Recent Publications

SSI Live 79 – Avoiding the Trap in U.S.-China Relations
June 7, 2018 — Getting the Indo-Asia-Pacific and relations with China right is the key to a peaceful and prosperous 21st Century. The challenge for the U.S. administration, and for policy experts writ large, is to build an effective strategy for a whole-of-government approach that will achieve a free and open Indo-Asia-Pacific while avoiding the Thucydides Trap... MORE

Strategic Insights: Making Good on the NSS and NDS: Competing with Russia in Europe and Beyond
March 20, 2018 — Dr. John Deni, 2018In January, the Trump administration released its first National Defense Strategy (NDS), which closely followed the December 2017 release of the new National Security Strategy (NSS). Both of these documents call for a fundamental shift in the U.S. approach to security, emphasizing competition against Russia and China at the... MORE

Cover for Strategic Insights: Making Good on the NSS and NDS: Competing with Russia in Europe and Beyond

Avoiding the Trap: U.S. Strategy and Policy for Competing in the Asia-Pacific Beyond the Rebalance
February 6, 2018 — Editor: COL (R) Frederick J. Gellert, Dr David Lai, Prof John F TroxellView the Executive SummaryThe Trump administration has recently called for a free and open Indo-Pacific, essentially replacing the Obama-era “Rebalance.” This U.S. Army War College report provides prescient analysis and policy recommendations on how to proceed down the path to... MORE

Cover for Avoiding the Trap: U.S. Strategy and Policy for Competing in the Asia-Pacific Beyond the Rebalance

Parameters VOL. 47 NO. 2 SUMMER 2017
August 28, 2017 — Editor: Dr Antulio J Echevarria II The Summer issue of Parameters opens with an essay by Sir Lawrence Freedman entitled “Beyond Surprise Attack.” Surprise, argues Freedman, can come in any number of forms, and sometimes those that come in the middle or end of a campaign prove the most decisive.Our first forum, Reevaluating Diplomatic & Military... MORE

Strategic Insights: U.S.-China Relations: Avoiding the Traps
July 19, 2017 — Professor John F. TroxellMuch has been written about the rise of China and the tensions that this has put on the international system. The potential for conflict between the United States and China can be compared to the Peloponnesian War, as told by the ancient historian Thucydides, and the inevitability of that war because of Sparta’s fear of a... MORE

U.S. Landpower in the South China Sea
July 7, 2017 — Author: LTC Clarence J Bouchat (USAF, Ret)View the Executive Summary U.S. landpower is an essential, but often overlooked, element of national power in semi-enclosed maritime environments like the South China Sea. This monograph gives U.S. policymakers a better understanding of the role of the U.S. Army, Marine Corps, and Special Operations Forces... MORE

Strategic Insights: Getting Comfortable with Conflicting Ideas
April 4, 2017 — Prof. William G. Braun, IIIDealing with other states, whom the United States has a hard time categorizing as a threat, rival, competitor, or partner requires a new way of approaching national security decision-making. China is a partner in trade, but a rival regarding territorial rights in the South China Sea. Russian support may stabilize the... MORE

Between Business and War: A Vital Choice for the United States and China
March 29, 2017 — Dr. David Lai, Mr. Frederick J. GellertIn January, Donald J. Trump was sworn in as the 45th President of the United States. Determined to fix America’s festering domestic and international troubles, the new President put forward his manifesto:For many decades, we've enriched foreign industry at the expense of American industry; subsidized the... MORE

Indian and Chinese Engagement in Latin America and the Caribbean: A Comparative Assessment
March 13, 2017 — Author: Dr R Evan EllisView the Executive Summary This monograph comparatively examines the content and country focus of high-level diplomacy for each of the two actors, as well as the volume and patterns of trade, the activities of Indian and Chinese companies in the region, and their relationship to their respective governments in eight sectors:... MORE

China’s Interests and Goals in the Arctic: Implications for the United States
March 7, 2017 — Author: Dr Elizabeth WishnickView the Executive Summary China has been elaborating its position on the Arctic at the same time as the United States has been refining its own Arctic strategy as Chairman of the Arctic Council through April 2017. This Letort Paper examines the geopolitical implications of China’s growing involvement in the Arctic for... MORE

Prospects for the Rule of Law in Cyberspace
January 24, 2017 — Author: Mr Keir GilesView the Executive Summary The application of international law and legal principles in cyberspace is a topic that has caused confusion, doubt, and interminable discussions between lawyers since the earliest days of the internationalization of the Internet. The still unresolved debate over whether cyberspace constitutes a... MORE

Colloquium Brief: U.S. Army War College 25th Annual Strategy Conference Carlisle, Pennsylvania, April 8-10, 2014 — Balancing the Joint Force to Meet Future Security Challenges
November 15, 2016 — Dr. Richard Weitz Key Insights: The international security environment will remain cluttered, confusing, and uncertain; many of these problems are unavoidable; at best, we can mitigate them. More than a decade of continuous military operations, fewer materiel resources, changing threat perceptions, and novel technologies are affecting how the U.S... MORE