Recent Publications

Building for the Future: China’s Progress in Space Technology during the Tenth 5-Year Plan and the U.S. Response
March 1, 2008 — Author: Mr Kevin Pollpeter The Chinese government is using space power to increase its influence at home and abroad and hopes to leverage the political, economic, and military benefits of space to become a great power. The ambivalent nature of the U.S.-China relationship, however, assures that over the long term China's rise as a space power will... MORE

The “People” in the PLA: Recruitment, Training, and Education in China’s 80-Year-Old Military
November 1, 2007 — Author: Mr Justin B Liang, Dr Sarah K Snyder Three conclusions were reached: (1) China’s ideal “new type” of military officer is university educated and possesses the technical competence and physical ability to handle actual combat against a modern, high-tech adversary. (2) Driven by the understanding of the critical and integral role of soldiers... MORE

Globalization and Its Implications for the Defense Industrial Base
February 1, 2007 — Author: Dr Terrence R Guay The forces of globalization present challenges, risks, and opportunities to virtually every industry in every country. One of the most important implications of globalization is its effect on the economic competitiveness of countries and particular industries. The author explores how key elements of globalization have... MORE

Doctrine that Works
August 1, 2006 — 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 August 2006 newsletter.Read Now MORE

Taming the Next Set of Strategic Weapons Threats
June 1, 2006 — Author: Mr Henry D Sokolski Missile defense and unmanned air vehicle related technologies, are proliferating for a variety of perfectly defensive and peaceful civilian applications. This same know-how can be used to defeat U.S. and allied air and missile defenses in new ways that are far more stressful than the existing set of ballistic missile... MORE

CU @ The FOB: How the Forward Operating Base is Changing the Life of Combat Soldiers
March 1, 2006 — Authors: Dr Stephen J Gerras, Dr Leonard Wong The situation in post-war Iraq is producing combat veterans accustomed to a perspective of combat that differs greatly from past wars. The Forward Operating Base (FOB) has become the mainstay of the U.S. presence in Iraq. The authors explore the facets of fighting from the FOB. Their research shows that... MORE

Transformation for What?
December 1, 2005 — Author: Dr John White One of the most significant of global security reassessments is currently underway, driven by Operations IRAQI FREEDOM and Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, continuing technological developments, budget constraints, and the debate associated with the 2005 Quadrennial Defense Review. To provide senior defense leaders with ideas on... MORE

The Transatlantic Defense Industrial Base: Restructuring Scenarios and Their Implications
April 1, 2005 — Author: Dr Terrence R Guay Opportunities for the construction of a transatlantic defense sector are tangible, but significant obstacles may accelerate the formation of a bipolar industrial base. While market forces played a key role in the transformation and consolidation of these sectors in recent years, political considerations are largely... 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

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

Transforming Defense an Era of Peace and Prosperity
December 1, 2001 — Author: Dr Conrad C Crane The ideas and issues presented in this collection of papers from the Twelfth Annual Strategy Conference conducted by the U.S. Army War College in April 2001 will educate and inform anyone interested in the past and future course of American defense reform. Though conference attendees had many differing opinions about the... MORE

Armed Conflict in the 21st Century: The Information Revolution and Post-Modern Warfare
March 1, 2000 — Author: Dr Steven Metz Within the past decade, the U.S. military has implemented a number of programs to assess the changes underway in the global security environment and in the nature of warfare. Defense leaders and thinkers have concluded that revolutionary change is taking place and, if the United States develops appropriate technology,... MORE