Read the most recent CSIS research on defense reform efforts.
Since peak defense funding periods do not always align with periods of war, it is not the dynamics of war alone that drive cyclical United States defense budgets but a mix of phenomena that includes economic cycles.
The 2019
Missile Defense Review (MDR) represents the Trump administration’s attempt to adapt US missile defense policy, posture, and programs to the 2018 National Defense Strategy.
Between findings of the Russia investigation report by special counsel Robert Mueller, belated FBI briefings on voter registration hacks in Florida, and anticipated bipartisan findings from the Senate Intelligence Committee investigation, it would be inexplicable and inexcusable for lawmakers to fail to act.
FVL is the U.S. military’s main effort to deliver generational change to its fleet of vertical lift aircraft. Compared to today’s aircraft, FVL is expected to provide substantially better speed and range. The approach is comprehensive.
President Hassan Rouhani of Iran marked the one-year anniversary of the U.S. withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal—formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)—with another blow to the agreement.
The U.S. justice system is under attack as part of a long-term Russian effort to undermine the appeal of democracy and weaken the West. This effort portrays justice systems as corrupt, inept, and hypocritical.
Will DOD implement the long-awaited series of management reforms that last year’s National Defense Strategy announced? Probably not.
Recent reports of unsafe conditions and unresponsive repair services require immediate action by the Defense Department to fix the problems—but not kill the program.
The U.S. government’s Stabilization Assistance Review (SAR) framework provides an opportunity to clarify and streamline stabilization assistance, though implementation will require sustained leadership, an interagency roadmap, new processes, bureaucratic incentives, and a review of authorities and resources.
Bad ideas. How much trouble do they cause in national security? How do they disrupt or hinder the protection and advancement of American interests? Listen to the War on the Rocks podcast featuring authors from the Defense360 “Bad Ideas in National Security” series.