Recent Publications

On “Restoring the Primacy of Army Mobilization Planning: Lessons from the Interwar Period (1919–41)”
May 27, 2026 — In this episode, Tim Devine and Jon Gerson argue that the US Army must restore the primacy of mobilization planning to prepare for the growing likelihood of a protracted large-scale war involving the United States. While the Army’s transformation initiatives have emphasized important tactical matters, Devine and Gerson call attention to critical strategic vulnerabilities associated with mobilization—one of the Army’s enduring core functions. They offer insights, identify challenges, and offer recommendations for contemporary leaders and practitioners by analyzing the body of thought on mobilization planning during the interwar period (1919–41) and drawing connections to the present day... MORE

Decisive Point podcast: On “Restoring the Primacy of Army Mobilization Planning: Lessons from the Interwar Period (1919–41)”, Tim Devine and Jonathan Gerson

“An Enviable Position in the Pacific,” an interview with GEN Xavier Brunson
May 22, 2026 — Guest host Tom Spahr interviews General Xavier Brunson, Commander United Nations Command, ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command, and United States Forces Korea (UNC/CFC/USFK). They discuss Korea, the Indo-Pacific, and mission command... MORE

CLSC Dialogues podcast episode 29: "An Enviable Position in the Pacific," an interview with GEN Xavier Brunson

Corruption and PLA Generals
May 20, 2026 — Rick Gunnell... MORE

CLSC Quick Takes: Corruption and PLA Generals by Rick Gunnell

The Peru F-16 Sale: The Relationship Between Partner Politics, Extra-Hemispheric Adversaries, and US Defense Access
May 19, 2026 — On April 18, 2026, interim Peruvian President José María Balcázar temporarily suspended signing a $3.42 billion agreement for the purchase of 24 new F-16 C and D block 70 fighters, associated equipment, and support. The Peruvian government authorized the official purchase decision in January 2026, following a formal two-year evaluation process ratifying the need for the capabilities and finding the US offer met Peruvian needs better than other contender’s products, including the Swedish JAS-39 Grippen and the French Dassault Rafale F4... MORE

Slide for SRAD Quick Take: The Peru F-16 Sale: The Relationship Between Partner Politics, Extra-Hemispheric Adversaries, and US Defense Access by R. Evan Ellis

Decoding China’s 15th Five-Year Plan
May 15, 2026 — China’s latest Five-Year Plan signals that it has become more pessimistic about the global environment, seeing it as uncertain and unstable. However, the Chinese Communist Party sees opportunity in that instability to promote the Community of Common Destiny, their new model of global governance. The Five-Year Plan also signals that the Chinese will continue to use the United Nations to advance this new global governance system... MORE

Slide for Decoding China’s 15th Five-Year Plan by COL Kyle Marcrum, published by the Foreign Policy Research Institute

Taiwan’s Special Defense Budget and KMT Trip to Beijing, Part 2
May 14, 2026 — In part two of this two-part episode, COL Kyle Marcrum and Dr. Jessica Liao discuss Taiwan President Lai’s special defense budget and the Kuomingdang Chair, Cheng Li-wun, visit to Beijing... MORE

CLSC Dialogues podcast: Taiwan’s Special Defense Budget and KMT Trip to Beijing, Part 2, COL Kyle Marcrum and Dr. Jessica Liao

Parameters | Summer 2026
May 14, 2026 — Welcome to the Summer 2026 issue of Parameters, which consists of two In Focus special commentaries, three forums (Indo-Pacific, Strategy, and Historical Studies) and the Strategic Competition Corner... MORE

Web graphic for the summer 2026 issue of Parameters

Taiwan’s Special Defense Budget and KMT Trip to Beijing, Part 1
May 13, 2026 — In part one of this two-part episode, COL Kyle Marcrum and Dr. Jessica Liao discuss Taiwan President Lai’s special defense budget and why it is stalled in Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan... MORE

CLSC Dialogues podcast: Taiwan’s Special Defense Budget and KMT Trip to Beijing, Part 1, COL Kyle Marcrum and Dr Jessica Liao

Book Review: Hero of Fort Sumter: The Extraordinary Life of Robert Anderson
May 12, 2026 — In Hero of Fort Sumter: The Extraordinary Life of Robert Anderson, Wesley Moody brings to life the man whose stand at the dawn of the Civil War helped shape the nation’s destiny. From frontier battles to the dramatic siege of Fort Sumter, Anderson’s story is one of quiet courage and pivotal leadership. This compelling biography reveals how one soldier’s sense of duty helped ignite a war—and preserve a Union... MORE

Cover of Hero of Fort Sumter: The Extraordinary Life of Robert Anderson

Book Review: The New Cold War and the Remaking of Regions
May 12, 2026 — Great-power rivalry is reshaping the global landscape, and The New Cold War and the Remaking of Regions explores how this competition is redefining regional orders across the world. Edited by T. V. Paul and Markus Kornprobst, the book brings together leading scholars to examine how states respond to strategic pressures in a fragmented international system. It’s a timely and thought-provoking analysis of the new geopolitical realities facing regions from Europe to Asia... MORE

Cover of The New Cold War and the Remaking of Regions

Book Review: Proxy Wars from a Global Perspective: Non-State Actors and Armed Conflicts
May 12, 2026 — States are increasingly turning to non-state actors to fight their battles, reshaping the nature of modern warfare. Proxy Wars from a Global Perspective, edited by Paweł Bernat, Cüneyt Gürer, and Cyprian Aleksander Kozera, offers a sweeping analysis of this trend through case studies from Mali, Ukraine, Syria, and beyond. With insights from international relations and security experts, the book challenges outdated Cold War frameworks and introduces a new paradigm for understanding outsourced conflict in a multipolar world... MORE

Cover of Proxy Wars from a Global Perspective: Non-State Actors and Armed Conflicts

Book Review: Nothing but Courage: The 82nd Airborne's Daring D-Day Mission—and Their Heroic Charge Across the La Fière Bridge
May 12, 2026 — In this riveting account, James Donovan tells the dramatic story of the 82nd Airborne Division’s mission to seize and hold the La Fière bridge—an unassuming but vital link in the success of the D-Day invasion. Dropped behind enemy lines hours before the beach landings, these paratroopers faced overwhelming odds in a brutal three-day battle that culminated in a near-suicidal charge across a narrow causeway. Blending firsthand accounts, archival research, and battlefield visits, Donovan honors the courage and sacrifice that helped turn the tide of World War II... MORE

Cover of Nothing but Courage: The 82nd Airborne's Daring D-Day Mission—and Their Heroic Charge Across the La Fière Bridge