Featured Reports
Munitions Procurement and the Fiscal Year 2027 Defense Budget
Carlton Haelig | October 07, 2026
Behind the Front Line
Josh Wallin, Carlton Haelig | September 30, 2026
The AGI Moment
Paul Scharre | September 21, 2026
Redrawing the Map
Katherine L. Kuzminski | September 15, 2026
Reports
Munitions Procurement and the Fiscal Year 2027 Defense Budget
Executive Summary The war with Iran has taken a tremendous toll on the American military’s munitions stockpile. Over half its inventory of high-end missile interceptors has be...
Reports
Behind the Front Line
This report considers the near-term opportunities that exist for integrating agentic artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities across the Department of War. While integration ...
Reports
The AGI Moment
Introduction The age of AI is upon us. What that means is not yet clear. As general-purpose AI capabilities continue to march toward human-level performance across a range of ...
Reports
Redrawing the Map
Executive Summary The United States is home to 17.3 million veterans in 2026—a population that has declined from 21.0 million in 2015, as older, conscription-era veterans have...
CNAS INSIGHTS
CNAS Insights brings timely analysis and expert commentary to the most pressing topics in national security.
CNAS Insights
CNAS Insights | National Security Agenda in the New Congress: A 10-Item To-Do List
When Democratic majorities sweep into Congress in January, Washington will return to divided government. The prospect of stalemate will be real, with Democrats prone to opposi...
CNAS Insights
CNAS Insights | A Closing Door on Open Weights? Implications for AI Sovereignty
Earlier this month, Beijing announced draft export controls that signaled a potential shift in its longtime embrace of open-weight models. Foreign capitals and corporations sh...
CNAS Insights
CNAS Insights | U.S.-China AI Agreements Need Verification, Not Trust
The upcoming Trump-Xi summit is likely to disappoint the leaders of top AI labs that have recently called for urgent, coordinated pacing of frontier AI progress. While agreeme...
Press
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In The News
Middle East Security / Technology & National Security
Crypto Industry Braces for Reckoning Over Trump Ties“There’s a high probability of non-compliance from the executive branch,” said Zerden, who previously worked across the US government covering anti-corruption, financial enfor...
By Alex Zerden
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With Major Sanctions Lifted, What Are Syria’s Development Prospects?
In The News
“Does an ‘America First’ administration — that is very skeptical of foreign assistance — want to actually put up capital to invest in Syria?” Zerden questioned. “That would si...
By Alex Zerden
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In The News
Indo-Pacific Security / Transatlantic Security
After Midterms, Europe Looks Beyond TrumpRichard Fontaine, CEO of the Center for a New American Security, said allies like the United Kingdom and South Korea may also be less inclined to honor billion-dollar trade ag...
By Richard Fontaine
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The Little-Known Chinese Bank in the Middle of Iranian and Russian Money Flows
In The News
“There is no policy appetite to sanction these banks, which would be perceived as an escalation by China,” said Alex Zerden, a former Treasury official during Trump’s first te...
By Alex Zerden
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Reigniting War With Iran Would Be a ‘Huge Gamble’
In The News
“In the short term, the U.S. is likely quite ready to carry out the planned operations,” said Stacie Pettyjohn, a senior fellow and director of the defense program at the Cent...
By Stacie Pettyjohn
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Defense / Indo-Pacific Security / Transatlantic Security / Middle East Security / Energy, Economics & Security
CNAS Insights | National Security Agenda in the New Congress: A 10-Item To-Do ListWhen Democratic majorities sweep into Congress in January, Washington will return to divided government. The prospect of stalemate will be real, with Democrats prone to opposi...
By Richard Fontaine
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Reigniting War With Iran Would Be a ‘Huge Gamble’
By Stacie Pettyjohn
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The U.S. Once Dominated the World’s Oceans. China’s Xi is Changing That.
By Tom Shugart
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Defense / Indo-Pacific Security / Transatlantic Security / Middle East Security / Energy, Economics & Security
CNAS Insights | National Security Agenda in the New Congress: A 10-Item To-Do ListWhen Democratic majorities sweep into Congress in January, Washington will return to divided government. The prospect of stalemate will be real, with Democrats prone to opposi...
By Richard Fontaine
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Indo-Pacific Security / Transatlantic Security
After Midterms, Europe Looks Beyond TrumpBy Richard Fontaine
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China’s Cable-Cutting Threat Reaches Taiwan and the Philippines
By Ryan Claffey
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National Security Human Capital
Controversial, but Still in Command: Why Pete Hegseth’s Tenure Is Being Tested“It doesn’t matter if Iran’s failing, Hegseth will come up with something new and ludicrous to say that is framed as scoring points against the libs,” says retired Lt. Col. Ja...
By Dr. Jason Dempsey
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National Security Human Capital
Are Yearlong Deployments the Navy’s New Normal?By Katherine L. Kuzminski
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National Security Human Capital
Myths of Battlefield Triumph Are Destroying the U.S. MilitaryBy Dr. Jason Dempsey
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Defense / Indo-Pacific Security / Transatlantic Security / Middle East Security / Energy, Economics & Security
CNAS Insights | National Security Agenda in the New Congress: A 10-Item To-Do ListWhen Democratic majorities sweep into Congress in January, Washington will return to divided government. The prospect of stalemate will be real, with Democrats prone to opposi...
By Richard Fontaine
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A Blue Wave in America: The Midterms and Foreign Policy
By Andrea Kendall-Taylor & Jim Townsend
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Indo-Pacific Security / Transatlantic Security
After Midterms, Europe Looks Beyond TrumpBy Richard Fontaine
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Middle East Security / Technology & National Security
Crypto Industry Braces for Reckoning Over Trump Ties“There’s a high probability of non-compliance from the executive branch,” said Zerden, who previously worked across the US government covering anti-corruption, financial enfor...
By Alex Zerden
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Defense / Indo-Pacific Security / Transatlantic Security / Middle East Security / Energy, Economics & Security
CNAS Insights | National Security Agenda in the New Congress: A 10-Item To-Do ListBy Richard Fontaine
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With Major Sanctions Lifted, What Are Syria’s Development Prospects?
By Alex Zerden
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Defense / Indo-Pacific Security / Transatlantic Security / Middle East Security / Energy, Economics & Security
CNAS Insights | National Security Agenda in the New Congress: A 10-Item To-Do ListWhen Democratic majorities sweep into Congress in January, Washington will return to divided government. The prospect of stalemate will be real, with Democrats prone to opposi...
By Richard Fontaine
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What Would a Democrat Midterm Win Mean for U.S. Foreign Policy?
By Liza Tobin
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Getting U.S. Trade Deals To Spur Economic Security Co-Operation
By Geoffrey Gertz
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Middle East Security / Technology & National Security
Crypto Industry Braces for Reckoning Over Trump Ties“There’s a high probability of non-compliance from the executive branch,” said Zerden, who previously worked across the US government covering anti-corruption, financial enfor...
By Alex Zerden
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Technology & National Security
Sovereign AgentsBy Ben Hayum
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Technology & National Security
Mitigating the Risks of AI Integration Into Nuclear Weapons OperationsBy Lt. Gen. Jack Shanahan
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U.S. Strikes Iranian Oil Tankers in Response to Tehran’s Attacks on Navy Ships
While civilian ships aren’t typically lawful targets, they lose their protected status if they contribute to an adversary’s military action and if destroying them offers a def...
By Mark Nevitt
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Shutdown Reform’s Constitutional Blind Spot: The Two-Year Clause
By Mark Nevitt
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Women’s Share of Top Military Promotions Falls as Hegseth Blocks Nominees
By Mark Nevitt
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U.S. Strikes Iranian Oil Tankers in Response to Tehran’s Attacks on Navy Ships
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CNAS Insights | New Rules for U.S. Foreign Aid
Join us for the CNAS 2026 National Security Conference: New Rules, on Thursday, June 11!...
By Gibbs Sheehan
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Transatlantic Security / Global Swing States
Beyond the SahelBy Kate Johnston, Valeria Allende & Isabel Dlabach
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CNAS Insights | Why the “Swing States” Approach Is Right for Africa
By Gibbs Sheehan
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CNAS Insights | New Rules for U.S. Foreign Aid
