Five Options For A U.S. Military Response to Iran
How might the United States carry out an attack on Iran? Here are five options that range from defensive to an extended air campaign.
Content Type: Analysis
Read the most recent analysis from CSIS experts on defense-related issues.
Fly-Fight-AI: Air Force Releases New AI Strategy
The 2019 Artificial Intelligence Strategy recognizes that leveraging AI means investing in the AI ecosystem: the people, computing infrastructure, data, and policies necessary to support any organization’s deployment of AI technology.
The Pentagon is moving money to pay for Trump’s border wall. Here are the consequences.
On Tuesday, Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper notified members of Congress that he would take $3.6 billion from military construction projects to build 175 more miles of wall along the U.S. border with Mexico.
Understanding DoD’s Defense-Wide Zero-Based Review
On August 10, the Department of Defense kicked off a defense-wide zero-based review. This brief explains what the review entails, which defense-wide organizations are subject to it, and previous efforts at driving efficiencies in the “Fourth Estate.”
What Does the Trump Administration’s New Memorandum Mean for Nuclear-Powered Space Missions?
The Trump administration released a new presidential memorandum on August 20, 2019, that details its new policy on the “Launch of Spacecraft Containing Space Nuclear Systems.” From the title, some may assume this policy concerns the placement of nuclear weapons in space, which would violate the Outer Space Treaty, but in fact, it is a move to restructure how the U.S. government regulates and approves space-based nuclear power systems—particularly nuclear propulsion systems.
What Does the Trump Administration’s New Memorandum Mean for Nuclear-Powered Space Missions?
The Trump Administration’s new memorandum is a move to restructure how the U.S. government regulates and approves space-based nuclear power systems—particularly nuclear propulsion systems.
By Other Means – Part II: U.S. Priorities in the Gray Zone
Geopolitical competition is increasingly playing out in the gray zone—the space beyond diplomacy and short of conventional war. The nature of this competition is forcing the United States to confront the liabilities of its strengths. This report assesses current U.S. government actions to deter, campaign through, and respond to competitors’ gray zone tactics.
By Other Means Part II: A Case Study for the U.S. Government in the Cold War
The Cold War has been called “a 45-yearlong Gray Zone struggle,” making an examination of how the U.S. government (USG) organized itself for competition during that era a critical case study.
By Other Means Part II: Case Study for First Solar, 2006-2012
This case study examines the organizational and structural decisions made by First Solar, Inc. between 2006–2012 and explains why First Solar continued to be viable in a volatile market.
Acquisition of Software-Defined Hardware-Based Adaptable Systems
The increasing importance of software has created an opportunity for the Department of Defense (DoD) to harness innovation through the acquisition and modification of adaptable systems.