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Commentary and Articles

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Did North Korea Really Test a Hypersonic Missile?
North Korea is working toward the deployment of hypersonic missiles that it claims could render South Korean and U.S. missile defenses useless. Still, its claims of a successful test this month appear greatly exaggerated.
Apr 9, 2024
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The Potential of Smart Treaties
Blockchain technology presents numerous opportunities for the development of trade and commerce. One particularly interesting opportunity is smart contracts, an application that could have broad geopolitical implications if applied to treaties.
Apr 8, 2024
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U.S.-India Ties Remain Fundamentally Fragile
Despite widespread optimism about the future of the U.S.-India partnership, relations are considerably more fragile than they might appear. Indeed, the two countries continue to experience friction in several areas that, if left unaddressed, could ultimately undermine or even derail future cooperation.
Apr 7, 2024
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What Chinese Navy Planners Are Learning from Ukraine's Use of Unmanned Surface Vessels
The continued success of Ukrainian unmanned surface vessel (USV) attacks on Russian naval facilities and warships has kept USVs in the defense analytical spotlight and naval analysts around the world, particularly those in China, are taking note.
Apr 4, 2024
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Putin's Embrace of Kim Jong-un Has Its Limits
The current trajectory of North Korea–Russia relations is certainly unfavorable for the United States and its allies because it essentially gives the two nations greater wiggle room to continue their bad behavior. But all is not necessarily lost. The strategic partnership between Russia and North Korea is unlikely to be decisive for either side.
Apr 4, 2024
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Building a Foundation for Strategic Stability with China on AI
In an atmosphere of deepening mutual suspicion, trying to engage with China on military uses of artificial intelligence may seem pointless. But if negotiations go somewhere, U.S. security might be palpably improved. It they fail, there is little downside.
Apr 2, 2024
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The Russian Air Force Is Hollowing Itself Out. Air Defenses for Ukraine Would Speed That Up
The Russian Aerospace Forces has fewer than 650 tactical aircraft when accounting for end-of-life aircraft; it has even less when accounting for accelerated usage. But these numbers are unlikely to change Russia's behavior, based on its exhibited willingness to accept high losses, even for trivial gains.
Mar 29, 2024
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The Year-Long Detention of Evan Gershkovich: When Foreign Nationals Become Political Pawns
Detaining foreign nationals incurs little risk for the detaining state, and can bring a large return. Negotiating to bring them home is not easy, as humanitarian appeals seldom work and there is always a quid pro quo. But the situation is not hopeless.
Mar 29, 2024
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Pushing People into Poverty and Public Health Crisis: Maryland's Recent Energy Cost Increases Could Add Up to an Equity Disaster
In March, utility prices began increasing throughout Baltimore City and in nearby counties. Prices will continue to increase over the next two years. The Department of Energy is working directly with communities affected by undue energy burdens to better understand how to improve the equity of the energy system. Maryland could follow that example.
Mar 26, 2024
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Trucks, Piers, and Parachutes Will Not Solve Gaza's Crisis
If the international community wants to solve the humanitarian problem in Gaza, it will need to go beyond thinking strictly in terms of trucks, roads, and floating piers. It will instead need to choose between a series of bad options. None are particularly appealing outcomes, but in the Middle East, nothing is ever simple.
Mar 25, 2024
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Red-Teaming the Risks of Using AI in Biological Attacks
A RAND experiment brought together several dozen researchers to role-play bad guys planning a biological attack. Some had access to large language models while others only had access to the internet. A panel of experts graded each team's plan on whether or not it could be viable.
Mar 25, 2024
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Don't Abandon Europe in the Name of 'Asia First'
Allies are key to U.S. great-power competition. They are the only asset its adversaries do not also share. Instead of a strategic calculation, isolating European partners' vital interests because they are “less important” than Asia can only harm the U.S. relationship with Asian partners as well.
Mar 22, 2024
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What Sweden's Accession Means for NATO
Russia's failed invasion of Ukraine pushed neutral Sweden to embrace a role in NATO's collective defence and security. With this addition, NATO's toolkit gains Sweden's ground and air combat, nearshore and undersea warfare capabilities, as well as the country's expertise in niche areas such as cold weather operations.
Mar 22, 2024
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Americans Need to Know How the Government Will Use AI
Americans have been concerned about tech-enabled government surveillance for as long as they have known about it. With the recent Department of Homeland Security announcement that it is embracing artificial intelligence, that concern isn't going away anytime soon. How could federal agencies mitigate some of that fear?
Mar 22, 2024
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Learning from the War on Terror
What's been happening in Gaza suggests that none of the lessons from 20 years of global counterterrorism conflicts were implemented there. In addition to the needless destruction and tragic loss of life in Gaza, from a military and intelligence perspective, all the hard-gained lessons from the global war on terror have been wasted.
Mar 21, 2024

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