Space Studies at the National Institute for Public Policy and Editor-in-Chief of Comparative Strategy.  Interest by political and military leaders in the United States in adopting the view that space, like the land, sea, and air, is a warfighting […]

Clarifying the Issue of Nuclear Weapons Release Authority David J. Trachtenberg David J. Trachtenberg is Vice President of the National Institute for Public Policy and former Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy.  In the United States, the president—and only the president—has the authority to order the use of nuclear weapons.  This exclusive authority is […]

Deterrence Implications of the U.S. Withdrawal from Afghanistan David J. Trachtenberg David J. Trachtenberg is Vice President of the National Institute for Public Policy and former Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy.  The author at the Pentagon days after the September 11, 2001 attacks Twenty years ago, I was sitting in my Capitol Hill […]

The NATO Brussels Communiqué and the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW): Stability of Custom and Legality of Deterrence Thomas D. Grant Thomas D. Grant is a former Senior Advisor in the Department of State’s Office of the Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security and a U.S. designee to the Permanent […]

Chinese Realism: Why Were the Liberal Internationalists Wrong on China? Alexander Vaughan Alexander Vaughan is a 2021 graduate of the Missouri State University Graduate School of Defense and Strategic Studies program.  Introduction During the post-Cold War era, in which the United States of America enjoyed its “unipolar moment,” relations between the United States and the […]

Space as a Warfighting Domain: Reshaping Defense Space Policy Dr. Steven Lambakis Dr. Steven Lambakis is the Director of Space Studies at the National Institute for Public Policy and Editor-in-Chief of Comparative Strategy.  Over the past decade, there has been a shift in opinion in the nation’s governing and defense-planning circles about inter-state relations in […]

Guam: A Critical Line of Defense—Threats and Means to Deter and Defend Dr. James Bosbotinis Dr. James Bosbotinis is an Associate Member of the Corbett Centre for Maritime Policy Studies, King’s College London, and co-founder of Citadel Analytics. Harris S. Fried, Esq. Harris S. Fried, Esq. is an international lawyer and Chairman of Citadel Air […]

Overselling and Underperforming: The Exaggerated History of Arms Control Achievements David J. Trachtenberg David J. Trachtenberg is Vice President of the National Institute for Public Policy.  Previously, he served as Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy from 2017-2019. Introduction “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different […]

Part Two of an Interview with General Larry D. Welch (USAF, Ret.), former Chief of Staff of the Air Force, and former President and currently Senior Fellow of the Institute for Defense Analyses.  In this installment, Gen. Welch discusses some imperatives of the current international strategic environment. This is one of a series of interviews […]

The Strategic Stability Dialogue:  Think Before You Speak Dr. Keith B. Payne Dr. Keith B. Payne is a co-founder of the National Institute for Public Policy, professor emeritus of the Graduate School of Defense and Strategic Studies at Missouri State University and a former deputy assistant secretary of defense. Dr. Michaela Dodge Dr. Michaela Dodge […]

This is a quarterly series of reviews focusing on recently published books dealing with topical and noteworthy national security issues. Authors and publishers interested in submitting their books on national security for review may contact the Editor at informationseries@nipp.org. James M. Smith and Paul J. Bolt, eds., China’s Strategic Arsenal: Worldview, Doctrine, and Systems (Washington, […]

The Problem with Sole Purpose and No First Use Michael Rühle[1] Michael Rühle is Head, Hybrid Challenges and Energy Security, in NATO’s Emerging Security Challenges Division.  This is an adapted version of remarks he delivered at a National Institute for Public Policy symposium on June 21, 2021, addressing the implications of a U.S. “No First Use” […]

Out of Sight Should Not Mean Out of Reach:  Deterrence and the Proliferation of Hard and Deeply Buried Targets Dr. Michaela Dodge Dr. Michaela Dodge is a Research Scholar at the National Institute for Public Policy and received her Ph.D. from George Mason University in 2019. It has been almost two decades since the U.S. […]

Part One of an Interview with General Larry D. Welch (USAF, Ret.), former Chief of Staff of the Air Force, and former President and currently Senior Fellow of the Institute for Defense Analyses.  In this installment, Gen. Welch discusses sustaining an effective nuclear deterrent, emphasizing the importance of confidence in the face of uncertainty. This […]

Matthew R. Costlow Matthew R. Costlow is Senior Analyst at the National Institute for Public Policy.  He was formerly Special Assistant in the Office of Nuclear and Missile Defense Policy at the Pentagon. Critics of current U.S. nuclear policy are pressuring the Biden administration to adopt a nuclear “no first use” (NFU) policy, without precedent […]

Conversations on National Security is a series of interviews with key national security experts conducted by David Trachtenberg, Vice President of the National Institute for Public Policy. An Interview with The Honorable William Schneider, Senior Fellow at Hudson Institute; former Chairman of the Defense Science Board; former Under Secretary of State for Security Assistance, Science, […]

Dr. Keith B. Payne Dr. Keith B. Payne is a co-founder of the National Institute for Public Policy, professor emeritus of the Graduate School of Defense and Strategic Studies at Missouri State University and a former deputy assistant secretary of defense. The West now faces an unprecedented nuclear threat context and deterrence challenge—well beyond what […]

Conversations on National Security is a series of interviews with key national security experts.  This interview was conducted by National Institute Research Scholar Dr. Michaela Dodge. An Interview with Major General Michael J. Lutton, Commander, Twentieth Air Force, Air Force Global Strike Command. Q.  Why is it necessary to modernize the ICBM leg of the […]

Matthew R. Costlow Matthew R. Costlow is Senior Analyst at the National Institute for Public Policy.  He was formerly Special Assistant in the Office of Nuclear and Missile Defense Policy at the Pentagon. The Biden administration recently directed the U.S. Departments of Defense and State, among others, to create U.S. policy that will “…reduce the […]

Dr. Michaela Dodge Dr. Michaela Dodge is a Research Scholar at the National Institute for Public Policy and received her Ph.D. from George Mason University in 2019. This article is adapted from the Guide to Nuclear Deterrence in the Age of Great-Power Competition (2020), edited by Adam Lowther, and reprinted here with the permission of […]

Conversations on National Security is a series of interviews with key national security experts conducted by David Trachtenberg, Vice President of the National Institute for Public Policy. An Interview with The Honorable Douglas Feith, former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy in the George W. Bush Administration. Q. The Trump Administration’s 2017 National Security Strategy […]

Hon. David J. Trachtenberg Editor Dr. Michaela Dodge Assistant Editor Amy Joseph Managing Editor This is a quarterly series of reviews focusing on recently published books dealing with topical and noteworthy national security issues. Authors and publishers interested in submitting their books on national security for review may contact the Editor at informationseries@nipp.org. Jacquelyn K. […]

Dr. Michaela Dodge Dr. Michaela Dodge is a Research Scholar at the National Institute for Public Policy and received her Ph.D. from George Mason University in 2019. Introduction Ten years ago this year, the Romanian Parliament approved an agreement with the United States on the deployment of a missile defense system to Romania.  The Aegis […]

Bill Edgar Bill Edgar is Director, Industry Solutions at Janes.  His comments expand upon remarks he gave at a National Institute symposium in October 2020 on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on national security. The COVID-19 pandemic has proven to be a serious health issue that has unquestionably affected millions of lives around the […]

Conversations on National Security is a series of interviews with key national security experts conducted by David Trachtenberg, Vice President of the National Institute for Public Policy. An Interview with Dr. Richard L. Wagner, former Deputy Director of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Atomic Energy, and member of […]

Maintaining Taiwan’s Democracy Dr. Kathleen C. Bailey Dr. Kathleen Bailey is a consultant on defense and arms control issues and is currently a Senior Associate at the National Institute for Public Policy.  Formerly she served as Assistant Director of the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, Deputy Assistant Secretary in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau […]

Deterrence and Disarmament: Pulling Back the Curtain Dr. Keith B. Payne Dr. Keith B. Payne is a co-founder of the National Institute for Public Policy, professor emeritus of the Graduate School of Defense and Strategic Studies at Missouri State University and a former deputy assistant secretary of defense. Introduction Should the United States seek the maintenance […]

The remarks below were delivered at a symposium on “U.S.-Czech Missile Defense Cooperation: Alliance Politics in Action” hosted by National Institute for Public Policy on January 21, 2021. The symposium focused on lessons learned for alliance defense cooperation as a result of this case study, which is the subject of a recently published book by […]

This is the first of a series of interviews with key national security experts conducted by David Trachtenberg, Vice President of the National Institute for Public Policy. An Interview with Dr. Christopher Ford, former Assistant Secretary of State for International Security and Nonproliferation and Special Assistant to the President Q. I’d like to ask you […]

ICBMs and Their Importance for Allied Assurances and Security Dr. Michaela Dodge Dr. Michaela Dodge is a Research Scholar at the National Institute for Public Policy and received her Ph.D. from George Mason University in 2019. Since the development of U.S. intercontinental-range ballistic missiles (ICBMs), every U.S. administration—both Republican and Democratic—has considered them indispensable to […]

Twenty First Century Deterrence—Moving Beyond the Balance of Terror Jennifer Bradley Jennifer Bradley is an analyst with the National Institute for Public Policy currently providing on-site support to the Deterrence and Assurance Planning Support (DAPS) team at United States Strategic Command.  She is also a doctoral student in Missouri State University’s Defense and Strategic Studies […]

Surveying The Literature:  Recent Books on National Security This is a quarterly series of reviews focusing on recently published books dealing with topical and noteworthy national security issues. Authors and publishers interested in submitting their books on national security for review may contact the Editor at informationseries@nipp.org. Thomas F. Lynch III, editor, Strategic Assessment 2020: […]

Arms Control and the New START Treaty Amb. Marshall S. Billingslea Amb. Marshall S. Billingslea is Special Presidential Envoy for Arms Control.  These remarks were delivered at a symposium on “Arms Control and the New START Treaty” hosted by National Institute for Public Policy on November 17, 2020.  The views reflected here are his own. […]

Deterrence in Space:  Requirements for Credibility Christopher M. Stone Christopher Stone is Professor of Space Strategy at Missouri State University’s Graduate Department of Defense and Strategic Studies in Washington DC.  He is the former Special Assistant to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy at the Pentagon.  The views reflected here are his […]

Russian-American Relations:  From Trump to Biden Mark N. Katz Mark N. Katz is a Professor of Government and Politics at the George Mason University Schar School of Policy and Government, and a Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council.  He blogs at https://marknkatz.wordpress.com/.  The incoming Biden Administration will inherit the same concerns about Russia that […]

Russian-American Relations:  From Trump to Biden Mark N. Katz Mark N. Katz is a Professor of Government and Politics at the George Mason University Schar School of Policy and Government, and a Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council.  He blogs at https://marknkatz.wordpress.com/.  The incoming Biden Administration will inherit the same concerns about Russia that […]

Winning the Gray Zone: The Importance of Intermediate Force Capabilities in Implementing the National Defense Strategy Colonel Wendell B. Leimbach, USMC and Ms. Susan D. LeVine Col Wendell B. Leimbach, USMC, is the Director of the Joint Intermediate Force Capabilities Office (JIFCO).  Ms. Susan D. LeVine is the Principal Deputy Director (Policy & Strategy) of […]

This is a quarterly series of reviews focusing on recently published books dealing with topical and noteworthy national security issues. Authors and publishers interested in submitting their books on national security for review may contact the Editor at informationseries@nipp.org.   Mira Rapp-Hooper, Shields of the Republic: The Triumph and Peril of America’s Alliances (Cambridge, MA: […]

Michael Rühle Michael Rühle is Head, Hybrid Challenges and Energy Security, in NATO’s Emerging Security Challenges Division. The views expressed are the author’s own. For decades, ballistic missile defense and its alleged “stabilizing” or “de-stabilizing” effects have been among the most controversial issues in the international security debate.  Like genetically modified food or homeopathic medicine, […]

Missile Defense Reckoning is Coming.  Will the United States Choose to be Vulnerable to All Long-Range Missiles? Dr. Michaela Dodge Dr. Michaela Dodge is a Research Scholar at the National Institute for Public Policy and received her Ph.D. from George Mason University in 2019. Introduction The U.S. homeland missile defense system is not designed to […]

David J. Trachtenberg David J. Trachtenberg is Vice President of the National Institute for Public Policy.  Previously, he served as Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy from 2017-2019.  In a series of excellent analyses in the 1970s, strategist Albert Wohlstetter challenged the conventional wisdom that the United States was the leading cause of an […]

Bryan Smith Bryan Smith is a Senior Fellow at the George Mason University’s National Security Institute. He served in national security senior civil service positions and as a professional staff member of the House and Senate Intelligence Committees. The New START Treaty verification regime is far less effective than that agreed to in the original […]

Dr. Gary L. Geipel Dr. Gary L. Geipel is a Senior Associate of the National Institute of Public Policy.  The views expressed are the author’s own. Introduction The current global pandemic of the disease called COVID-19—caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus—will sharpen several challenges to U.S. national security and influence the country’s ability to meet those […]