SSI Live Podcast

Within the context of Europe, the US Army must develop a force posture that best navigates the tensions between deterring or defeating armed conflict at an acceptable cost, successfully competing below armed conflict, and maintaining global responsiveness and institutional flexibility through the global operating model and dynamic force employment. While Russia’s economy, and consequently military …

SSI Live 082 – Striking the Balance: US Army Force Posture in Europe, 2028 Read More »

Given the multifaceted great power competition underway in the Indo-Pacific theater, how can the United States military best position itself? What role can and should the Army play in facilitating a joint approach? After a two-year hiatus, SSI Live returns as Dr. John R. Deni discusses a major newly released SSI study on USINDOPACOM theater design with two of …

SSI Live 081 – Addressing Hypercompetition in the Indo-Pacific Theater Read More »

The Helsinki summit meeting between Presidents Trump and Putin may be the first step in a rapprochement between the United States and Russia. If so, what are the strategic and policy implications in Europe, with specific regard to the security of U.S. allies in Eastern Europe, with regard to the conflict in Syria, vis-à-vis U.S. …

SSI Live 080 – Is a Reset with Russia in the Offing? Read More »

Getting the Indo-Asia-Pacific and relations with China right is the key to a peaceful and prosperous 21st Century. The challenge for the U.S. administration, and for policy experts writ large, is to build an effective strategy for a whole-of-government approach that will achieve a free and open Indo-Asia-Pacific while avoiding the Thucydides Trap. U.S. Army …

SSI Live 079 – Avoiding the Trap in U.S.-China Relations Read More »

Earlier this month, the Trump administration released its first National Defense Strategy (NDS). What’s new about this strategy and what does it tell us about the direction of U.S. defense strategy and policy? What does the new NDS get right, and where does it fall short? SSI Live host John R. Deni sat down with …

SSI Live 078 – The New National Defense Strategy Read More »

In gross or raw potential, the United States remains the world’s leading global military power. At present though, American power is either dormant in or ill-adapted to many if not most of the world’s most important competitive spaces. American military position and influence are most immediately under duress in the U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM) Area …

SSI Live 077 – Multi-Domain Battle and the Pacific Theater Read More »

On 13 October, President Trump announced his intention not to certify Iran’s compliance with the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) and threatening to leave the nuclear deal altogether if it was not amended in various ways. Why did the President announce this? Meanwhile, there are reports that some of his senior advisors opposed this …

SSI Live 076 – Decertification of the Iranian Nuclear Deal Read More »

Continuing security challenges in Eastern Europe, as well as saber-rattling on the Korean Peninsula, have raised questions once again about the capabilities, posture, and positioning of U.S. overseas forces. In this podcast, SSI Live host Dr. John R. Deni examines the reasons why the Army has become an increasing U.S.-based force, assesses the shift toward rotational peacetime …

SSI Live 075 – Rotational Deployments vs. Forward Stationing Read More »

On 21 August, President Trump announced a new strategy toward the conflict in Afghanistan, America’s longest war. What’s new about the strategy? Does a renewed focus on Pakistan, and the role it plays in Afghanistan, have any chance of succeeding? And how will the new approach toward the war affect broader U.S. objectives with regard …

SSI Live 074 – The Trump Administration’s New Afghanistan Strategy Read More »

How does DoD go about defining, identifying, and mitigating risk? Are DoD risk assessment practices and procedures effective and useful to the Department and other stakeholders? SSI Research Professor Nate Freier joined Dr. John R. Deni to discuss the release of a major U.S. Army War College study on DoD risk assessment. Prof. Freier led an interdisciplinary team of …

SSI Live 073 – At Our Own Peril: DoD & Risk Assessment Read More »

Is the Army ready for a ‘Great Power War’ against a peer competitor, in terms of the number of Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs)? If the Army had to double in size, what challenges would it face in terms of expanding the number of maneuver units? What steps should the Army consider to overcome these hurdles? …

SSI Live 072 – Great Power War: Growing BCTs and an Expanded Army Read More »

Is the Army ready for a ‘Great Power War’ against a peer competitor, in terms of its organization and materiel? If the Army had to double in size, what challenges would it face in terms of expanding its organization and ensuring sufficient materiel? What steps should the Army consider to overcome these hurdles? Over the …

SSI Live 071 – Great Power War: Organization, Materiel, and an Expanded Army Read More »

Is the Army ready for a ‘Great Power War’ against a peer competitor, in terms of personnel? If the Army had to double in size, what challenges would it face in terms of expanding its personnel pool? What steps should the Army consider to overcome these hurdles? Over the last nine months, an interdisciplinary team …

SSI Live 070 – Great Power War: Personnel and an Expanded Army Read More »

Is the Army ready for a ‘Great Power War’ against a peer competitor, in terms of military intelligence? If the Army had to double in size, what challenges would it face in terms of expanding its intelligence capability and capacity? What steps should the Army consider to overcome these hurdles? Over the last nine months, …

SSI Live 069 – Great Power War: Military Intelligence and an Expanded Army Read More »

Is the Army ready for a ‘Great Power War’ against a peer competitor, in terms of its force generation installations? If the Army had to double in size, what challenges would it face in terms of using its Mobilization Force Generation Installations (MFGIs) to leverage the reserve component? What steps should the Army consider to …

SSI Live 068 – Great Power War: Force Generation Installations and an Expanded Army Read More »

Is the Army ready for a ‘Great Power War’ against a peer competitor, in terms of expanding its Special Operations Forces? If the Army had to double in size, what challenges would it face in terms of increasing Special Operations Forces? What steps should the Army consider to overcome these hurdles? Over the last nine …

SSI Live 067 – Great Power War: Special Operations Forces and an Expanded Army Read More »

Is the Army ready for a ‘Great Power War’ against a peer competitor, in terms of maintaining and sustaining an expanded Army? If the Army had to double in size, what challenges would it encounter in maintaining and sustaining that large of a force? Over the last nine months, an interdisciplinary team of Army War …

SSI Live 066 – Great Power War: Maintaining and Sustaining an Expanded Army Read More »

On 24-25 May, NATO heads of state and government will meet in Brussels. This will be President Trump’s first NATO summit, and although the meetings will lack the scope and number of initiatives and other deliverables many have come to expect from a formal alliance summit, there are some key, even contentious issues that will …

SSI Live 065 – The NATO Summit and German Burden-Sharing Read More »