Recent Publications

Contractors on Deployed Military Operations: United Kingdom Policy and Doctrine
September 1, 2005 — Author: Prof Matthew Uttley Department of Defense (DoD) initiatives to use contractors on deployed military operations remains a contentious issue in U.S. military transformation. Despite the intense debates surrounding the benefits and costs of DoD outsourcing, little attention has focused on similar Ministry of Defence (MoD) initiatives underway... MORE

Transformation and Strategic Surprise
April 1, 2005 — Author: Dr Colin S Gray The current process of military transformation will enable the Armed Forces to do better what they already do superbly well. It is important to excel at decisive maneuver and in the application of precise, yet overwhelming firepower. But those attributes, though key in warfare against regular enemies, tend to be less... MORE

Is it all about Winning?
August 1, 2004 — Author: Dr Dallas D Owens Each month a member of the SSI faculty writes an editorial for our monthly newsletter. This is the Op-Ed for the August 2004 newsletter.Read Now MORE

Building Capability from the Technical Revolution that Has Happened
June 1, 2004 — Authors: Dr John Deutch, Dr John White The second annual conference on national security transformation confirms the usefulness of an annual appraisal by knowledgeable security specialists of progress on achieving different elements of transformation. But the conference also demonstrated that changing geopolitical circumstances and consequent... MORE

THIS IS NOT YOUR FATHER’S, OR MOTHER’S ARMY!
April 1, 2004 — Author: Dr Douglas V Johnson II Each month a member of the SSI faculty writes an editorial for our monthly newsletter. This is the Op-Ed for the April 2004 newsletter.Read Now MORE

Security Transformation
December 23, 2003 — Author: Dr Steven Metz For the past 5 years, the United States has sought to transform its defense capabilities to reflect ongoing changes in technology, management techniques, the American political and economic landscapes, and the global security environment. The terrorist attacks of September 2001 and the ensuing Global War on Terrorism provided... MORE

The Trajectory of Security Transformation
December 1, 2003 — Author: Dr Steven Metz Each month a member of the SSI faculty writes an editorial for our monthly newsletter. This is the Op-Ed for the December 2003 newsletter.Read Now MORE

National Security Challenges for the 21st Century
October 1, 2003 — Author: Dr Williamson Murray Officers who participated in the Advanced Strategic Art Program (ASAP) during their year at the U.S. Army War College wrote these chapters. The ASAP is a unique program that offers selected students a rigorous course of instruction in theater strategy. Solidly based in theory, doctrine, and history, the program provides... MORE

The “New” American Way of War
June 2, 2003 — Author: LTC Raymond A Millen This year’s topic, "The 'New' American Way of War," was particularly relevant because it occurred during the height of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM (OIF). Over 130 national security strategists, including ten flag officers, from the Department of Defense, civilian universities, and other policy-related institutions... MORE

Future War/Future Battlespace: The Strategic Role of American Landpower
March 1, 2003 — Authors: Dr Steven Metz, LTC Raymond A Millen The authors examine the trends in the strategic environment in their development of the Future War/Future Battlespace. One fact is clear. Traditional warfighting has changed in the post 9-11 era. The U.S. military must adapt or fail. There is no other recourse. The authors have superbly framed the... MORE

Security Transformation: Report of the Belfer Center Conference on Military Transformation
March 1, 2003 — Authors: Dr John Deutch, Dr John White The attacks of September 11, 2001, represented the beginning of what President Bush has called "a new kind of war." While terrorism itself has long been on our spectrum of real and immediate threats, the magnitude of the attacks and the administration's aggressive and expansive response have changed the... MORE

Russia in Afghanistan and Chechnya: Military Strategic Culture and the Paradoxes of Asymmetric Conflict
February 1, 2003 — Author: Major Robert M Cassidy The author uses a detailed assessment of the Russian experience in Afghanistan and Chechnya to draw important conclusions about asymmetric warfare. He then uses this to provide recommendations for the U.S. military, particularly the Army. Major Cassidy points out that small wars are difficult for every great power,... MORE