Recent Publications

Scenario Planning and Strategy in the Pentagon
January 29, 2019 — Author: Dr Michael FitzsimmonsView the Executive Summary Scenario planning should be one of the Pentagon’s most important tools for developing strategy for an uncertain future. However, the formalized joint scenario planning process to support strategy and force development—Support for Strategic Analysis—has faced many challenges over the past 2... MORE

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New Directions in Just-War Theory
July 30, 2018 — Author: Dr. J. T. ReinerView the Executive SummaryOne of the major developments in international law since World War II is the growth of human rights law dedicated to ensuring the protection of individuals from violence wherever they are, including from their own state. Tracking such changes, in recent decades, just-war theory has evolved from its... MORE

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Strategic Landscape, 2050: Preparing the U.S. Military for New Era Dynamics
September 14, 2017 — Author: Mr Roman MuzalevskyView the Executive Summary A series of megatrends will present a major challenge to the United States in the coming decades, exposing it to crises and opportunities on the battlefield and in the market. The U.S. military should stand ready to harness these dynamics to retain its edge in an operational environment marked... MORE

Transforming the Force: The 11th Air Assault Division (Test) from 1963 to 1965
June 27, 2017 — Author: Brigadier General Thomas C. GravesView the Executive Summary This monograph will answer the question: Can the U.S. Army apply to the current “prototype brigade” the lessons that were learned during the development and experimentation of the 11th Air Assault Division (Test)? Having established that the criteria of DTLOMS is a valuable tool... MORE

Autonomous Weapon Systems: A Brief Survey of Developmental, Operational, Legal, and Ethical Issues
December 16, 2015 — Author: Mr Jeffrey L CatonView the Executive Summary What does the Department of Defense hope to gain from the use of autonomous weapon systems (AWS)? This Letort Paper explores a diverse set of complex issues related to the developmental, operational, legal, and ethical aspects of AWS. It explores the recent history of the development and... MORE

The Real Rebalancing: American Diplomacy and the Tragedy of President Obama’s Foreign Policy
October 26, 2015 — Author: Dr John R DeniView the Executive Summary American security policy rests on a three-legged stool consisting of defense, diplomacy, and development. As President Obama implied in his May 2014 speech at West Point, the United States is in the midst of a resurgence of diplomacy and development, as it seeks to leverage diplomatic influence,... MORE

From Frozen Ties to Strategic Engagement: U.S.-Iranian Relationship in 2030
May 12, 2015 — Author: Mr Roman MuzalevskyView the Executive SummaryThe nuclear talks between Iran and P5+1 following the most stringent sanctions against Iran to date have opened new prospects for relaxation of tensions between Tehran and the West and for a U.S.-Iranian détente in the long run. The coming to power of new presidential administrations in both the... MORE

A History of the U.S. Army Officer Corps, 1900-1990
September 12, 2014 — Author: Dr Arthur T Coumbe View the Executive SummaryThe present volume was written as a supplement to series of monographs authored by Casey Wardynski, David Lyle, and Mike Colarusso of the Army’s Office of Economic and Manpower Analysis and published by the Strategic Studies Institute of the U.S. Army War College from 2009 to 2010. In those... MORE

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The U.S.-India Relationship: Cross-Sector Collaboration To Promote Sustainable Development
September 5, 2014 — Authors: LTC John D Colwell, Jr, Dr Michael J Fratantuono, Dr David M Sarcone View the Executive SummaryIn the current era, initiatives that involve cross-sector collaboration—collaboration among participants representing government, military, for-profit, non-profit, citizen groups, and intergovernmental organizations—to tackle problems that defy... MORE

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Iran’s Emergence as a Cyber Power
August 20, 2014 — As international scrutiny remains focused on the Islamic Republic of Iran’s nuclear program, a capability is developing in the shadows inside Iran that could pose an even greater threat to the United States. The 2010 National Security Strategy discusses Iran in the context of its nuclear program, support of terrorism, its influence in regional activities, and its internal problems. There was no mention of Iran’s cyber capability or of that ability to pose a threat to U.S. interests. This is understandable, considering Iran has not been a major concern in the cyber realm. Furthermore, Russia and China’s cyber activities have justifiably garnered a majority of attention and been widely reported in the media over the past decade. Iran’s cyber capabilities have been considered third-tier at best. That is rapidly changing. This report discusses the growing cyber capability of Iran and why it poses a new threat to U.S. national interests... MORE

From Chaos to Cohesion: A Regional Approach to Security, Stability, and Development in Sub-Saharan Africa
April 1, 2013 — Author: Ms Diane E Chido View the Executive SummaryPrevention is the key to effective policies in Africa, whether the issue is equitable resource exploitation, ethnic conflict, infectious diseases, or famine. African Regional Economic Communities (RECs) have moved beyond their initial purpose of a loose confederation of trading partners to become... MORE

Colloquium Brief: Kingston Conference on International Security (KCIS-2011): The Changing Arctic: Sovereignty, Resources, and Security
August 26, 2011 — Mr. Dru LauzonA Partnership Between Strategic Studies Institute, U.S. Army War College, Centre for International and Defence Policy, Queen's University, Chair of Defence Management Studies, Queen's University, and Land Force Doctrine and Training System of the Canadian ForcesKey Insights. The threat of military conflict in the Arctic is low, while... MORE