Jeffrey Engstrom

Overview

Commentary

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  China Has Big Plans to Win the Next War It Fights

  The People's Liberation Army (PLA) views modern conflict as a confrontation between opposing systems. This systems-thinking has wide ranging implications for how the PLA conceptualizes warfare in the twenty-first century.

  Feb 12, 2018 The National Interest

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  Enhancing China's Status as a Great Power

  China is investing heavily in its military modernization program as it aims to extend its power in the region as well as globally. How will China's growing ability to project power affect U.S. regional goals?

  Aug 1, 2017 The Cipher Brief

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  China's Military Reorganization Aims to Tighten Party Control and Strengthen the PLA's Warfighting Capabilities

  Xi Jinping's reforms could result in a leaner, more combat-effective PLA that presents a more potent challenge to China's neighbors and to U.S. interests. But even successful reforms will not guarantee victory on the battlefield, and any hypothetical conflict involving the U.S. would carry tremendous risks.

  Sep 6, 2016 ChinaFile

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  China's Incomplete Military Transformation

  Although the People's Liberation Army has made impressive progress over the past 20 years, it still suffers from a number of potentially serious problems. Understanding its weaknesses — particularly what PLA officers themselves see as the most important shortcomings — is just as critical as studying its strengths.

  Mar 18, 2015 China Policy Institute Blog

Publications

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  Report

  Systems Confrontation and System Destruction Warfare: How the Chinese People's Liberation Army Seeks to Wage Modern Warfare

  This report reflects an attempt to understand current thinking in the Chinese People's Liberation Army regarding system of systems and systems warfare, as well as current methods of warfighting.

  Feb 1, 2018

• Report

  Report

  Smarter Power, Stronger Partners, Volume II: Trends in Force Projection Against Potential Adversaries

  This book describes scenarios to test whether the anti-access and area-denial threat to U.S. force projection is growing more severe. They describe plausible U.S. and adversary military actions given current operational capabilities and approaches.

  Feb 8, 2017

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  Research Brief

  Chinese Attacks on U.S. Air Bases in Asia: An Assessment of Relative Capabilities, 1996–2017

  Discussion about China's military modernization has included little comparative analysis of Chinese and U.S. military capabilities. This brief focuses on improvements to China's ability to disrupt or degrade U.S. operations by attacking air bases.

  Sep 14, 2015

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  Research Brief

  Chinese Threats to U.S. Surface Ships: An Assessment of Relative Capabilities, 1996–2017

  Discussion about China's military modernization has included little comparative analysis of Chinese and U.S. military capabilities. This brief focuses on improvements to China's ability to target U.S. surface ships, especially aircraft carriers.

  Sep 14, 2015

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  Research Brief

  Tallying the U.S.-China Military Scorecard: Relative Capabilities and the Evolving Balance of Power, 1996–2017

  Discussion about China's military modernization has focused on new weapon systems, with little comparative analysis of Chinese and U.S. military forces and development. This brief summarizes a RAND Project AIR FORCE study that seeks to fill this gap.

  Sep 14, 2015

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  Research Brief

  U.S. and Chinese Air Superiority Capabilities: An Assessment of Relative Advantage, 1996–2017

  Discussion about China's military modernization has included little comparative analysis of Chinese and U.S. military capabilities. This brief focuses on improvements to China's ability to contest U.S. air superiority in an Asian conflict.

  Sep 14, 2015

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  Report

  The U.S.-China Military Scorecard: Forces, Geography, and the Evolving Balance of Power, 1996–2017

  A RAND study analyzed trends in the development of Chinese and U.S. military capabilities in two scenarios (centered on Taiwan and the Spratly Islands) and multiple types of operations from 1996 to 2017.

  Sep 14, 2015

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  Report

  China's Incomplete Military Transformation: Assessing the Weaknesses of the People's Liberation Army (PLA)

  The PLA is keenly aware of its many weaknesses and is vigorously striving to correct them. Although it is only natural to focus on the PLA's growing capabilities, understanding the PLA's weaknesses -- and its self-assessments -- is no less important.

  Feb 13, 2015

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  Report

  Measuring Cooperative Biological Engagement Program (CBEP) Performance: Capacities, Capabilities, and Sustainability Enablers for Biorisk Management and Biosurveillance

  This report describes a project to develop a comprehensive evaluation framework for the Cooperative Biological Engagement Program and recommends metrics for assessing and communicating progress toward the program's goals.

  Aug 21, 2014

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  Report

  Workforce Planning in the Intelligence Community: A Retrospective

  This report chronicles intelligence community efforts over more than half a decade to improve community-wide workforce planning and management. The tools described will help decisionmakers maintain workforce capabilities as budgets decline.

  Sep 16, 2013

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  Report

  Lessons from Department of Defense Disaster Relief Efforts in the Asia-Pacific Region

  This study analyzes recent humanitarian assistance/disaster response operations in Burma, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Japan, and identifies lessons that can be used to improve the Department of Defense's international disaster relief capabilities.

  Jul 31, 2013

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  Journal Article

  Taking Disaster Seriously: East Asian Military Involvement in International Disaster Relief Operations and the Implications for Force Projection

  The participation of East Asian militaries (Japan, China, Taiwan, and South Korea) in international disaster relief is a relatively new phenomenon having many implications that will shape the global landscape of the 21st century.

  2013

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  Report

  Assessing the U.S. Air Force Unified Engagement Building Partnerships Seminars

  Using RAND’s security cooperation framework, RAND assessed the U.S. Air Force’s Building Partnerships Seminars to enhance program objectives and improve cooperation amongst partner-nation air forces.

  Sep 27, 2011

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  Report

  Assessing the Effectiveness of the International Counterproliferation Program

  Addressing the threat of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction requires interagency and international cooperation. This report demonstrates how one assessment framework can be applied to security cooperation programs.

  Sep 12, 2011