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Military Equipment

commentary
The Military's Search for Innovation
Daniel M. Gerstein @Daniel_Gerstein
Aug 13, 2018
RealClearDefense
Militaries have historically sought ways to incorporate new weapons, armaments and methods of fighting into their operations. As the United States military continues to vigorously pursue innovation, history has provided important lessons which can help guide future innovation efforts.
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commentary
Approaching a 'New Normal': What the Drone Attack in Venezuela Portends
Colin P. Clarke @ColinPClarke
Aug 13, 2018
Foreign Policy Research Institute
The attempt to assassinate Venezuelan President Maduro showed that drones are easy to use and difficult to defend against. Commercial off-the-shelf technology is easy to acquire. It is imperative that counterterrorism specialists begin planning a robust response to the threat.
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commentary
Bringing Back Sanctions Will Hurt U.S. Allies and Iran, but Will It Help the U.S.?
Dalia Dassa Kaye @dassakaye
Aug 7, 2018
The Hill
What happens if leaving the Iran nuclear deal and applying “maximum pressure” doesn't lead Iran to change its behavior or the regime to collapse? The Trump administration may find that it's much easier to break a deal than to replace it with something better.
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commentary
Is the Threat of Nuclear Terrorism Distracting Attention from More Realistic Threats?
Antonia Ward @antoniahward
Jul 27, 2018
Georgetown Security Studies Review
A nuclear terrorist attack is currently not a realistic threat. It would require an unprecedented level of sophistication from terrorists. The majority of terrorist attacks are conducted with conventional explosives.
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commentary
Attempts to Order Geopolitics Have a Sobering History
Ali Wyne @Ali_Wyne
Jul 25, 2018
The WorldPost (Washington Post)
Past efforts to introduce world order have resulted less from foresighted statecraft than from cataclysmic upheavals such as World War II. If the current international system erodes, what might have to happen for a new one to emerge?
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Military Strategy
commentary
Small States Can Use Naval Mines and Unmanned Vehicles to Deter Maritime Aggression
Scott Savitz
Jul 16, 2018
RealClearDefense
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.
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Japan
commentary
Success with North Korea Still Needs Japan
Jeffrey W. Hornung
Jun 27, 2018
Japan Times
Japan has stakes in the outcome of regional diplomacy involving North Korea. It could play a role far beyond simply writing checks for an agreement, but has not held any bilateral meetings with the other actors. Diplomats hoping to fit their approach to the realities of the geopolitical situation could benefit from Japan's active involvement.
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Terrorism Threat Assessment
commentary
Toy Drones and Twitter: The Ability of Individuals to Wreak Large-Scale Havoc
Colin P. Clarke @ColinPClarke
Jun 18, 2018
The National Interest
Lone wolves or small groups could use drones, virtual currencies, encrypted communications, and artificial intelligence for nefarious purposes. The threat is even greater when these technologies are used in conjunction with disinformation spread over social media.
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Military Equipment
commentary
Consider The E-Tool
James T. Quinlivan
Jun 12, 2018
Task & Purpose
We generally trust the entrenchment tool. In a peacetime hike, we might only need a polycarbonate trowel, but in a future war, we might really need full-size picks and shovels. However ingeniously designed, two pounds of metal origami cannot replace a full-size pick and a shovel.
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International Diplomacy
commentary
Six Lessons for Today from Past Summits
William Courtney @courtneywmh, Michael Haltzel
Jun 5, 2018
Fox News Channel
To prepare for possible meetings with his North Korean and Russian counterparts, President Trump can learn lessons from decades of high-profile summits between U.S. presidents and Kremlin leaders.
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International Diplomacy
commentary
North Korea Is Not Like Libya
Karl P. Mueller
Jun 1, 2018
Reuters
The prospect of a U.S.-North Korea summit has led to analogies between the present case and that of Libya, which abandoned its longstanding quest to develop nuclear weapons in 2003. But a better precedent would be the 2015 deal that froze Iran's nuclear weapons program.
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commentary
Canceled Summit Doesn't Spell End to U.S.-North Korea Nuclear Diplomacy
James Dobbins @Jim_Dobbins
May 25, 2018
The Hill
President Trump canceled his June 12 meeting with Kim Jong-un but left the door open for a future one. Successful diplomacy will require tending and fostering U.S. relations with China, Japan, and South Korea while forging an entirely new relationship with North Korea.
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Communication Technology
essay
70 Years of Innovation at RAND
May 9, 2018
Seventy years ago, a group of researchers established the independent RAND Corporation. From the first satellite design, to helping ensure GPS as a public good, to laying the groundwork for the internet, RAND has been making a difference ever since.
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Security Cooperation
commentary
The U.S. Is Out of the Iran Deal. What Now?
James Dobbins @Jim_Dobbins
May 9, 2018
Reuters
Abandoning the nuclear agreement with Iran isolates the United States, reneges on an American commitment, adds to the risk of a trade war with U.S. allies and a hot war with Iran, and diminishes the prospects of an agreement to eliminate the North Korean threat.
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Military Strategy
commentary
Cluster Munitions and Rearming for Great Power Competition
David E. Johnson @DaveJohnsonDC
May 9, 2018
War on the Rocks
The United States might need Cluster munitions, anti-personnel landmines, and tactical nuclear weapons to deter or defeat aggression. If policymakers choose to lift bans on these munitions, the ensuing policy restrictions might be tailored to address where these capabilities are necessary.
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Artificial Intelligence
commentary
Will Artificial Intelligence Undermine Nuclear Stability?
Andrew J. Lohn @andrewjlohn, Edward Geist
May 1, 2018
Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
In the coming years, AI-enabled progress in tracking and targeting adversaries' nuclear weapons could undermine the foundations of nuclear stability. Will AI someday be able to guide strategy decisions about escalation or even launching nuclear weapons?
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Military Equipment

The Military's Search for Innovation

Approaching a 'New Normal': What the Drone Attack in Venezuela Portends

Bringing Back Sanctions Will Hurt U.S. Allies and Iran, but Will It Help the U.S.?

Is the Threat of Nuclear Terrorism Distracting Attention from More Realistic Threats?

Attempts to Order Geopolitics Have a Sobering History

Small States Can Use Naval Mines and Unmanned Vehicles to Deter Maritime Aggression

Success with North Korea Still Needs Japan

Toy Drones and Twitter: The Ability of Individuals to Wreak Large-Scale Havoc

Consider The E-Tool

Six Lessons for Today from Past Summits

North Korea Is Not Like Libya

Canceled Summit Doesn't Spell End to U.S.-North Korea Nuclear Diplomacy

70 Years of Innovation at RAND

The U.S. Is Out of the Iran Deal. What Now?

Cluster Munitions and Rearming for Great Power Competition

Will Artificial Intelligence Undermine Nuclear Stability?

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