Faculty Publications

Aside from the sinking of the Russian cruiser Moskva early in the conflict, no aspect of the naval dimensions of the Russia-Ukraine war has seized the attention of defense analysts more than the events of October 29 near Sevastopol.

The U.S.-Japan Alliance has entered a new era. The old days in which the alliance was based on a hierarchy are clearly over. Japan is emerging as an equal partner.

The lessons of the Cuban Missile Crisis remain relevant today when nuclear powers struggle in crisis and do their best to avoid escalating to conflict. A review of the confrontation between the navies of the Soviet Union and the United States during the crisis may inform the Western powers supporting Ukraine in its current defense against Russia.

Nikkei Asia recently interviewed retired marine general and assistant secretary of defense Wallace “Chip” Gregson on the subject of how Japan can best contribute during a cross-strait war between China and Taiwan. Chip held forth about the need for the Japan Self-Defense Forces to fight jointly, to buttress their ability to move among Japan’s nearly 7,000 islands to repel invaders, and to acquire counterstrike arms.

It wasn’t that long ago that suggesting that China is enamored of Alfred Thayer Mahan’s ideas about sea power was a laugh line. Nowadays it’s common sense. Nor is this some radical notion. Ideas about politics and strategy matter—and they can be imported from other ages, countries, or civilizations.

Professor Sean Henseler, from the College of Maritime Operational Warfare at the US Naval War College, joins the podcast to discuss what operational law is (and isn't), the role of the legal advisor in military planning, and how commanders can make use of the law to enhance the effectiveness of their operations.

In Ukraine, the new year has brought no respite from Russia's war and little hope of peace. Air raid sirens blared and explosions boomed under a barrage of exploding drones. In turn, Ukraine confirmed it carried out a weekend attack that killed scores of Russian troops. Nikolas Gvosdev, professor of national security at the U.S. Naval War College, joined Amna Nawaz to discuss the state of the war.

I’ve heard a lot of people saying recently, ‘Quantity has a quality all its own.’ And I just want to be clear: No, it doesn’t. That’s one of the dumbest damn things I’ve ever heard.” With respect to the quoted speaker, not only does quantity have a quality all its own, but it also almost always proves decisive in naval warfare when professional competence is equal.

The 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine is a pivotal moment in strategic competition between the U.S. and Russia and their respective allies and partners. A defining element of this conflict is defending the rules-based order and the European security architecture anchored along transatlantic ties.

Earlier this month, the Japanese government published its latest National Security Strategy and National Defense Strategy documents, outlining how Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his advisers see Japan’s strategic surroundings and intend to manage them. The directives sound a stark and blunt note.

The Modern War Institute at West Point hosted Dr. Pauline Shanks Kaurin, the Admiral James B. Stockdale Chair in Professional Military Ethics at the US Naval War College, who addressed cadets on civil-military relationships and placed their future roles as junior officers into that context.

Russia is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. That being the case, it’s hard to say with confidence whether Ukrainian drone strikes deep within Russian territory might induce Vladimir Putin to order a nuclear riposte.

But why show it at all? If revealing secret information is such a concern, it would seem best to keep the B-21 indoors, out of sight of nosey foreign intelligence services. The answer is that the U.S. Air Force was engaging in what defense scholars call “selective disclosure.”

Naunihal Singh speaks to podcast Democracy Paradox about his recent article in the Journal of Democracy explaining why the recent spate of coups does not indicate coup contagion and what the long term prospect for future coups in the world is.