Read featured commentary from CSIS experts on the latest developments in defense and national security.
The strategy of ‘deal-making’ is a hallmark of the political approach employed by the Trump administration and some in Congress. But a deal-making approach is a simple-minded strategy for public policy that disregards crucial implications and complexities that are inherent in politics, that can have negative implications for national security interests.
There is no doubt that a war with North Korea is a bad idea. In this piece, John Schaus highlights the cost attributed to starting a pre-emptive strike against North Korea and emphasizes the importance of persistent and patient diplomatic efforts.
While the use of drones in West Africa is an operational tool, Alice Hunt Friend contends that they will make the U.S. counterterrorism efforts harder to acquire.
Emphasis on accountability, although valuable and necessary, can impede the defense acquisition process rather than alleviate problems. Acquisition reform must look beyond placing blame and create an environment that values collaboration and risk-taking as it seeks to improve the challenges in the acquisition process.
There have been several budget reform proposals for cutting cost in the Defense Department. All of which pose their own challenges. Mark Cancian outlines a few of the proposals and forewarns that it is a bad idea, to think any cost saving options will be easy.
The Navy budget is due to increase as they seek to achieve a 355 ship Navy. However, it is unwise to counterbalance those cost by reactivating the decommissioned Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates. Authors John Cole and Thomas Ulmer address the challenges and explain why the long-term cost outweigh the short-term savings.
The United States has upheld a moratorium on nuclear testing since 1992, but numerous voices have emerged in recent years to urge a resumption of nuclear tests. William Caplan argues the U.S. should not forfeit its nonproliferation credibility and risk starting a string of nuclear tests that threatens the nuclear order.
Perpetuating the debate over capabilities-based planning versus threat-based planning can only inhibit informed discussion of force planning and needs analysis, writes Kathleen Hicks.
The conventional wisdom is that existing unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) are not capable of operating in contested environments. However, new thinking can enable the use of existing UAS to support operations in such environments.
Some legislators have pushed to restrict the president from launching preemptive nuclear strikes without the authorization of Congress. While proponents of congressional authorization hope that it will reduce tensions, it will only serve to increase the risks of accidental or inadvertent escalation.