Recent Publications

Cyber Infrastructure Protection: Vol. III
June 15, 2017 — Authors: LTC John D Colwell, Jr, Dr Tarek N SaadawiView the Executive Summary Despite leaps in technological advancements made in computing system hardware and software areas, we still hear about massive cyberattacks that result in enormous data losses. Cyberattacks in 2015 included: sophisticated attacks that targeted Ashley Madison, the U.S... MORE

SSI Live 70 – Great Power War: Personnel and an Expanded Army – Echevarria, Deni
June 12, 2017 — Is the Army ready for a ‘Great Power War’ against a peer competitor, in terms of personnel? If the Army had to double in size, what challenges would it face in terms of expanding its personnel pool? What steps should the Army consider to overcome these hurdles? Over the last nine months, an interdisciplinary team of Army War College student... MORE

Strategic Insights: Speed Kills—Enter an Age of Unbridled Hyperconnectivity
June 9, 2017 — Mr. Nathan P. FreierThis month, a team of U.S. Army War College (USAWC) researchers concluded a yearlong study on enterprise-level risk and risk assessment inside the Department of Defense (DoD). At Our Own Peril: DoD Risk and Risk Assessment in a Post-Primacy World argues for a new Department-level risk concept for describing, identifying,... MORE

SSI Live 69 – Great Power War: Military Intelligence and an Expanded Army – Echevarria, Deni
June 8, 2017 — Is the Army ready for a ‘Great Power War’ against a peer competitor, in terms of military intelligence? If the Army had to double in size, what challenges would it face in terms of expanding its intelligence capability and capacity? What steps should the Army consider to overcome these hurdles? Over the last nine months, an interdisciplinary team... MORE

Promoting U.S.-Indian Defense Cooperation: Opportunities and Obstacles
June 7, 2017 — Author: Dr Richard WeitzView the Executive Summary The U.S.-Indian security relationship has markedly improved since the Cold War with increased cooperation in a range of areas. The two countries have established stronger military, economic, and political ties based on mutual interests in combating terrorism, promoting democracy, preventing weapons... MORE

Corruption, Legitimacy, and Stability: Implications for the U.S. Army
June 6, 2017 — Author: Dr Shima D KeeneView the Executive Summary Corruption increases the level of instability and the risk of conflict by undermining the legitimacy and credibility of state institutions. It can be both a cause and effect of poor leadership and governance. States emerging from conflict are particularly vulnerable to corruption, due to the lack... MORE

SSI Live 68 – Great Power War: Force Generation Installations and an Expanded Army – Echevarria, Deni
June 5, 2017 — Is the Army ready for a ‘Great Power War’ against a peer competitor, in terms of its force generation installations? If the Army had to double in size, what challenges would it face in terms of using its Mobilization Force Generation Installations (MFGIs) to leverage the reserve component? What steps should the Army consider to overcome these... MORE

SSI Live 67 – Great Power War: Special Operations Forces and an Expanded Army – Echevarria, Deni
June 1, 2017 — Is the Army ready for a ‘Great Power War’ against a peer competitor, in terms of expanding its Special Operations Forces? If the Army had to double in size, what challenges would it face in terms of increasing Special Operations Forces? What steps should the Army consider to overcome these hurdles? Over the last nine months, an interdisciplinary... MORE

21st-Century Challenges of Command: A View from the Field
May 31, 2017 — Author: Dr Anna SimonsView the Executive Summary Leadership receives a tremendous amount of attention, but what about the day-to-day command challenges that confront O-4s, O-5s, and O-6s in today’s war zones? What has command entailed over the past decade and a half for special operations force (SOF) commanders who have deployed to Afghanistan (and... MORE

Can Egypt Lead the Arab World Again? Assessing Opportunities and Challenges for U.S. Policy
May 26, 2017 — Author: Mr Gregory AftandilianView the Executive Summary This monograph examines the possibility of Egypt leading the Arab world again, and how that effort, if successful, will present opportunities and challenges for U.S. policy. At the present time, Egypt is not in a position to do so given its many domestic problems stemming from its turbulent... MORE

SSI Live 66 – Great Power War: Maintaining and Sustaining an Expanded Army – Deni
May 26, 2017 — Is the Army ready for a ‘Great Power War’ against a peer competitor, in terms of expanding its Special Operations Forces? If the Army had to double in size, what challenges would it face in terms of increasing Special Operations Forces? What steps should the Army consider to overcome these hurdles? Over the last nine months, an interdisciplinary... MORE

The Turning Point for Russian Foreign Policy
May 25, 2017 — Author: Mr Keir GilesView the Executive Summary This Letort Paper analyzes the drivers of assertive military action by Russia, as exemplified by interventions in Ukraine and Syria. It identifies key turning points in Russia’s perception of external threat, and the roots of Russian responses to this threat making use of a capacity for military,... MORE