Recent Publications

Armed Robotic Systems Emergence: Weapons Systems Life Cycles Analysis and New Strategic Realities
November 14, 2017 — Author: Dr Robert J BunkerView the Executive Summary Armed robotic systems—drones and droids—now emerging on the battlefield portend new strategic realities not only for U.S. forces but also for our allies and future potential belligerents. Numerous questions of immediate warfighting importance come to mind with the fielding of these drones and... MORE

Closer Than You Think: The Implications of the Third Offset Strategy for the U.S. Army
October 26, 2017 — Editor: Mr Samuel R White JrView the Executive Summary The Defense Innovation Initiative (DII), begun in November 2014 by former Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, is intended to ensure U.S. military superiority throughout the 21st century. The DII seeks broad-based innovation across the spectrum of concepts, research and development, capabilities,... MORE

A Typology of Arguments about Drone Ethics
October 10, 2017 — Author: Dr Mary ManjikianView the Executive Summary Many different actors oppose the use of unmanned autonomous weapons (UAV’s) from adversary states, to international governmental organizations to policymakers and academics. However, the basis for their opposition varies, as do the assumptions behind their arguments. This Letort Paper lays out... MORE

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

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

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

Cyberspace: Malevolent Actors, Criminal Opportunities, and Strategic Competition
August 11, 2016 — Editor: Dr Dighton Fiddner, Dr Phil WilliamsView the Executive SummaryThis volume has three parts: the first focuses on cyberspace itself; the second on some of the major forms of malevolence or threats that have become one of its defining characteristics; and the third on possible responses to these threats. One of the most significant features of... MORE

Cover for Cyberspace: Malevolent Actors, Criminal Opportunities, and Strategic Competition

2016-17 Key Strategic Issues List
July 1, 2016 — Editor: Prof John F TroxellThe United States faces security challenges within a global context of rapid technological change, significant demographic shifts, an uncertain economy, and geostrategic power dynamics of historic proportions. These conditions intensify the level of uncertainty and the pace of change, and raise the potential for... MORE

Cover for 2016-17 Key Strategic Issues List

Reforming U.S. Export Controls Reforms: Advancing U.S. Army Interests
December 23, 2015 — Author: Dr Richard WeitzView the Executive Summary The U.S. defense export system needs further major reforms to reduce inefficiencies and weaknesses. Although the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) do help prevent potential foreign adversaries from using U.S. arms against the United States and its allies, the Regulations, as... MORE

Lethal and Legal? The Ethics of Drone Strikes
December 15, 2015 — Author: Dr Shima D KeeneView the Executive Summary While supporters claim that drone warfare is not only legal but ethical and wise, others have suggested that drones are prohibited weapons under International Humanitarian Law (IHL) because they cause, or have the effect of causing, indiscriminate killings of civilians, such as those in the... MORE

Training Humans for the Human Domain
November 2, 2015 — Authors: Mr Keir Giles, Dr Steve TathamView the Executive Summary Experience from Afghanistan and Iraq has demonstrated the vital nature of understanding human terrain, with conclusions relevant far beyond counterinsurgency operations in the Islamic world. Any situation where adversary actions are described as “irrational” demonstrates a... MORE

The Rise of iWar: Identity, Information, and the Individualization of Modern Warfare
October 16, 2015 — Author: COL Glenn J VoelzView the Executive Summary During a decade of global counterterrorism operations and two extended counterinsurgency campaigns, the United States was confronted with a new kind of adversary. Without uniforms, flags, and formations, the task of identifying and targeting these combatants represented an unprecedented... MORE