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On this week's Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank, Michael Herson of American Defense International, former DoD Europe chief Jim Townsend of the Center for a New American Security, and Pentagon comptroller Dr. Dov Zakheim of the Center for Strategic and International Studies join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss President Trump's new tariffs after the Supreme Court's ruling last week and Republican efforts to adopt new tariff legislation; takeaways from the president's longest ever state of the union address; efforts to restore full Department of Homeland Security funding and update on Reconciliation 2.0; whether the president will get the $1.5 trillion defense budget he wants for 2027 as consensus settles on a more modest boost of around $1.1 trillion to $1.2 trillion; US-Iran talks continue in Geneva as Washington masses more forces in the region and prepares to evacuate US personnel from Israel to press Tehran into a nuclear deal; tensions between the president and military leadership as Trump says his chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Dan Caine, thinks a war with Iran would be easy as news reports indicate military leaders are concerned about the impact of a protracted and unpredictable conflict on weapons stocks, equipment and personnel; Ukraine's allies shape another 106 billion euro aid package that Hungary has threatened to derail; as former US Army Europe chief retired Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges tells reporters his train was attacked, one of five suspected Russian attacks on Europe that day; the Pentagon's threat to seize Anthropic's Claude AI model and blacklist the company unless it allows its technology to be used for autonomous weapons and mass surveillance; after two months as Joint Staff Director Vice Adm. Fred Kacher will leave his job and return to the Navy; Beijing again cuts rare earth shipments to Japan; Kim Jong Un teases a summit with Trump amid US-Korea strategy strains; an escalating conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan; Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Israel; and Washington's decision to open a pop-up consulate for Israeli settlers in the West Bank town of Efrat.
On this week's Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank, former DoD Europe chief Jim Townsend of the Center for a New American Security, and Pentagon comptroller Dr. Dov Zakheim of the Center for Strategic and International Studies join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the Supreme Court's ruling against the Trump administration's use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to justify tariffs; outlook for ending the Ukraine war as Washingon increases pressure on Kyiv as Russia touts $14 trillion in business for America; in advance of his trip to Beijing, President Trump said he's talking Xi Jinping about US arms sales to Taiwan; the confirmation by a US official that China appears to have conducted an unground nuclear test in 2020; Japan and South Korea make good on their promises to invest in the United States in exchange for lower tariff rates; Washington's efforts to improve relations with India and make new friends in South and Central Asia; the president's “Board of Peace” and the future of Gaza; after massing the biggest US military buildup in the Middle East since the 2003 Iraq invasion, Trump gives Tehran an ultimatum to make a nuclear deal in 10 days or “really bad things will happen;” Britain balks at letting US forces using bases in the UK and Diego Garcia to strike Iran as the president criticizes London's decision to turn over control of Diego Garcia to Mauritius; and Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu pushes for a pardon for a corruption charges as Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich says the next government should “encourage migration” of Palestinians living on the West Bank.
In Multidomain Operations: The Pursuit of Battlefield Dominance in the 21st Century (Howgate Publishing Limited, 2026), Amos Fox and Franz-Stefan Gady challenge one of modern war's most influential doctrines: MDO. Is it the right framework for 21st-century conflict—or a concept rushed into service without sufficient grounding? Through the lenses of origin, field application, academic critique, and international perspectives, the authors examine MDO's theoretical and practical shortcomings. They argue that MDO is a solution in search of a problem—strategically narrow, tactically vague, and ill-suited for America's allies. This book calls for a doctrinal reset: one that addresses precision strike overreach, rising attrition warfare, and the enduring need for land forces. With rigorous policy and PME recommendations, Fox and Gady offer a vital roadmap for rethinking military doctrine. Essential reading for defense leaders, scholars, and warfighters alike, this book reshapes how we must think about future battlefields.Dr. Amos C. Fox is a Professor of Practice at Arizona State University's Future Security Initiative. Amos also works as a lecturer in the School of Politics and International Relations at the University of Houston where he teaches strategy and international relations, and hosts the Revolution in Military Affairs podcast, which focuses on war, strategy, international affairs, and the impact of technology on warfare. His latest book is Conflict Realism. Amos is a retired US Army Lieutenant Colonel. He is also Managing Editor of Small Wars Journal.Franz-Stefan Gady has advised US and European militaries on structural reform and the future of high-intensity warfare. An adjunct senior fellow with the Center for a New American Security, Washington, DC, he has conducted field research in Afghanistan, Iraq and Ukraine. His latest books are The Return of War and How the US Would Fight China: The Risks of Pursuing a Rapid Victory. Stephen Satkiewicz is an independent scholar with research areas spanning Civilizational Sciences, Social Complexity, Big History, Historical Sociology, Military History, War Studies, International Relations, Geopolitics, and Russian and East European history. He served as the editor of the International Society for the Comparative Study of Civilizations (ISCSC) newsletter from 2016 to 2018 and is currently the Book Review Editor for Comparative Civilizations Review. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network
In Multidomain Operations: The Pursuit of Battlefield Dominance in the 21st Century (Howgate Publishing Limited, 2026), Amos Fox and Franz-Stefan Gady challenge one of modern war's most influential doctrines: MDO. Is it the right framework for 21st-century conflict—or a concept rushed into service without sufficient grounding? Through the lenses of origin, field application, academic critique, and international perspectives, the authors examine MDO's theoretical and practical shortcomings. They argue that MDO is a solution in search of a problem—strategically narrow, tactically vague, and ill-suited for America's allies. This book calls for a doctrinal reset: one that addresses precision strike overreach, rising attrition warfare, and the enduring need for land forces. With rigorous policy and PME recommendations, Fox and Gady offer a vital roadmap for rethinking military doctrine. Essential reading for defense leaders, scholars, and warfighters alike, this book reshapes how we must think about future battlefields.Dr. Amos C. Fox is a Professor of Practice at Arizona State University's Future Security Initiative. Amos also works as a lecturer in the School of Politics and International Relations at the University of Houston where he teaches strategy and international relations, and hosts the Revolution in Military Affairs podcast, which focuses on war, strategy, international affairs, and the impact of technology on warfare. His latest book is Conflict Realism. Amos is a retired US Army Lieutenant Colonel. He is also Managing Editor of Small Wars Journal.Franz-Stefan Gady has advised US and European militaries on structural reform and the future of high-intensity warfare. An adjunct senior fellow with the Center for a New American Security, Washington, DC, he has conducted field research in Afghanistan, Iraq and Ukraine. His latest books are The Return of War and How the US Would Fight China: The Risks of Pursuing a Rapid Victory. Stephen Satkiewicz is an independent scholar with research areas spanning Civilizational Sciences, Social Complexity, Big History, Historical Sociology, Military History, War Studies, International Relations, Geopolitics, and Russian and East European history. He served as the editor of the International Society for the Comparative Study of Civilizations (ISCSC) newsletter from 2016 to 2018 and is currently the Book Review Editor for Comparative Civilizations Review. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history
In Multidomain Operations: The Pursuit of Battlefield Dominance in the 21st Century (Howgate Publishing Limited, 2026), Amos Fox and Franz-Stefan Gady challenge one of modern war's most influential doctrines: MDO. Is it the right framework for 21st-century conflict—or a concept rushed into service without sufficient grounding? Through the lenses of origin, field application, academic critique, and international perspectives, the authors examine MDO's theoretical and practical shortcomings. They argue that MDO is a solution in search of a problem—strategically narrow, tactically vague, and ill-suited for America's allies. This book calls for a doctrinal reset: one that addresses precision strike overreach, rising attrition warfare, and the enduring need for land forces. With rigorous policy and PME recommendations, Fox and Gady offer a vital roadmap for rethinking military doctrine. Essential reading for defense leaders, scholars, and warfighters alike, this book reshapes how we must think about future battlefields.Dr. Amos C. Fox is a Professor of Practice at Arizona State University's Future Security Initiative. Amos also works as a lecturer in the School of Politics and International Relations at the University of Houston where he teaches strategy and international relations, and hosts the Revolution in Military Affairs podcast, which focuses on war, strategy, international affairs, and the impact of technology on warfare. His latest book is Conflict Realism. Amos is a retired US Army Lieutenant Colonel. He is also Managing Editor of Small Wars Journal.Franz-Stefan Gady has advised US and European militaries on structural reform and the future of high-intensity warfare. An adjunct senior fellow with the Center for a New American Security, Washington, DC, he has conducted field research in Afghanistan, Iraq and Ukraine. His latest books are The Return of War and How the US Would Fight China: The Risks of Pursuing a Rapid Victory. Stephen Satkiewicz is an independent scholar with research areas spanning Civilizational Sciences, Social Complexity, Big History, Historical Sociology, Military History, War Studies, International Relations, Geopolitics, and Russian and East European history. He served as the editor of the International Society for the Comparative Study of Civilizations (ISCSC) newsletter from 2016 to 2018 and is currently the Book Review Editor for Comparative Civilizations Review. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/military-history
In Multidomain Operations: The Pursuit of Battlefield Dominance in the 21st Century (Howgate Publishing Limited, 2026), Amos Fox and Franz-Stefan Gady challenge one of modern war's most influential doctrines: MDO. Is it the right framework for 21st-century conflict—or a concept rushed into service without sufficient grounding? Through the lenses of origin, field application, academic critique, and international perspectives, the authors examine MDO's theoretical and practical shortcomings. They argue that MDO is a solution in search of a problem—strategically narrow, tactically vague, and ill-suited for America's allies. This book calls for a doctrinal reset: one that addresses precision strike overreach, rising attrition warfare, and the enduring need for land forces. With rigorous policy and PME recommendations, Fox and Gady offer a vital roadmap for rethinking military doctrine. Essential reading for defense leaders, scholars, and warfighters alike, this book reshapes how we must think about future battlefields.Dr. Amos C. Fox is a Professor of Practice at Arizona State University's Future Security Initiative. Amos also works as a lecturer in the School of Politics and International Relations at the University of Houston where he teaches strategy and international relations, and hosts the Revolution in Military Affairs podcast, which focuses on war, strategy, international affairs, and the impact of technology on warfare. His latest book is Conflict Realism. Amos is a retired US Army Lieutenant Colonel. He is also Managing Editor of Small Wars Journal.Franz-Stefan Gady has advised US and European militaries on structural reform and the future of high-intensity warfare. An adjunct senior fellow with the Center for a New American Security, Washington, DC, he has conducted field research in Afghanistan, Iraq and Ukraine. His latest books are The Return of War and How the US Would Fight China: The Risks of Pursuing a Rapid Victory. Stephen Satkiewicz is an independent scholar with research areas spanning Civilizational Sciences, Social Complexity, Big History, Historical Sociology, Military History, War Studies, International Relations, Geopolitics, and Russian and East European history. He served as the editor of the International Society for the Comparative Study of Civilizations (ISCSC) newsletter from 2016 to 2018 and is currently the Book Review Editor for Comparative Civilizations Review. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/national-security
On this week's Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank, Michael Herson of American Defense International, former DoD Europe chief Jim Townsend of the Center for a New American Security, and Pentagon comptroller Dr. Dov Zakheim of the Center for Strategic and International Studies join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss impact of a looming shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security as Democrats block funding; prospects for another defense reconciliation package; House passage of federalized elections and measure to halt Trump's Canada tariffs; what's next after a federal judge blocks the Pentagon's efforts to punish retired US Navy captain and current Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly for participating in a video advising troops to not follow illegal orders; a Munich Security Conference where French President Emmanuel Macron make the case for a more globally competitive Europe and Secretary of State Marco Rubio will underscore a new era in international relations; Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth skipped the NATO defense ministerial where Pentagon policy chief Bridge Colby framed his Washington's vision for the alliance as NATO adopted a new command structure and Arctic strategy; the White House imposes a firm deadline on Ukraine to end the war and hold elections by June or lose all US support; Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi‘s landslide victory; China sentences Hong Kong publisher Jimmy Lai to 20 years in prison; Taiwan's Lai Ching Te's warning that if China invades his country, an empowered Beijing will seek other territories it claims; the revelation that Chinese warships sailed 100 kilometers off Australia's coast in December and Japan's arrest a Chinese fishing boat captain for ignoring calls to stop for an inspection; US forces seize another Venezuelan tanker in the Pacific; Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu's meeting with Trump as more US forces mass in the Gulf to support a possible Iran attack as Washington and Tehran talks continue; and Israel's efforts to annex the West Bank.
On this week's Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank, Michael Herson of American Defense International, former DoD Europe chief Jim Townsend of the Center for a New American Security, and Pentagon comptroller Dr. Dov Zakheim of the Center for Strategic and International Studies join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss outlook for continues Department of Homeland Security funding after lawmakers end another partial government shutdown; efforts to secure another big reconciliation measure for defense; President Trump's threat to sue his own Federal Reserve chair nominee Kevin Warsh if he doesn't cut interest rates after replacing current Chairman Jay Powell in May; implications of Texas elections that saw Democrats perform well in districts that Trump won by double digit margins; Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's “naughty” contractors list; analysis of the administration's new National Defense Strategy; Washington's discordant approach to Europe where US officials promise financial support for right-wing think tanks as “resistance” to centrist governments while also pledging partnership on strategic minerals; the Pentagon resumes military cooperation with Russia as Trump seeks a new nuclear deal with Moscow and Beijing as Vladimir Putin demands Britain and France be added to talks; a second inconclusive round of talks US-Russia-Ukraine talks; what we know about the administration's new trade deal with India; Trump changes course and backs Britain's decision on transferring ownership of the Chagos Islands that's home to the strategically important base at Diego Garcia to Mauritius in exchange for a 99-year lease; the administration's drive to negotiate a new nuclear deal with Iran; and the latest on Israel's operations in Gaza and the West Bank.
U.S.-India relations were once described as one of Washington's MOST important strategic bets in the twenty-first century. But over the past year, that partnership has come under serious strain—buffeted by trade disputes, sharp rhetoric, and deep disagreements over Pakistan and Kashmir. In the current print edition of Foreign Affairs, Lisa Curtis and Richard Fontaine argue that this rupture is not just another rough patch, but rather a potentially consequential turning point. The essay, “America Must Salvage Its Relationship with India—or Risk Losing a Global Swing State,” makes the case that how Washington manages its ties with New Delhi in this moment will have lasting implications for the Indo-Pacific balance of power, U.S. credibility in Asia, and competition with China.To talk more about this new piece, Lisa joins Milan on the show this week. Lisa is Director of the Indo-Pacific Security Program at the Center for a New American Security. She is a foreign policy and national security expert with over 20 years of service in the U.S. government—including at the National Security Council, CIA, State Department, and Capitol Hill. Most recently, Lisa served as Senior Director for South and Central Asia at the National Security Council from 2017 to 2021. Milan and Lisa discuss the “fit of presidential pride and pique” that has derailed bilateral ties, President Trump's repeated desire to mediate between India and Pakistan, and the sudden revival in U.S.-Pakistan ties. Plus, the two discuss America's strategic competition with Beijing, what it will take for Washington to remedy its trust deficit with New Delhi, and the long-term consequences of a sustained rupture between the United States and India.
On this week's Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank, Michael Herson of American Defense International, former DoD Europe chief Jim Townsend of the Center for a New American Security, and Pentagon comptroller Dr. Dov Zakheim of the Center for Strategic and International Studies join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss prospects for a government shutdown as Democratic leaders protest the Trump administration's heavy-handed crackdown on illegal immigration in Minnesota and elsewhere; lawmakers consider impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem for her agency's aggressive tactics and misleading public statements; Minnesota Democratic Congresswoman Ilan Omar becomes the latest lawmaker to be attacked; administration's efforts to access state voter data in Minnesota as a condition to withdraw federal agents or the FBI raid to seize voter information from Fulton County, Ga.; the president and his sons file an unprecedented $10 billion lawsuit against the Treasury and the IRS seeking damages after a contractor leaked Trump's and other tax returns during his first term; the president says he will impose new 50 percent tariffs on Canadian business jets as he also threatens Britain against closer business ties with China as Prime Minister Keir Starmer visits Beijing to deepen trade ties; Trump says Vladimir Putin has agreed to suspend attacks on Ukraine during a snap of brutally cold weather as Washington reportedly is again pressuring Ukraine into ceding territory to Moscow; NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte's stance that European leaders are “dreaming” if they think they can defend Europe without the United States; after two years of talks, the EU and India strike a free trade deal; Xi continues his crack down on senior military leaders; and what's next Trump threatens Tehran with a large armada weeks after Iran's leaders killed more than 6,000 to crush nationwide demonstrations.
In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, Thomas Shugart and Michael Dahm join us to discuss key findings from their new report, Flooding the Zone: The Use of Civilian Landing Craft (LCTs) in PLA Amphibious Operations. They examine how civilian landing craft could provide the PLA with over-the-shore lift several times greater than its traditional landing ships in a Taiwan scenario, bridging the gap between beach assaults and port access. The conversation explores the operational constraints and vulnerabilities of LCTs and how these developments fit into Beijing's broader strategy and 2027 military modernization goals. Thomas Shugart is an Adjunct Senior Fellow with the Defense Program at the Center for a New American Security. He served more than 25 years in the U.S. Navy as a submarine warfare officer, deploying multiple times to the Indo‑Pacific. Michael Dahm is a Senior Resident Fellow at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies and a lecturer at George Washington University. He served as a U.S. Navy intelligence officer for over 25 years.
Is the US on the verge of military intervention in Iran? Richard Fontaine, CEO of the Center for a New American Security, reveals why he believes a US strike is "likelier than not" in the coming weeks—and what Trump's Venezuela operation tells us about his appetite for regime change. In this episode of One Decision, we explore: Why US aircraft carriers are massing in the Middle East The "Venezuela model" – a new blueprint for intervention? China's strategic opening as allies hedge against Trump's tariffs China's President Xi Jinping's shocking military purge and what it means for Taiwan Whether Trump's foreign policy represents a permanent shift or a passing aberration Hosted by Kate McCann (Political Editor at Times Radio) and Sir Richard Dearlove (former MI6 Chief). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On this week's Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank, Michael Herson of American Defense International, former DoD Europe chief Jim Townsend of the Center for a New American Security, and Pentagon comptroller Dr. Dov Zakheim of the Center for Strategic and International Studies join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss appropriations measure that boosts Pentagon funding by $8.4 billion to $838.7 billion; outlook for a second reconciliation package to boost defense spending to $1.5 trillion; lawmakers fail to stop US troops deployment to Venezuela; analysis of President Trump's remarks at the World Economic Forum including that he won't invade Greenland nor impose tariffs on European nations; whether his rhetoric and actions during his first year in office have done irreparable damage to the NATO alliance; Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's watershed address; lessons China is learning from the turmoil that's prompted Western leaders to increasingly court Beijing, including the Starmer government's recent decision to allow a giant new Chinese embassy in the heart of London; Taiwan's $40 billion plan to boost defense spending stalled by partisan parliamentary infighting; whether Iran's leaders will face new protests after brutally crushing massive recent demonstrations; and Israel's latest actions in Gaza and the West Bank.
Bio: Dr. Elsa Kania received her PhD in Government from Harvard University. She served as a visiting scholar for the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies, as an adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, and is an intelligence officer in the United States Navy Reserve.LinkedIn
On today's Strategy Series program, sponsored by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Richard Fontaine, the president and CEO of the Center for a New American Security, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the implications of President Trump's drive to gain ownership of Greenland from Denmark and why it would be wiser for Washington to exercise it's rights under 1951 and 2004 to increase American force posture on the world's largest island as well as garner access to its natural resources; whether NATO will be able to survive an unprecedented crisis where one member nation wants the territory of another; lessons being learned by America's allies and adversaries; whether there is negotiation trade space to defuse the crisis; anticipating Trump's next demands; how long it will take the Europe to break its economic and military dependency on America; and the prospect that GOP lawmakers will alter the president's agenda.
Mike joins Emily Kilcrease, senior fellow and director of the Energy, Economics, and Security Program at the Center for a New American Security, to unpack how U.S. national security strategy is shaping technology competition with China. They explore why Washington has rolled back certain tariffs and technology export restrictions, how allies and partners are responding to shifting U.S. trade policies, and whether the United States is still on track to win the U.S.-China tech race.
From June 8, 2020: On May 27, the Trump administration announced that it was withdrawing sanctions waivers that had allowed Russian, Chinese and European companies to work with Iran on sensitive Iranian nuclear sites in support of the goals of the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement. Margaret Taylor talked about what it really means with two experts: Peter Harrell, an attorney and adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, and Richard Nephew, senior research scholar at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University. They talked about what has happened since the Trump Administration decided to withdraw from the Iran nuclear agreement in 2018 and what difficulties a new presidential administration may encounter in re-joining the agreement.To receive ad-free podcasts, become a Lawfare Material Supporter at www.patreon.com/lawfare. You can also support Lawfare by making a one-time donation at https://givebutter.com/lawfare-institute.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/lawfare. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
As the Japanese police prepare for a raid on the Aum Shinrikyo compound, cult leader Shoko Asahara launches a desperate chemical weapons attack in downtown Tokyo. During the height of Monday morning rush hour, Aum terrorists target five commuter trains with sarin gas, killing 13 people and scarring the psyche of an entire nation. In the aftermath, survivors struggle to pick up the pieces of their lives and adapt to new realities. SOURCES: Amarasingam, A. (2017, April 5). A history of sarin as a weapon. The Atlantic. Brackett, D. W. Holy Terror: Armageddon in Tokyo. 1996. Cotton, Simon. “Nerve Agents: What Are They and How Do They Work?” American Scientist, vol. 106, no. 3, 2018, pp. 138–40. Danzig, Richard; Sageman, Marc; Leighton, Terrance; Hough, Lloyd; Yuki, Hidemi; Kotani, Rui; Hosford, Zachary M.. Aum Shinrikyo: Insights Into How Terrorists Develop Biological and Chemical Weapons . Center for a New American Security. 2011 “Former ER Doctor Recalls Fear Treating Victims in 1995 Tokyo Sarin Attack.” The Japan Times, March 18, 2025.. Gunaratna, Rohan. “Aum Shinrikyo's Rise, Fall and Revival.” Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses, vol. 10, no. 8, 2018, pp. 1–6. Harmon, Christopher C. “How Terrorist Groups End: Studies of the Twentieth Century.” Strategic Studies Quarterly, vol. 4, no. 3, 2010, pp. 43–84. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/26269787. “IHT: A Safe and Sure System — Until Now.” The New York Times, 21 Mar. 1995. Jones, Seth G., and Martin C. Libicki. “Policing and Japan's Aum Shinrikyo.” How Terrorist Groups End: Lessons for Countering al Qa'ida, RAND Corporation, 2008, pp. 45–62. Kaplan, David E. (1996) “Aum's Shoko Asahara and the Cult at the End of the World”. WIRED. Lifton, Robert Jay. Destroying the World to Save It: Aum Shinrikyo, Apocalyptic Violence, and the New Global Terrorism. 1999. Murakami, Haruki. Underground: The Tokyo Gas Attack and the Japanese Psyche. Translated by Alfred Birnbaum and Philip Gabriel. 2001. Murphy, P. (2014, June 21). Matsumoto: Aum's sarin guinea pig. The Japan Times. Reader, Ian. Religious Violence in Contemporary Japan: The Case of Aum Shinrikyo. 2000. Tucker, Jonathan B. “Chemical/Biological Terrorism: Coping with a New Threat.” Politics and the Life Sciences, vol. 15, no. 2, 1996, pp. 167–83. Ushiyama, Rin. “Shock and Anger: Societal Responses to the Tokyo Subway Attack.” Aum Shinrikyō and Religious Terrorism in Japanese Collective Memory., The British Academy, 2023, pp. 52–80. Williams, Richard. 2003. “Marathon Man.” The Guardian, May 16, 2003. “Woman bedridden since AUM cult's 1995 sarin gas attack on Tokyo subway dies at 56.” The Mainichi (English), 20 Mar. 2020, “30 Years After Sarin Attack — Lessons Learned / Brother Kept Diary For Sister Caught in Sarin Attack, Chronicling Her 25-Year Struggle With Illness” The Japan News, 19 Mar. 2025, Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On this week's Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank, Michael Herson of American Defense International, former DoD Europe chief Jim Townsend of the Center for a New American Security, and Pentagon comptroller Dr. Dov Zakheim of the Center for Strategic and International Studies join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss progress on appropriations to keep government open after existing funding expires Jan 30 and prospects for another shutdown; GOP senators vote against limiting President Trump's hand in Venezuela; Vice President Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio meet with Denmark and Greenland's foreign ministers as Trump says Washington will acquire the world's largest island; France, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the UK deploy personnel to Greenland at Denmark's invitation to prepare for Operation Arctic Endurance; the EU strikes free trade deal with South American Mercosur nations creating an economic block of some 700 million people; Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's visit China to bolster trade with the country's second largest trading partner as it's leading trade partner the United States continues to apply unprecedented economic pressure on Canada; Washington's new trade deal with Taiwan reducing tariffs on Taipei from 20 percent to 15 percent in exchange for $250 billion investment by Taiwanese companies in the United States; and the Iranian regime's brutal crackdown that left thousands of protestors dead or executed appear to have quelled demonstration that Trump said he's considering supporting through military action.
In an episode recorded just before Christmas, Darren interviews Janet Egan, Senior Fellow and Deputy Director of the Technology and National Security Program at CNAS, about AI policy and its implications for Australia. Janet (who started her career in the Australian government) frames the current AI landscape as a two-horse race between the US and China, given vastly asymmetric investment levels. She introduces “compute policy” as a tractable governance lever, explaining that the physical infrastructure required for AI—specialised chips, data centres, and energy—offers regulatable chokepoints unlike easily transferable data or algorithms. The US strategy focuses on scale and removing barriers to advancement, while China, constrained by export controls on advanced semiconductors, pursues a diffusion-oriented approach emphasising open-source models and practical applications. Turning to Australia's recently released National AI Plan, Janet offers a mixed assessment. She praises the establishment of an AI Safety Institute and the acknowledgment that data centres matter, while noting the plan avoided overly restrictive regulation that could stifle investment. However, she argues the plan misses a significant opportunity: positioning Australia as a compute hub for frontier AI training. Australia's renewable energy potential, available land, and skilled trades workforce make it attractive for data centre buildout, but copyright restrictions on training data remain a key barrier. Janet argues that unlike critical minerals, AI does not lend itself to hedging between Washington and Beijing given its inherently dual-use nature and emerging evidence of bias in Chinese models. She highlights the UAE and UK as instructive cases—the former for ambitious state-led mobilisation, the latter for sophisticated thinking about AI sovereignty structured around supply resilience, value capture, and strategic influence. For Australia, she argues, meaningful participation in the AI supply chain would provide strategic leverage and a seat at the table where consequential decisions are being made. Australia in the World is written, hosted, and produced by Darren Lim, with research and editing this episode by Hannah Nelson and theme music composed by Rory Stenning. Relevant links Janet Egan (bio): https://www.cnas.org/people/janet-egan Janet Egan, Spencer Michaels and Caleb Withers, “Prepared, Not Paralyzed: Managing AI Risks to Drive American Leadership”, Center for New American Security, 20 Nov 2025: https://www.cnas.org/publications/reports/prepared-not-paralyzed Janet Egan, “Global Compute and National Security: Strengthening American AI Leadership Through Proactive Partnerships”, Center for New American Security, 29 July 2025: https://www.cnas.org/publications/reports/global-compute-and-national-security Lennart Heim, Markus Anderljung and Haydn Belfield, “To Govern AI, We Must Govern Compute”, Center for New American Security, 28 March 2024: https://www.cnas.org/publications/commentary/to-govern-ai-we-must-govern-compute Emanuele Rossi, “Undersecretary Helberg explains Pax Silica and the Indo-Pacific AI play” Decode 39, 17 December 2025: https://decode39.com/12841/undersecretary-helberg-explains-pax-silica-and-the-indo-pacific-ai-play/ Stanford Institute for Human-Centered AI, “Artificial Intelligence Index Report 2025”, https://hai.stanford.edu/ai-index/2025-ai-index-report Department of Industry, Science and Resources (Australia), National AI Plan, December 2025: https://www.industry.gov.au/publications/national-ai-plan Helen Toner, “Rising Tide” (substack): https://helentoner.substack.com/ Lady Gaga, How Bad Do U Want Me (Official Audio): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nd_M9A5xFlY
On this week's Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank, Michael Herson of American Defense International, former DoD Europe chief Jim Townsend of the Center for a New American Security, and former Pentagon comptroller Dr. Dov Zakheim of the Center for Strategic and International Studies join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss President Trump's proposal to boost defense spending by 50 percent to $1.5 trillion as he demands Pentagon contractors struggling to deliver on weapon programs stop share buybacks and dividends; how the administration's operation to to apprehend Nicholas Maduro, demand to benefit from Venezuela's oil and mineral riches and “right” to take Greenland from Denmark will impact US power worldwide; whether NATO matters enough to deter Washington from moving on Greenland as the administration withdraws the United States from 68 UN and international bodies; outlook for Ukraine war Kyiv suggests Moscow has fired a nuclear-capable missile to shape peace talks as a Russian ship reportedly carrying nuclear reactors to North Korea's submarines sinks off the Spanish coast; whether growing demonstrations over the past weeks will end theocratic leadership in Tehran; tensions between Saudi Arabia and the UAE over Yemen; and Israel steps up efforts to seized land from Palestinians in the West Bank.
On this week's Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank, Michael Herson of American Defense International, former DoD Europe chief Jim Townsend of the Center for a New American Security, and Pentagon comptroller Dr. Dov Zakh of the Center for Strategic and International Studies join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss passage of the $901 billion National Defense Authorization Act For the 65th year in a row, congress passed and the president signed the $901 billion National Defense Authorization Act as lawmakers work appropriations to keep the government running after current funding runs out late next month; President Trump's decision to use a $2.4 billion in military housing funding for a $1,776 one-time “warrior dividend” bonus for troops to thank them for their service on the nation's 250th birthday; European nations agree to extend a $105 billion, two-year loan to Ukraine after failing to unlock frozen Russian assets to support Kyiv as Russia ramps up its rhetoric; a week after Washington lifted some sanctions on Belarus as part of a deal to release political prisoners, Minsk said it would host Russian long-range hypersonic missiles; frustrated with the progress on trade talks, Washington suspends a $41 billion tech deal with Britain signed this summer; the White House approves more than $11 billion in arms sales to Taiwan as it also okays the sale of NVIDIA H200 chips to China; Japan deploys radar units to Kitadaitōjima island to monitor Chinese military activity; former Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai was found guilty of violating both China's new national security law and a colonial-era sedition measure; Beijing backs UAE's claim over three Gulf islands drawing Tehran's ire; two gunmen shaped by ISIS ideology attacked a Hanukkah celebration on Bondi beach, killing 15 and wounding another 40; Israel conducted strikes against Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in South Lebanon; and our year in review.
The former Army Ranger explores how AI might reshape drone warfare, America's tech race with China, Russia's war in Ukraine, and much more. Guest: Paul Scharre, executive vice president at the Center for a New American Security and author of several books, including "Four Battlegrounds: Power in the Age of Artificial Intelligence," and "Army of None: Autonomous Weapons and the Future of War."
On this week's Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank, Michael Herson of American Defense International, former DoD Europe chief Jim Townsend of the Center for a New American Security, and Pentagon comptroller Dr. Dov Zakheim of the Center for Strategic and International Studies join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss passage of the House's version of the $900 billion National Defense Authorization Act that includes $8 billion more than the administration requested as the Senate decides against extending Obamacare subsidies raising the prospect of another government shutdown in January after the current continuing resolution that ended the last record shutdown expires; Ukraine's partnership with European allies to blunt US demands that Kyiv meet Moscow's demands by handling over the whole Donbas to Russia as President Trump steps up his attacks on Europe as “weak” and “decaying” in the wake of his National Security Strategy that made clear Washington sees European allies as a bigger threat than Russia; Germany's drive to become Europe's largest army and France's army chief says the nation must prepare itself to sacrifice its children to defend itself as NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warned that Europe is Russia's next target within five years and nations should prepare for war on a scale not seen since World War II as Britain's attack subs suffer from low availability; China and Russia work together in air and naval maneuvers aimed at pressuring Japan and the United States as Washington approves the export of NVIDIA's H200 chips to China; the Lowy Institute's latest Power Index that finds China, North Korea and Russia have risen in the ranks as America has declined; and the 40th Australia-US Ministerial that says “full speed ahead” on the AUKUS partnership.
On this week's Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank, Michael Herson of American Defense International, former DoD Europe chief Jim Townsend of the Center for a New American Security, and Pentagon comptroller Dr. Dov Zakheim of the Center for Strategic and International Studies join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the National Defense Authorization Act and appropriations; the Tennessee special election; lawmakers' frustration with the administration's boat strikes and plans to cut troops from Europe; the new National Security Strategy that makes clear the United States will no longer shoulder responsibility for the global rules-based order it created, puts the Americas at the center of its strategy, criticizes Europe for impeding peace in Ukraine and that Washington will “cultivate resistance” by backing European nativist political parties that oppose migration and promote nationalism; characterizes China as primarily an economic threat although does call for a bigger US role in the IndoPacific to deter conflict and if necessary, fight and win; ongoing US efforts to pressure Ukraine to accept a deal to end fighting so Washington and Moscow can resume trade ties; American officials demanded rope to pick up NATO's conventional defense responsibilities by 2027; Trump's pressure on Japan's hawkish Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to ease pro-Taiwan rhetoric that's angered Beijing, the decision to not sanction Chinese spy agencies involved in the Salt Typhoon attack on US government and industry, and sale of some of advanced computer chips China wants; French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to Beijing and Vladimir Putin's trip to New Delhi; European efforts to convince Belgium to release 140 billion euros in frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine; and what to expect from the Reagan National Defense Forum this weekend at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum.
Caleb Withers, a researcher at the Center for a New American Security, joins Kevin Frazier, the AI Innovation and Law Fellow at the University of Texas School of Law and a Senior Editor at Lawfare, to discuss how frontier models shift the balance in favor of attackers in cyberspace. The two discuss how labs and governments can take steps to address these asymmetries favoring attackers, and the future of cyber warfare driven by AI agents. Jack Mitchell, a student fellow in the AI Innovation and Law Program at the University of Texas School of Law, provided excellent research assistance on this episode.Check out Caleb's recent research here. Find Scaling Laws on the Lawfare website, and subscribe to never miss an episode.To receive ad-free podcasts, become a Lawfare Material Supporter at www.patreon.com/lawfare. You can also support Lawfare by making a one-time donation at https://givebutter.com/lawfare-institute.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/lawfare. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
On March 20th, 1995, the Tokyo subway system was flooded with sarin nerve gas in a coordinated terrorist attack by the religious cult Aum Shinrikyō. Led by the charismatic new-age guru, Shoko Asahara, the well-funded and technologically ambitious Aum organization manufactured and deployed chemical weapons in an attempt to bring about the end of the world. In the chaos that followed, 13 people were killed, thousands were injured, and the international community shuddered at the possibility of future attacks by fringe political groups. SOURCES: Amarasingam, A. (2017, April 5). A history of sarin as a weapon. The Atlantic. Cotton, Simon. “Nerve Agents: What Are They and How Do They Work?” American Scientist, vol. 106, no. 3, 2018, pp. 138–40. Danzig, Richard; Sageman, Marc; Leighton, Terrance; Hough, Lloyd; Yuki, Hidemi; Kotani, Rui; Hosford, Zachary M.. Aum Shinrikyo: Insights Into How Terrorists Develop Biological and Chemical Weapons . Center for a New American Security. 2011. Gunaratna, Rohan. “Aum Shinrikyo's Rise, Fall and Revival.” Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses, vol. 10, no. 8, 2018, pp. 1–6. Harmon, Christopher C. “How Terrorist Groups End: Studies of the Twentieth Century.” Strategic Studies Quarterly, vol. 4, no. 3, 2010, pp. 43–84. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/26269787. “IHT: A Safe and Sure System — Until Now.” The New York Times, 21 Mar. 1995. Jones, Seth G., and Martin C. Libicki. “Policing and Japan's Aum Shinrikyo.” How Terrorist Groups End: Lessons for Countering al Qa'ida, RAND Corporation, 2008, pp. 45–62. Kaplan, David E. (1996) “Aum's Shoko Asahara and the Cult at the End of the World”. WIRED. Lifton, Robert Jay. Destroying the World to Save It: Aum Shinrikyo, Apocalyptic Violence, and the New Global Terrorism. 1999. Murakami, Haruki. Underground: The Tokyo Gas Attack and the Japanese Psyche. Translated by Alfred Birnbaum and Philip Gabriel. 2001. Murphy, P. (2014, June 21). Matsumoto: Aum's sarin guinea pig. The Japan Times. Reader, Ian. Religious Violence in Contemporary Japan: The Case of Aum Shinrikyo. 2000. Tucker, Jonathan B. “Chemical/Biological Terrorism: Coping with a New Threat.” Politics and the Life Sciences, vol. 15, no. 2, 1996, pp. 167–83. Ushiyama, Rin. “Shock and Anger: Societal Responses to the Tokyo Subway Attack.” Aum Shinrikyō and Religious Terrorism in Japanese Collective Memory., The British Academy, 2023, pp. 52–80. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On this week's Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank, Michael Herson of American Defense International, former DoD Europe chief Jim Townsend of the Center for a New American Security, and Pentagon comptroller Dr. Dov Zakheim of the Center for Strategic and International Studies join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the National Defense Authorization Act and appropriations; the Tennessee special election; lawmakers' frustration with the administration's boat strikes and plans to cut troops from Europe; the new National Security Strategy that makes clear the United States will no longer shoulder responsibility for the global rules-based order it created, puts the Americas at the center of its strategy, criticizes Europe for impeding peace in Ukraine and that Washington will “cultivate resistance” by backing European nativist political parties that oppose migration and promote nationalism; characterizes China as primarily an economic threat although does call for a bigger US role in the IndoPacific to deter conflict and if necessary, fight and win; ongoing US efforts to pressure Ukraine to accept a deal to end fighting so Washington and Moscow can resume trade ties; American officials demanded rope to pick up NATO's conventional defense responsibilities by 2027; Trump's pressure on Japan's hawkish Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to ease pro-Taiwan rhetoric that's angered Beijing, the decision to not Chinese spy agencies involved in the Salt Typhoon attack on US government and industry, and sale of some of advanced computer chips China wants; French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to Beijing and Vladimir Putin's trip to New Delhi; European efforts to convince Belgium to release 140 billion euros in frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine; and what to expect from the Reagan National Defense Forum this weekend at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum.
Caleb Withers, a researcher at the Center for a New American Security, joins Kevin Frazier, the AI Innovation and Law Fellow at the University of Texas School of Law and a Senior Editor at Lawfare, to discuss how frontier models shift the balance in favor of attackers in cyberspace. The two discuss how labs and governments can take steps to address these asymmetries favoring attackers, and the future of cyber warfare driven by AI agents.Jack Mitchell, a student fellow in the AI Innovation and Law Program at the University of Texas School of Law, provided excellent research assistance on this episode.Check out Caleb's recent research here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of our Data, Cyber + Privacy PLUS podcast, hosts Kaylee Cox Bankston and Boris Segalis sit down with Carrie Cordero, General Counsel and Robert M. Gates Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security, for a thought-provoking conversation about the emerging AI regulatory landscape, the bipartisan push to strengthen cybersecurity, and the growing influence of private-sector innovators in shaping national security policy.
In this episode of The PDB Situation Report: Russia's war economy is starting to crack. Deep Ukrainian strikes and tough new U.S. sanctions have pushed Moscow's oil revenues to their lowest point in two years. We'll explain what's driving the pressure and why it matters. Eddie Fishman of the Center for a New American Security joins us for more. In Japan, a single off-the-cuff remark from new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has triggered the most serious diplomatic clash with China in years. We'll break down what she said and how Tokyo and Beijing are reacting. Author Gordon Chang stops by to give his insight. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President's Daily Brief by visiting https://PDBPremium.com. Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief. YouTube: youtube.com/@presidentsdailybrief Mando: Control Body Odor ANYWHERE with @shop.mando and get 20% off + free shipping with promo code PDB at https://shopmando.com! #mandopod Ridge Wallet: Upgrade your wallet today! Get 47% Off @Ridge with code PDB at https://www.Ridge.com/PDB #Ridgepod Lean: Visit https://BrickhouseSale.com for 30% off GUESTS: Edward Fishman: Author of CHOKEPOINTS: American Power in the Age of Economic Warfare - https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/726149/chokepoints-by-edward-fishman/ Gordon Chang: Follow Gordon on X - https://x.com/GordonGChang Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On this week's Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank, Michael Herson of American Defense International, former DoD Europe chief Jim Townsend of the Center for a New American Security, and Pentagon comptroller Dr. Dov Zakheim of the Center for Strategic and International Studies join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss congressional dynamic as lawmakers vote to release Epstein files as they advance NDAA and appropriations and debate the future of Affordable Care Act subsidies; redistricting starts to turn against the Republicans and the House descends into disarray; the 28-peace plan Washington appears to have crafted with Moscow to end the Ukraine war without consulting with Kyiv that satisfies Russia's demands and comes as Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy faces his worst corruption scandal and the US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and Chief of Staff Gen Randy George visit to Ukraine this week as Russian forces advance on Pokrovsk; Poland's accusation that Russian agents tried to sabotage Warsaw-Lublin rail line and western security services try to convince Azerbaijan to hand over Yaroslav Mikhailov, a Russian who is accused of engineering the bombs that made their way onto DHL logistics aircraft; Chinese pressure on Taiwan and Japan as Washington announces arms sales to Taiwan and India; Japan's first sale of a weapon system to the United States; China's attempt to fill the void left by the US skipping COP 30 in Brazil and and the G-20 in South Africa this weekend; President Trump's praise for Saudi Arabia's Mohamed bin Salmaan at the White House as the nations sign trade deals and the sale of nearly 50 of Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lighting II fighters that have prompted concern in Israel as its forces launched a new round of air strikes in Gaza.
On this week's Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank, Michael Herson of American Defense International, former DoD Europe chief Jim Townsend of the Center for a New American Security, and Pentagon comptroller Dr. Dov Zakheim of the Center for Strategic and International Studies join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the longest US government shutdown in history that ended with a new continuing resolution, but will only span until January when the mayhem could begin all over again; appropriations and the National Defense Authorization Act move ahead; another open House seat; the State Department's decision to designate so-called “antifa” groups in Germany, Greece, Hungary and Italy as foreign terrorist organizations; Russian forces advance in Ukraine and strike the nation's energy infrastructure as Ukrainians brace for the worst winter since the war began nearly four years ago; Britain reportedly curbs some intelligence sharing with Washington over the Trump administration attacks on boats in the Caribbean and Pacific it claims are narcotraffickers; tensions between China and Japan rise over Taiwan; Australia and Indonesia prepare to sign a defense treaty; and in Gaza Hamas continues to hand over the bodies of Israeli hostages as China and Russia push back on the US effort to garner United Nations support for President Trump's peace plan for the region.
On this week's Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank, Michael Herson of American Defense International, former DoD Europe chief Jim Townsend of the Center for a New American Security, and Pentagon comptroller Dr. Dov Zakheim of the Center for Strategic and International Studies join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the longest US government shutdown; President Trump's call that senators break the filibuster to end the closure as Democrats have a banner Election Day; the Senate votes on a new war powers resolution as the administration hints at military action to topple the Maduro government in Venezuela; Russian forces advance toward Pokrovsk seen as key to controlling Donetsk; takeaways from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's visits to Korea, Vietnam and Malaysia where he met with his Chinese counterpart Dong Jun as the president continued to comment on Xi Jinping, a Taiwan invasion and nuclear testing in the wake of his trip to Asia last week, and saying American forces would take action in Nigeria to stop what he called mass killings of christians by Islamist militants even though there appears no evidence of such sectarian violence; Hegseth's meeting on Friday with top defense and aerospace executives to unveil his new acquisition reforms to more quickly field new weapons; Saudi Arabia wants F-35 Lightning II fighters as Mohamed bin Sultan to Washington next week; and the legacies of former Vice President Dick Cheney dies at age 84 and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi who said she would retire in 2027 after more than four decades in the House.
On this week's Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank, Michael Herson of American Defense International, former Pentagon Europe chief Jim Townsend of the Center for a New American Security, and Pentagon comptroller Dr. Dov Zakheim of the Center for Strategic and International Studies join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the US government shutdown and when it might end; analysis of President Trump's Asia trip including his meetings with China's Xi Jinping, Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, and Korea's President Lee Jae Myung; Trump's pledge to equip Seoul with nuclear attack submarines; the confusion caused by Trump's order that the Pentagon resume nuclear testing after a nearly 3-year hiatus and whether the move enhances US deterrence against adversaries as Russia boasts about two new nuclear-powered weapons — a cruise missile and 100-knot torpedo; how the Extended Range Attack Munition, developed by the US Air Force for Ukraine and with a range of more than 400 kilometers, could change the course of the war as Russia is reported to have fielded a new intermediate range conventional ballistic missile; and the outlook for the Gaza ceasefire.
Thomas Shugart, founder of Archer Strategic Consulting and adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how the tools and tactics of warfare have changed in the past decade and whether the U.S. military is adapting fast enough to deter a great power war. This is the second episode in a special series from The President's Inbox, bringing you conversations with Washington insiders to assess whether the United States is ready for a new, more dangerous world. Mentioned on the Episode: Thomas Shugart, "Blue Planet, Red Planet: A New World of Contested Maritime Power," The Shugart Update Thomas Shugart, "Concrete Dome: It's Past Time for an Emergency Anti-Drone Hardening Program," The Shugart Update Thomas Shugart, "Forging Ahead: The PLA Shows Us What It Wants Us to See," The Shugart Update Thomas Shugart, "Has China Been Practicing Preemptive Missile Strikes Against U.S. Bases?" War on the Rocks Thomas Shugart, "Mind the Gap, Part 2: The Cross-Strait Potential of China's Civilian Shipping Has Grown," War on the Rocks Thomas Shugart, "There Are No Magic Beans: Easy Options to Deter China Militarily Do Not Exist," War on the Rocks Thomas Shugart, "The United States Can't Afford to Not Harden Its Air Bases," War on the Rocks Thomas Shugart, "Trends, Timelines, and Uncertainty: An Assessment of the Military Balance in the Indo-Pacific," Center for a New American Security Timothy A. Walton and Thomas Shugart, "Concrete Sky: Air Base Hardening in the Western Pacific," Hudson Institute We Are China, "Forging Ahead - Episode 1: Orders Are Sacred 第一集《军令如山》," Youtube.com For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President's Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/are-we-ready-americas-next-battlefield-thomas-shugart
On this week's Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank, Michael Herson of American Defense International, former Pentagon Europe chief Jim Townsend of the Center for a New American Security, and Pentagon comptroller Dr. Dov Zakheim of the Center for Strategic and International Studies join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss what's next for what already is the second longest shutdown in US history; the Trump administration's decision to withdraw the nomination of former GE Vice Chariman Jeff Bornstein as Pentagon comptroller; President Trump's decision to sanction Lukoil and Rosneft a days after his planned meeting with Vladimir Putin to end the Ukraine war fizzled; the failed EU effort to shift Moscow's frozen assets to Ukraine, but successful new sanctions on Russia's shadow fleet; Kyiv's decision to buy 150 Gripen fighter aircraft from Sweden's Saab; the ongoing trade war between Washington and Beijing as Chinese officials implement the kind of global standards normally imposed by the United States as Trump and Xi Jinping prepare to meet in Korea; the president's rare earths agreement with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese; the warning by Singapore's prime minister that the transition to a post-American world will be messy as Trump ends trade talks with Canada and moves closer to war with Venezuela; Sanae Takaichi becomes Japan's first female prime minister; and Vice President Vance visits Israel to support a shaky Gaza ceasefire as Israeli lawmakers voted to annex the West Bank, a move that Trump said would never happen.
On this week's Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank, Michael Herson of American Defense International, former PEntagon Europe chief Jim Townsend of the Center for a New American Security, and Pentagon comptroller Dr. Dov Zakheim of the Center for Strategic and International Studies join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss what's next as the US government shutdown enters its third week; President Trump imposition of new sanctions on China as Beijing increasingly demonstrates that it's no longer cowed by Washington; as the president weighed sending Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine for use against Russia, as Volodymyr Zelenskyy flew to Washington to make the case for US Tomahawk cruise missiles to strike Russia, the president had a call with Vladimir Putin and agreed to meet the Russian leader soon in Budapest, in a move that European leaders worry will undermine support for Ukraine; Sanae Takaichi tries to form Japan's new government; Trump's authorization of CIA cover action in Venezuela as US strikes against Venezuelan watercraft continue and US Southern Command Commander Adm. Alvin Holsey resigns over how the campaign is being waged; the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas goes into effect with hostages and prisoners exchanged, even as Israeli leaders threaten to withhold aid after the militant group failed to turn over all Israeli hostage remains it claims remain entombed by air strikes and would take time and heavy equipment to retrieve; Trump's Sharm El Sheikh summit; and the indictments against former National Security Adviser Dr. John Bolton and Carnegie Endowment analyst Dr. Ashley Tellis who are accused of improperly possessing and disseminating classified information.
The threat of war between the US and China seems to be a constant background hum in the news cycle. Commentators often tackle when and why this conflict might emerge and escalate. But how would a war between the two great powers actually play out? Who would dominate across land, sea, air, space and cyberspace? In today's episode, host Adam McCauley sits down with Franz-Stefan Gady to discuss the operational, organisational and political challenges that the US would face should it go to war with China over Taiwan. Franz-Stefan Gady has advised US and European militaries on structural reform and the future of high-intensity warfare. An adjunct senior fellow with the Center for a New American Security, he has conducted field research in Afghanistan, Iraq and Ukraine. His latest book is How the United States Would Fight China. If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full conversations, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series - 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events ... Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series … Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content and early access. … Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more. https://www.intelligencesquared.com/newsletter-signup/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
On this week's Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank, Michael Herson of American Defense International, former Pentagon Europe chief Jim Townsend of the Center for a New American Security, former Pentagon comptroller Dr. Dov Zakheim of the Center for Strategic and International Studies join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss how long the US government shut down will last and the political dynamics that will shape its length and contours as the Trump administration uses the crisis to punish its enemies and fire more government workers; President Trump and his Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's campaign against the military brass at an unprecedented meeting of senior uniformed leaders in Virginia that was as much Hegseth's drive for a new warrior ethos as to define himself as the president's successor and continue driving a wedge between senior military leaders and their more troops; the US strategy in Asia the administration continues to develop its national security and defense strategies and tapped former Pacific Air Forces commander Gen. Kenneth “Cruiser” Wilsbach as the next Air Force chief of staff; Russia's continued drone flights over Europe — including from a cargo ship — threats to undersea cables and ever bigger attacks on Ukraine as the White House now says it will provide Ukraine with targeting data to strike deep into Russian territory as some worry the disclosure is more about pressuring Moscow rather than helping Kyiv; Japan and Australia's announcement of deeper defense ties as Tokyo and Canberra worry about US reliability in the region; Washington's strategic pact with Qatar; Europe's “SnapBack” sanctions on Iran; and the president's 21-point plan to end fighting in Gaza. central to which is Hamas laying down its arms.
On this week's Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank, Michael Herson of American Defense International, former Pentagon Europe chief Jim Townsend of the Center for a New American Security, former Pentagon comptroller Dr. Dov Zakheim of the Center for Strategic and International Studies join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the near certainty of a government shutdown on Sept 30 after President Trump cancelled a planned meeting with the Senate and House monitory leaders; the president's about face on Ukraine at the UN, saying he now thinks Kyiv can take back all its territory from Russia; European leaders made clear that any future Russian incursions into their airspace will be met with force as Russia's ambassador to France threatens Europe with war if Russian planes are attacked; German officials said two of their military satellites were tracked by Russia; Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gives US US military commanders 96 hours to convene in Virginia for a meeting in part to discuss the administration's upcoming National Security and National Defense Strategies; four Japanese fighter planes arrive in Europe to support NATO on the first ever deployment of its kind; Australian Prime Minister Antony Albanese to visit Washington Oct 20; the implications of Britain, France and nation's worldwide recognizing a Palestinian state as Israel presses ahead with its operation in Gaza.
On today's Strategy Series program, sponsored by General Atomic Aeronautical Systems, Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend of the Center for a New American Security join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the new report the co-authored with Kate Johnston and Greg Weaver — Understanding Russia's Calculus on Opportunistic Aggression in Europe — including the core role of opportunism in Vladimir Putin's strategic approach to undermine Russia's adversaries; the reality that NATO nations may be forced to defend the alliance without help from the United States should a crisis in the Indo-Pacific force Washington to shift focus from Europe to Asia; capability areas where the alliance's European members rate well and where more work is required; how Europe can step up capabilities indigenously especially if America decided against selling weapons to bolster its own depleted stocks; how NATO must respond to Russia's mounting provocations and how it can respond when US support is now conditional; roles China, Iran and North Korea can play to advance Russia's interests in Europe; and need to support Ukraine and critical role Kyiv can play in bolstering European capabilities.
On this week's Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank, Michael Herson of American Defense International, former Pentagon Europe chief Jim Townsend of the Center for a New American Security, former Pentagon comptroller Dr. Dov Zakheim of the Center for Strategic and International Studies join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss Senate's decision to put consideration of the National Defense Authorization Act on hold as the House Appropriations Committee developed a seven-week stopgap funding measure to avert a government shutdown that is looking increasingly likely; the House's new committee to investigate those who investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection; the Senate's “nuclear option” to confirm 48 of President Trump's nominees; the president becomes the first elected official ever to be hosted twice by a British monarch, reaffirming the special relationship plus economic deals, but little progress on Ukraine; as the administration refines its National Security Strategy to prioritize homeland defense and reduce US forces in Europe, Washington continues to stall NATO action against Russia after its drone attacks on the alliance as Japan deploys fighter planes to support NATO; while in London, the president also said that he wants the United States to take back Bagram Air Base in Kabul; expectations as Trump spoke with Xi Jinping on Friday morning after the White House blocked $400 million in military aid to Taiwan and members of the President's Intelligence Advisory Board met with Taiwan's defacto ambassador to the United States, Alexander Yui; Beijing's annual Xiangshan Forum as China warns Papua-New Guinea against signing a security pact with Australia; ongoing US Navy operations against drug runners in the Caribbean; America's decision to back away from Syrian Kurds as Israel backs Syria's Druze community; the mutual defense agreement between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia; and Israel's operations in Gaza as well as in the West Bank as a Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu seeks autarky in defense equipment.
On this week's Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank, Michael Herson of American Defense International, former Pentagon Europe chief Jim Townsend of the Center for a New American Security, former Pentagon comptroller Dr. Dov Zakheim of the Center for Strategic and International Studies join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss House's $892 billion version of the National Defense Authorization Act as the measure heads to the Senate as fights over a continuing resolution and a government shutdown continue to loom; the assassination of far-right influencer Charlie Kirk becomes the latest act of American political violence; Russia launched some two dozen long-range drones at a base in Poland that's key to supporting Ukraine, Moscow's first direct attack on the alliance as Warsaw called for Article 4 consultations and Russia stepped up attacks on Ukraine; Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth makes his first call with China's Defense Minister Adm Dong Jun during which he stressed America does not seek conflict in the Indo-Pacific, but will defend its interests; Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said America will split profits from Japan's investment in America 50-50, but after Japan earns back its $550 billion, Washington will get 90 percent of profits and Tokyo just 10 percent; after arresting 475 at a joint Hyundai-LG battery plant in Georgia, the administration was prepared to release 300 South Korean workers, but said they could stay in the United States if they helped train American workers; and Israel launched an air strike on Hamas' office in Doha, involved in Gaza negotiations, but despite worldwide ire Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu demanded Qatar either expel or bring to justice Hamas officials otherwise Israel would.
Peter E. Harrell, Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security, joins Kevin Frazier, AI Innovation and Law Fellow at the University of Texas School of Law and a Senior Editor at Lawfare, to examine the White House's announcement that it will take a 10% share of Intel. They dive into the policy rationale for the stake as well as its legality. Peter and Kevin also explore whether this is just the start of such deals given that President Trump recently declared that “there will be more transactions, if not in this industry then other industries.”Find Scaling Laws on the Lawfare website, and subscribe to never miss an episode.To receive ad-free podcasts, become a Lawfare Material Supporter at www.patreon.com/lawfare. You can also support Lawfare by making a one-time donation at https://givebutter.com/lawfare-institute.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/lawfare. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Alan Rozenshtein, Research Director at Lawfare, sits down with Sam Winter-Levy, a Fellow in the Technology and International Affairs Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; Janet Egan, a Senior Fellow with the Technology and National Security Program at the Center for a New American Security; and Peter Harrell, a Nonresident Fellow at Carnegie and a former Senior Director for International Economics at the White House National Security Council under President Joe Biden.They discuss the Trump administration's recent decision to allow U.S. companies Nvidia and AMD to export a range of advanced AI semiconductors to China in exchange for a 15% payment to the U.S. government. They talk about the history of the export control regime targeting China's access to AI chips, the strategic risks of allowing China to acquire powerful chips like the Nvidia H20, and the potential harm to the international coalition that has worked to restrict China's access to this technology. They also debate the statutory and constitutional legality of the deal, which appears to function as an export tax, a practice explicitly prohibited by the Constitution.Mentioned in this episode:The Financial Times article breaking the news about the Nvidia dealThe Trump Administration's AI Action PlanFind Scaling Laws on the Lawfare website, and subscribe to never miss an episode.To receive ad-free podcasts, become a Lawfare Material Supporter at www.patreon.com/lawfare. You can also support Lawfare by making a one-time donation at https://givebutter.com/lawfare-institute.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/lawfare. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Trump-Putin summit on Friday, followed by Monday's unprecedented White House meeting with Ukrainian President Zelensky and seven other European leaders, has left analysts wondering whether recent diplomacy will result in an end to hostilities—or if it's all just pageantry. Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Sergey Radchenko sit down with Ravi Agrawal to debrief these two high-level meetings. Kendall-Taylor is a former CIA analyst and a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security. Radchenko is a Johns Hopkins University professor and the author of To Run the World: The Kremlin's Cold War Bid for Global Power. Ravi Agrawal: Grading Trump's Ukraine Diplomacy Ivo H. Daalder: Russia and Ukraine Are as Far Apart as Ever Stephen M. Walt: Trump Has No Idea How to Do Diplomacy Rishi Iyengar: Key Takeaways From Trump's Meeting with Zelensky Keith Johnson: 7 Lingering Questions After the Trump Ukraine Summit Michael Hirsh: Trump's Putin Gambit Failed—but Maybe It Was Still Worth Trying Sergey Radchenko: Not Unprecedented but Unprincipled Christina Lu: ‘There's No Deal Until There's a Deal' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
When the war in Ukraine began back in February 2022, the remote-controlled unmanned aerial vehicle or drone as its commonly known, was peripheral to the conflict. But three years on, the drone in all its shapes and sizes has taken on a central role in this battle, in the air, on land and at sea, for surveillance, reconnaissance, combat and other purposes. Now drone technology is evolving even further into the area of autonomous weapons. But whilst the drone can offer greater strategic and operational flexibility and a possible reduction in the number of military casualties, there are concerns that the drone, particularly in Ukraine's case, has prolonged the war. Only last year the United Nations reported that 118 countries now had military drones, along with at least 65 non-state actors. And as an increasing number of countries have begun to manufacture and export their own array of military drones, many are concerned about how drone technology is presenting a big challenge in terms of defensive measures. So, on this week's Inquiry, we're asking ‘How are drones changing the landscape of modern warfare? Contributors: James Patton Rogers, Author and Executive Director, Brooks Tech Policy Institute, Cornell University, New York State, USA. Dr Oleksandra Molloy, Senior Lecturer in Aviation, University of New South Wales, Canberra, Australia Stacie Pettyjohn, Director of the Defence Programme, Centre for A New American Security, Washington DC. USA. Dr. Elke Schwarz, Professor of Political Theory, Queen Mary University, London, UKPresenter: Gary O'Donoghue Producer: Jill Collins Researcher: Maeve Schaffer Editor: Tara McDermott Technical Producer: Toby James Production Management Assistant: Liam Morrey
Janet Egan, Senior Fellow with the Technology and National Security Program at the Center for a New American Security; Jessica Brandt, Senior Fellow for Technology and National Security at the Council on Foreign Relations; Neil Chilson, Head of AI Policy at Abundance Institute; and Tim Fist, Director of Emerging Technology Policy at the Institute for Progress join Kevin Frazier, the AI Innovation and Law Fellow at the University of Texas School of Law and a Senior Editor at Lawfare for a special version of Scaling Laws.This episode was recorded just hours after the release of the AI Action Plan. About 180 days ago, President Trump directed his administration to explore ways to achieve AI dominance. His staff has attempted to do just that. This group of AI researchers dives into the plan's extensive recommendations and explore what may come next.Find Scaling Laws on the Lawfare website, and subscribe to never miss an episode.To receive ad-free podcasts, become a Lawfare Material Supporter at www.patreon.com/lawfare. You can also support Lawfare by making a one-time donation at https://givebutter.com/lawfare-institute.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/lawfare. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Does the United States need a new playbook — or just fewer plays? In this charged episode, big ideas collide over how to sequence American power across the Middle East, Europe, and the Indo-Pacific. Ryan is joined by A. Wess Mitchell (Marathon Initiative), Stacie Pettyjohn (Center for a New American Security), and Justin Logan (Cato Institute) for a scintillating debate over the future of U.S. strategy.