Ukrainian Resistance to Russian Disinformation: Lessons for Future Conflict
Speaker: Todd Helmus and Khrystyna Holynska (RAND) Date: 19 September 2024 Speaker Session Summary A key element of Ukrainian resistance to the Russian invasion has been its ability to counter Russian disinformation. In their recent report for RAND, Dr. Helmus and Dr. Holynska discuss Ukraine’s approach to combating disinformation and the lessons that the United […]
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Future Scenarios for Sino-Russian Military Cooperation Possibilities, Limitations, and Consequences
Speakers: Mark Cozad, Cooper Cortez III, and David Woodworth (RAND) Date: 12 September 2024 Speaker Session Summary The level of integration and cooperation between China and Russia in the event of a significant military conflict is often speculated upon, particularly given the rising political tensions in the Korean Peninsula and the South China Sea. A […]
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How Innovative is China in Nuclear Power?
Speaker: Mr. Stephen Ezell (ITIF) Date: 10 September 2024 Speaker Session Summary Analysts have long debated China’s capacity to innovate within its industry and economy. Mr. Ezell presented compelling evidence that China is not only more innovative than most analysts predict, but that its nuclear industry is particularly advanced. According to Ezell, China is likely […]
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The Defender’s Dilemma: Why countering grayzone aggression is so difficult (and what options Western governments do have)
Speaker: Elisabeth Braw (Atlantic Council) Date: 5 September 2024 Speaker Session Summary: Western governments, including the United States, face significant challenges in identifying gray zone aggression. This form of aggression is often difficult to detect before the attack is fully underway, as it can originate from any source at any time. A key characteristic of […]
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Statelet of Survivors: The Making of a Semi-Autonomous Region in Northeast Syria: US Options in the New Phase of the Syrian Conflict
Speaker: Dr. Amy Austin Holmes (George Washington University) Date: 28 August 2024 Speaker Session Summary The political overtures made by Turkish President Erdogan to normalize relations with the Assad regime are reshaping the dynamics of the Syrian civil war. These overtures have more closely aligned Turkish, Russian, and Iranian interests in the region. As evidence, […]
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Climate Change as an Indirect Contributor to Terrorism
Speaker: Madeline Romm (National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START), University of Maryland) Date: 21 August 2024 Speaker Session Summary Climate change is now widely recognized as a significant national security threat multiplier that exacerbates existing state and regional vulnerabilities, increasing the likelihood of conflict. Environmental stress intensifies human, economic, […]
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Irregular Warfare in Strategic Competition and Gray Zones: Prosecuting Authoritarian Subversion and Exploitative Use of Corruption and Criminality to Weaken Democracy
Speakers: David Luna (Luna Global Networks & Convergence Strategies, LLC) Date: 22 August 2024 (Time TBD) Speaker Session Summary US adversaries, including China, Russia, and Iran, aim to diminish Western influence while expanding their own in many countries. They employ various strategies, such as leveraging proxies, transnational organized crime and kleptocrats, which can undermine democracies […]
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Public Support for Self-Defence in Taiwan: The Current State of Research
Speakers: Dr. Charles K.S. Wu, Fang-Yu Chen, and Yao-Yuan Yeh (University of Southern Alabama) Date: 14 August 2024 Speaker Session Summary Chinese President Xi Jinping has indicated that an invasion of Taiwan by 2027 is a distinct possibility, if not imminent. The concern of a Chinese invasion from the international community intensified following the Russian […]
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Russia’s Cyber Power Base: From Cybercriminals to Private Contractors
Speaker: Justin Sherman (Global Cyber Strategies) Date: 7 August 2024 Speaker Session Summary Justin Sherman spoke to the SMA audience about Russia’s cyber power base—not just the state and intelligence actors, but also the private contractors and private sector companies that play an important role in Russia’s cyber power. To begin, Mr. Sherman emphasized that […]
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Integrated Deterrence Reachback Study
Author: Dr. Sabrina Polansky (NSI, Inc.) This publication was released as part of the SMA project “21st Century Strategic Deterrence Frameworks.” (SDF) For more information regarding this project, please click here. Publication Preview: This work was situated within the broader Strategic Multilayer Assessment Strategic Deterrence Frameworks (SDF) study, which incorporated four lines of effort (LOEs) […]
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