Why It Makes Sense to Keep Mine-Hunting Dolphins on the Navy's Payroll
Mine-hunting dolphins—none of whom have ever been harmed by a mine—make the seas safer for naval ships and other vessels. Yet budget cuts could spell the end of the program that trains them.
Jul 22, 2022 Los Angeles Times
Revealing the Impact of Non-Lethal Weapons
Non-lethal weapons can be useful to U.S. military forces in a variety of contexts, but the Pentagon faces a challenge in ensuring their appropriate use and evaluating the potential effects of their deployment.
Jun 15, 2022 RealClearDefense
U.S. Military May Need to Invest More in Arctic Capabilities
Operating in the Arctic is inherently expensive. Despite this, it could be critical that the United States make the necessary investments to ensure a robust ability to operate in the Arctic to withstand Russian challenges there.
Feb 10, 2022 United Press International
Analytical Gaming Could Help the U.S. Coast Guard Address Key Challenges
By gradually expanding its gaming efforts, the U.S. Coast Guard might improve both the quality of its decisions and the strength of its relationships, making the service ever more capable as it navigates the challenges of the 21st century.
Nov 8, 2021 RealClearDefense
Lessons from Afghanistan
The British invaded Afghanistan multiple times from 1839 to 1919. These wars offer wider context for understanding America's intervention in that same nation—and its ultimate failure.
Sep 3, 2021 RealClearDefense
Applying Machiavellian Discourses to the Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq
After 20 years of war without victory in both Afghanistan and Iraq, it is time to derive key lessons from both conflicts to avoid repeating the same mistakes. Niccolò Machiavelli, whose insights on statecraft have endured for five centuries, is a valuable guide in analyzing those lessons.
Aug 9, 2021 RealClearDefense
Mind the Gap
For decades, NATO forces have used nearby bases to keep tabs on Russian submarines, surface ships, and aircraft transiting the Greenland-Iceland-United Kingdom Gap. Strong independence movements in Greenland, the Faroe Islands, and Scotland could soon jeopardize this position.
Jul 15, 2021 Defense One
The Suez Grounding Was an Accident. The Next Blocked Chokepoint Might Not Be
The recent spectacle of a hulking container ship wedged into the Suez Canal is a reminder of how vulnerable maritime transportation is to blocked chokepoints. The fragility of maritime lifelines may encourage the use of this tactic in future conflict.
Mar 30, 2021 Defense One
Small States Can Use Naval Mines and Unmanned Vehicles to Deter Maritime Aggression
Small coastal nations face potential threats from larger, more powerful adversaries. Their coastlines represent vulnerabilities that a foe may seek to exploit. But these nations can hinder and deter potential aggressors by using less expensive systems, such as naval mines and unmanned vehicles.
Jul 16, 2018 RealClearDefense
A Changing Cuba May Create Risks for Maritime Border Security
A changing Cuba may contribute to less secure maritime borders for the United States. The U.S. should plan accordingly to stop mass movements of both drugs and people.
Nov 5, 2016 U.S. News and World Report
Egypt's Suez Canal: An Attenuated Lifeline
The U.S. Navy has enjoyed the luxury of being able to transit the Suez Canal without hindrance for decades. However, the risk of losing access — perhaps quickly and unexpectedly — should inform Navy strategic and operational planning.
Sep 14, 2016 The National Interest
Will Syria's Civil War Turn Out Like Spain's Did?
The similarities between the Syrian and Spanish civil wars, including foreign involvement and the level of brutality against civilians and captives, suggest that the Syrian war, like the Spanish one before it, could potentially foreshadow future conflicts.
Dec 2, 2015 The Washington Post
ISIS Plus Chemical Weapons Does Not Equal Apocalypse
The renewed use of chemical weapons on the battlefields of Iraq and Syria is a dangerous regional phenomenon, not an imminent global threat.
Sep 11, 2015 Newsweek
El Chapo's Prison Escape Should Come as No Surprise
Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzman's Sinaloa Cartel and similar criminal organizations have long used tunnels to literally undermine security along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Jul 24, 2015 Fox News Channel
The Gaza Conflict: Tunnel Warfare's Latest Chapter
Despite its long history as an effective combat tool, tunneling rarely garners much attention, perhaps because it is inherently clandestine, tedious, and dirty. However, as the conflict in Gaza indicates, tunneling remains effective, and will likely persist as long as conflict itself.
Sep 5, 2014 The RAND Blog
