The Trajectory of U.S./North Korean Nuclear War: Insights from Kim Jong Un’s Rhetoric. Author | Editor: Kuznar, L. (NSI, Inc.). Executive Summary Hours after the Washington Post broke the story that North Korea may have miniaturized a nuclear warhead, enabling its ICBM to deliver a nuclear blow to U.S. soil, President Trump announced that if […]
Continue ReadingFrom Control to Influence: Cognition in the Grey Zone. Author | Editor: Wright, N. (Institute for Conflict, Cooperation and Security, University of Birmingham, UK). Executive Summary Understanding and influencing adversary decision-making in Grey Zones requires anticipating key audiences’ perceptions and decision-making. We apply the neuroscience and psychology of human decision-making to help U.S. policymakers produce […]
Continue ReadingGray Zone Conflicts, Challenges, and Opportunities – Executive Summaries of Team Reports. Author | Editor: Bragg, B. (NSI, Inc.). Table of Contents SPECIFYING & SYSTEMATIZING HOW WE THINK ABOUT THE GRAY ZON RISK AND AMBIGUITY IN THE GRAY ZONE GEOPOLITICAL VISIONS IN CHINESE MEDIA EXAMINATIONS OF SAUDI-IRANIAN GRAY ZONE COMPETITION IN MENA, AND OF POTENTIAL […]
Continue ReadingIntegration Report: Gray Zone Conflicts, Challenges, and Opportunities. Author | Editor: Bragg, B. (NSI, Inc.). Executive Summary United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) requested a Strategic Multilayer Assessment effort “to determine how the USG can identify, diagnose, and assess indirect strategies, and develop response options against associated types of gray zone conflicts.” This integration report […]
Continue ReadingGray Zone Challenge: Intent And Military Response. Author | Editor: Elder, R. (USAF, ret) & Levis, A. (George Mason University). Abstract Mapping political, security, societal and economic trends to the decision calculus of key regional and (as applicable) non-state actors has been used to gain insights into the behaviors of actors conducting multi- instrument operations […]
Continue ReadingMedia Visions Of The Gray Zone: Contrasting Geopolitical Narratives In Russian And Chinese Media. Author | Editor: Hinck, R., Kluver, R. (Texas A&M University) & Cooley, S. (Mississippi State University). Executive Summary The purpose of this effort was to contribute to the Strategic Multilayer Analysis by examining media messaging strategies in Russian and Chinese language […]
Continue ReadingQuantifying Gray Zone Conflict: (De-)escalatory Trends in Gray Zone Conflicts in Colombia, Libya and Ukraine. Author | Editor: Koven, B., Piplani, V., Sin, S. & Boyd, M. (START). Executive Summary This report employs frequentist statistical analysis in order to model the effects of various factors, including the type of actors (state, violent non-state actor (VNSA) […]
Continue ReadingUS-DiGIA: Overview and Methodology of US Discoverable Government Information Assets Directory. Author | Editor: Polansky (Pagano), S. (NSI, Inc.). Executive Summary The United States Government possesses a vast store of information assets that can be leveraged to inform a variety of problem sets, and can be used by a wide range of governmental actors in […]
Continue ReadingUS-DiGIA: Mapping the USG Discoverable Information Terrain. Author | Editor: Bragg, B., Polansky (Pagano), S., & Stevenson, J. (NSI, Inc.). Executive Summary The United States currently faces a complex and dynamic security environment. States are no longer the only critical actors in the international arena; rather, a diverse range of non-state entities also has the […]
Continue ReadingViolating Normal: How International Norms Transgressions Magnify Gray Zone Challenges. Author | Editor: Stevenson, J., Bragg, B., & Polansky (Pagano), S. (NSI, Inc.) Overview The current international system presents multiple potential challenges to US interests. In recent years, state actors, especially but not limited to Russia and China, have taken actions that disrupt regional stability […]
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