Recent Publications

Special Commentary – Fighting the “Islamic State”: The Case for U.S. Ground Forces
May 1, 2015 — Author: Dr. David E. JohnsonAbstract: This article argues counterinsurgency wars are not analogous to the challenges presented by the Islamic State. The United States needs to accept the nature of the war it is in, and undertake a clear and comprehensive assessment of the means necessary for strategic success. Such an assessment will make apparent... MORE

American Grand Strategy and the Future of U.S. Landpower
December 1, 2014 — Authors: Major Joseph V Da Silva, Dr Hugh P Liebert, Prof Isaiah Wilson IIIView the Executive Summary The U.S. military faces a dramatic rebalancing among its services. As the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have waned, an era of budget austerity has emerged and the U.S. strategic focus has shifted toward the Pacific, American air and sea power have... MORE

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Op-Ed: The Army Should Embrace A2/AD
July 16, 2013 — Dr. Alex CrowtherThe U.S. Army is contemplating mission sets that it will perform in the middle of the second decade of the 21st century. After 10 years of two ground wars, the Army seeks to redefine its activities. While other actors seek to relegate ground forces into irrelevance, the Army seeks to communicate why it remains necessary. At... MORE

Learning by Doing: The PLA Trains at Home and Abroad
November 1, 2012 — Authors: Mr Roy Kamphausen, Dr David Lai, Mr Travis Tanner To better understand the PLA’s ability to employ its developing capabilities in a variety of potential scenarios, this year’s workshop examined how the PLA learns by doing, specifically through its exercises and noncombat operations at home and overseas, and through key logistical and... MORE

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Military Modernization and the Russian Ground Forces
June 1, 2011 — Author: Dr Rod Thornton Russia’s political leaders are currently pushing a state- and society-wide process of modernization. The Russian military, a deeply conservative institution, is being asked to accept fundamental changes that threaten the very livelihoods of those being asked to implement them. New structures can be created and new equipment... MORE

Grunts and Jarheads: Rethinking the Army-Marine Division of Labor
September 1, 2007 — 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 September 2007 newsletter.Read Now MORE

Naval Transformation, Ground Forces, and the Expeditionary Impulse: The Sea-Basing Debate
December 1, 2006 — Author: Prof Geoffrey Till Reviewing the past, present, and future contribution of maritime forces to the conduct of expeditionary operations, the author concludes that the importance of this contribution is growing. He considers the diplomatic and "good order" roles of maritime forces which enable such operations in the first place. He reviews... MORE