Our rapidly changing world has profound implications for the future of warfare. Changes in national objectives, operational doctrines, and military technologies are shaping the character of war in ways that challenge existing approaches to leveraging military power. These developments create potential threats, but also opportunities if the U.S. military can rapidly adapt to this shifting reality. To explore this issue, the CNAS Defense Program is pursuing multiple lines of effort:
Drone Wars
Recent conflicts, such as Nagorno-Karabakh, Libya, and Ukraine, have demonstrated how drones are shifting the way war is fought. This project examines global proliferation of military drones and their employment in modern conflicts to identify implications for future warfare in the Indo-Pacific.
Protracted War
Future high-intensity conflicts are more likely to extend for months or years than to rapidly conclude in a matter of weeks, as shown by Russian experiences in Ukraine. This research area explores the strategic and operational trends related to protracted conflict, focusing on the conventional and nuclear dimensions of a potential war between the United States and the People’s Republic of China.
AI Assurance
Artificial Intelligence (AI) presents new opportunities and offers strategic and tactical advantages across a range of domains and applications, from intelligence and business systems to maneuver and fires. This line of effort explores the procedural, institutional, and operational changes needed within the Department of Defense and across the defense ecosystem to leverage this technology in a safe and agile way.
Research Team:
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Stacie Pettyjohn
Senior Fellow and Director, Defense Program
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Becca Wasser
Senior Fellow and Deputy Director, Defense Program
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Carlton Haelig
Fellow, Defense Program
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Josh Wallin
Fellow, Defense Program
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Philip Sheers
Research Assistant, Defense Program
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Molly Campbell
Research Assistant, Defense Program
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Jupiter Huang
Intern, Defense Program
Highlights
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Bad Blood: The TTX for the House Select Committee on Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)
Congressional Testimony
I. Introduction Chairman Gallagher, Ranking Member Krishnamoorthi, distinguished members of the committee and staff, thank you for inviting me to come today to talk about the ...
By Stacie Pettyjohn, Becca Wasser & Andrew Metrick
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Swarms over the Strait
Reports
The United States is betting that it can out-innovate China and use drones to defeat a People’s Liberation Army (PLA) invasion of Taiwan. Here, the United States should view U...
By Stacie Pettyjohn, Hannah Dennis & Molly Campbell
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Drone Proliferation Dataset
Reports
The Center for a New American Security (CNAS) Drone Proliferation Dataset tracks global transfers of military-grade aerial drones, regardless of size and capability, between 1...
By Molly Campbell
