Security & Defense

Reading between the lines of Taiwan’s new Quadrennial Defense Review

MENASource Aug 25, 2024

After a failed attack, Hezbollah’s propaganda seeks to prevent a wider war with Israel

By David Daoud

Committed as Hezbollah is to saving its Gaza-based allies, the group does not currently want a full war with Israel.

Conflict Israel

New Atlanticist Aug 21, 2024

How quickly can Taiwan integrate US weapon systems? Speed is essential to help deter China.

By Adam Kozloski

To better prepare Taiwan to defend itself, the United States needs more transparency into Taipei’s weapons integration challenges.

Conflict Defense Policy

UkraineAlert Aug 21, 2024

Invasion? What invasion? Putin is downplaying Ukraine’s Kursk offensive

By Peter Dickinson

Vladimir Putin’s efforts to downplay Ukraine’s invasion of Russia have severely dented his strongman image and make a mockery of the West’s escalation fears, writes Peter Dickinson.

Conflict Defense Policy

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New Atlanticist

Mar 25, 2025

Reading between the lines of Taiwan’s new Quadrennial Defense Review

By Kitsch Liao

The recently released Quadrennial Defense Review offers a window into the Taiwanese military’s issues with prioritization, operational readiness, and manpower retention.

China East Asia

New Atlanticist

Mar 25, 2025

The US needs to build a new Caribbean policy. Rubio’s trip to the region can be the first step.

By Wazim Mowla

US engagement with the Caribbean should prioritize energy investments and efforts to reduce violent crime in the region.

Caribbean Economy & Business

New Atlanticist

Mar 25, 2025

Peace requires more than a handshake: Misreading Russia’s war aims will prolong Putin’s aggression

By Zak Schneider

Understanding Russian President Vladimir Putin’s ideological motivations for invading Ukraine is essential to negotiating a lasting peace.

Conflict Defense Policy

MENASource

Mar 25, 2025

After proxies and nuclear program threats, Iran may turn to terror abroad

By Alex Plitsas

Iran could turn to transnational terrorism as threats mount of Israeli strike on Tehran’s nuclear facilities, after a weakening of its numerous proxies since the Gaza war.

English Iran

TURKEYSource

Mar 25, 2025

How Germany’s incoming government will work with Turkey

By Hürcan Aslı Aksoy

A stronger German focus on national interests, security, and leading the EU may reshape Germany-Turkey relations to be more transactional in the years ahead.

Defense Policy Elections

MENASource

Mar 25, 2025

Dispatch from Bekaa: Inside the sectarian skirmishes on the Syria-Lebanon border

By Nicholas Blanford

Local Shia tribesmen have battled an assortment of Sunni jihadist militias and the new Syrian security forces dominated by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).

English Lebanon

Report

Mar 24, 2025

Why democracies stick together: The theory and empirics behind alliance formation

By Markus Jaeger

Democratic peace theory holds that democracies do not go to war with each other. The democratic alliance hypothesis suggests democracies prefer alliances with fellow democracies over nondemocratic powers. If both theories hold, US foreign policy should prioritize democratization, as prosperous, democratic nations are less likely to align with authoritarian states.

China Freedom and Prosperity

In the News

Mar 24, 2025

Rodriguez, Shanahan, and Sweatt cut into the stakes and opportunities of software-defined warfare on All Quiet on the Second Front podcast

By Atlantic Council

On March 24, Stephen Rodriguez, senior advisor at Forward Defense and director of FD's Commission on Software-Defined Warfare was a featured guest alongside Lt Gen Jack Shanahan on the podcast All Quiet on the Second Front, hosted by Tyler Sweatt.

Artificial Intelligence Defense Industry

Issue Brief

Mar 21, 2025

Clarity is power: The Trump administration needs a new US Navy Navigation Plan

By Bruce Stubbs

The US Navy’s current Navigation Plan (NAVPLAN) is an insufficient document. Bruce Stubbs writes that the Navy must embrace the red and identify course corrections and promote greater clarity, specificity, and transparency in its guidance.

Defense Policy Indo-Pacific

Issue Brief

Mar 21, 2025

China’s exploitation of overseas ports and bases

By Thomas X. Hammes

The control and administration of overseas ports and bases by China poses a serious risk to the United States in the event of a potential conflict. The Chinese People’s Liberation Army could exploit these ports and bases to challenge control of the sea.

China Defense Policy

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Security & Defense

After a failed attack, Hezbollah’s propaganda seeks to prevent a wider war with Israel

How quickly can Taiwan integrate US weapon systems? Speed is essential to help deter China.

Invasion? What invasion? Putin is downplaying Ukraine’s Kursk offensive

Programs

Content

Reading between the lines of Taiwan’s new Quadrennial Defense Review

The US needs to build a new Caribbean policy. Rubio’s trip to the region can be the first step.

Peace requires more than a handshake: Misreading Russia’s war aims will prolong Putin’s aggression

After proxies and nuclear program threats, Iran may turn to terror abroad

How Germany’s incoming government will work with Turkey

Dispatch from Bekaa: Inside the sectarian skirmishes on the Syria-Lebanon border

Why democracies stick together: The theory and empirics behind alliance formation

Rodriguez, Shanahan, and Sweatt cut into the stakes and opportunities of software-defined warfare on All Quiet on the Second Front podcast

Clarity is power: The Trump administration needs a new US Navy Navigation Plan

China’s exploitation of overseas ports and bases

Experts

William B. Taylor

Tobias Ellwood

Emily E. Kim

Alexandre Marques Pinho

Nic Adams

Shawn Creamer

Events

Strengthening US shipbuilding: Congress’s role in maritime revitalization

Underwater mayhem: Countering NATO energy & critical infrastructure threats

Belgium’s defense minister on Europe’s evolving security landscape

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