Avoiding Self-Deterrence in the Context of Nuclear Ambiguity

April 2025 No Comments

Volume V in the SMA Perspectives Series “Emergent Issues for U.S. National Security” Editors: Dr. Lawrence Kuznar (NSI, Inc.), Dr. Belinda Bragg (NSI, Inc.), Dr. Hriar “Doc” Cabayan (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory), Nathan Heath (NSI, Inc) Publication Preview The context of this Report has to do with Russia’s use of nuclear ambiguity and implied nuclear […]

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Assessing Deterrence: Understanding Adversary Behaviour and Their Perception of our Behaviour

April 2025 No Comments

Speaker: Ambassador Catherine Royle (NATO, Joint Force Command Brunssum) Date: 8 April 2025 Speaker Session Summary SMA hosted a speaker session with Ambassador Catherine Royle (NATO, Joint Force Command Brunssum) and Stuart Smith (NATO, Joint Force Command Brunssum) as part of its SMA SDF Speaker Series. For Western allies to properly deter unwanted Russian actions, […]

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Globally Critical Infrastructure: The Unique Risks and Challenges

March 2025 No Comments

Speaker: Zak Kallenborn (PhD candidate, War Studies at King’s College London) Date: 1 April 2025 Speaker Session Summary Certain infrastructures are not only important to individual nations but also entire regions and the global system. Globally critical infrastructure (GCI) can be located within, across, and outside state borders. Specific examples of GCI include the Panama […]

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The Use of Non-State Actors as Proxies in Irregular Warfare and Malign State Influence

March 2025 No Comments

Speaker: Dr. Sam Mullins (Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies) Date: 27 March 2025 Speaker Session Summary SMA hosted a speaker session with Dr. Sam Mullins (Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies) as part of its SMA General Speaker Series. State governments employ non-state actors (NSAs) to conduct irregular warfare (IW) […]

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Gladiators of the Sky: The Evolution of sUAS (Drones) – TTPs, Education/Training, and Establishing Drones in the Planning Process

March 2025 No Comments

Speaker: COL (Ret) Bill Edwards (Phoenix 6 Consulting LLC) Speaker Session Summary SMA hosted a speaker session with COL(R) Bill Edwards (Phoenix 6 Consulting, LLC) as part of its SMA General Speaker Series. The proliferation of small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS), commonly referred to as drones, in modern combat is accelerating the evolution of techniques, […]

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A New Axis of Upheaval?  North Korea, Russia, and China—and Why We Should Care

March 2025 No Comments

Speaker: Dr. Edward Howell (University of Oxford, Chatham House, Pharos Foundation) Date: 12 March 2025 Speaker Session Summary Forthcoming! Speaker Session Recording Briefing Materials Biography: Dr. Edward Howell is a Lecturer in International Relations at the University of Oxford, the Korea Foundation Fellow at the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House), London, and a […]

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Answering Authoritarian State Challenges: Tools for Deterring Russia and China

February 2025 No Comments

Speaker: Dr. Scott Fisher (New Jersey City University) Date: 6 March 2025 Speaker Session Summary SMA hosted a speaker session with Dr. Scott Fisher (New Jersey City University) as part of its SMA General Speaker Series.  Information serves as a valuable yet often underutilized tool for deterring China, Russia, and other US adversaries. Dr. Fisher […]

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Nuclear Deterrence in a Two-peer World: Implications for Europe

February 2025 No Comments

Speaker: Dr. Max Hoell (Center for Global Security Research at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory) Date: 27 February 2025 Speaker Session Summary Forthcoming! Speaker Session Recording Also forthcoming! Briefing Materials Also forthcoming! Biography:  Dr. Max Hoell is a postdoctoral research fellow at the Center for Global Security Research at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. His research includes […]

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Ecological Security: Military or Civil Duty?

February 2025 No Comments

Speakers: Thammy Evans (Atlantic Council’s GeoTech Center) & Gary Lewis (Author, Former UN Resident Coordinator) Date: 12 February 2025 Speaker Session Summary SMA hosted a speaker session with Thammy Evans (Atlantic Council’s GeoTech Center) & Gary Lewis (Author, Former UN Resident Coordinator) as part of its SMA AFOE Phase III Climate Effects Speaker Series. Ecological […]

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Incorporating EMS Contestation in Strategic-Level Wargames

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Speaker: Dr. Ross Buchanan (Center for Global Security Research at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory) Date: 11 February 2025 Speaker Session Summary SMA hosted a speaker session with Dr. Ross Buchanan (Center for Global Security Research at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory) as part of its SMA General Speaker Series. Electromagnetic spectrum (EMS) contestation occurs when two […]

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