List of Upcoming SMA Speaker Sessions
(Updated 12 September 2024) For general speaker series inquiries and information on how to join an event, please contact Mariah Yager (mariah.c.yager.ctr@mail.mil). *TO BE RESCHEDULED* Thursday 19 September 1300 EDT Wednesday 25 September 1100 EDT Thursday 3 October 1000 EDT Wednesday 9 October 1000 EDT Tuesday 15 October 2024 1000 EDT
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Evaluating China’s Road to Cyber Super Power
Author: Williams, B. (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory) Questions of Focus [Q5] How do US escalation management capabilities compare with those of our nuclear-armed competitors? How do relative non-kinetic capabilities (e.g., cyber exploits on infrastructure and information, communication of thresholds and redlines, integrated whole-of-government strategic messaging) contribute to these capabilities? [Q7] What will be the key […]
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Challenges to 21st Century Deterrence (Part III)
Speaker(s): Astorino-Courtois, A. (NSI); Bragg, B. (NSI) Date: 7 January 2022 Speaker Session Summary SMA hosted a panel discussion with Dr. Allison Astorino-Courtois (NSI) and Dr. Belinda Bragg (NSI) as part of its SMA STRATCOM Speaker Series. As US adversaries reach nuclear parity—or near nuclear parity—with the US, multi-actor deterrence is becoming more prevalent in global […]
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AI Will Change War
Speaker(s): Allen, J. (USMC, Ret.); Husain, A. (Founder & CEO, SparkCognition) Date: 16 December 2021 Speaker Session Summary SMA hosted a speaker session with General John R. Allen, USMC (Ret) and Mr. Amir Husain (Founder & CEO, SparkCognition) as part of its SMA INSS/PRISM Speaker Series. The potential for blending the character of war (the types […]
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Renewal: From Crisis to Transformation in Our Lives, Work, and Politics
Speaker(s): Slaughter, A. (New America) Date: 14 December 2021 Speaker Session Summary SMA hosted a speaker session with Dr. Anne-Marie Slaughter (CEO, New America) as part of its SMA General Speaker Series. Dr. Slaughter commented that a country that truly allows its citizens to take risks and be entrepreneurial should also provide enough support for them […]
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The Shape of the Future Operating Environment: How Our Adversaries Have Learned to Stop Worrying and Ignore the Bomb
Author: Bragg, B. (NSI) Video Preview In July of this year, at the request of USSTRATCOM, SMA initiated an effort to address eight questions regarding the implications of the increasing numbers, and expanding capabilities, of US nuclear adversaries. This report addresses two of those questions: [Q2] What are US competitors (Russia, China, Iran, DPRK) doing […]
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SMA 21st Century Strategic Challenges
Author: Astorino-Courtois, A. (NSI) Question of Focus [Q1] Does deterrence theory change if the US faces two nuclear-armed, near-peer competitors? If so, how? What are the impacts to strategy? If not, what impacts to strategy still exist in that scenario? What are the implications for US strategic defense, escalation control options, and the deterrent value […]
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Information Warfare and the New Threat Environment
Speaker(s): Braw, E. (American Enterprise Institute (AEI)); Farwell, J. (The Farwell Group); Paul, C. (RAND) Date: 8 December 2021 Speaker Session Summary SMA hosted a panel discussion with Dr. Christopher Paul (RAND), Mr. James P. Farwell (The Farwell Group), and Ms. Elisabeth Braw (American Enterprise Institute (AEI)) as part of its SMA INSS/PRISM Speaker Series. Information warfare […]
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Guide to Analytic Techniques for Nuclear Strategy Analysis
Authors | Editors: Bragg. B (NSI, Inc.); Popp, G. (NSI, Inc.); Astorino-Courtois, A. (NSI, Inc.) Question of Focus [Q8] What are key analytic approaches that USSTRATCOM planners might use to assess competitors’ behaviors, intentions, and capabilities holistically, including common and divergent national interests? Which are most appropriate for identifying the interrelationships among US and competitor […]
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China’s Historical Plutonium Production
Authors | Editors: Swegle, J. (National Strategic Research Institute); Yeaw, C. (National Strategic Research Institute) Publication Preview In this paper, we reevaluate China’s production of weapons-grade plutonium (WGPu) in order to estimate the maximum number of nuclear weapons using WGPu that China could build.† This WGPu was produced in the 801 Reactor at the 404 […]
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