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Protecting ACE: Air Defense and Agile Combat Employment
No full textThe U.S. Air Force’s Agile Combat Employment (ACE) concept was created to counter anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) threats through dispersed, short-duration operations. While ACE enhances survivability and complicates adversary targeting, it lacks sufficient ground-based air defense against long-range missile and drone threats. This article identifies a critical gap in ACE\u27s protection strategy and proposes integrating Army maneuver short-range air defense (M-SHORAD) units, particularly from multidomain task forces (MDTFs), to provide mobile, layered air defense for ACE sites. This approach aligns with ACE’s need for flexibility and rapid mobility. Three potential solutions are explored: expanding Air Force air defense capabilities, improving joint training and doctrine, and leveraging Army M-SHORAD. The article recommends the latter, emphasizing that joint integration would strengthen ACE, improve survivability, and maintain operational momentum against peer threats. Successful implementation would require doctrinal updates, joint training, and alignment of deployment cycles
Assessing Anomalous Health Incidents Of “Havana Syndrome”: Potential Utility - And Issues - Of Using Modular Integrated Artificial Intelligence
No full textHavana Syndrome refers to a constellation of neuropsychiatric signs and symptoms that have been classified as anomalous health incidents (AHIs). First reported by personnel working at the US Embassy in Havana, Cuba, in 2016, presentation includes sudden-onset vertigo, feeling of pressure in the head, cognitive dysfunction, tinnitus, autonomic disturbances, and postural instability. It is now widely accepted that directed energy exposure is the most probable cause. The diagnostic process for Havana Syndrome AHIs remains complex and multifactorial, and herein we propose that the use of modular artificial intelligence approaches, particularly those leveraging machine learning and predictive analytics, can integrate multidimensional data from a standardized evaluative protocol employing neuroimaging, cognitive testing, auditory/vestibular assessments, and biomarker analyses to more accurately, effectively and efficiently identify patterns indicative of AHI.
We opine that such use of AI with standardized diagnostic protocols would mitigate variability across cases and institutions, and would ensure ethical integrity in patient care. However, we note that the integration of AI necessitates stringent biocybersecurity measures to protect sensitive patient data from potential breaches, and propose methods toward sustaining safety and integrity when employing these methods
Human, Machine, War: How the Mind-Tech Nexus Will Win Future Wars
No full textIn his review of Human, Machine, War, Frank Hoffman explores a timely and thought-provoking anthology that examines how the fusion of human cognition and advanced technologies will define success in future warfare. Edited by Nicholas Wright, Michael Miklaucic, and Todd Veazie, the book argues that winning tomorrow’s conflicts hinges not just on technological superiority, but on mastering the interplay between human factors and emerging capabilities like AI, neuroscience, and cognitive enhancement. Featuring insights from leading defense thinkers, including retired Lieutenant General Jack Shanahan and defense neuroscientist James Giordano, the volume delves into the ethical, operational, and strategic dimensions of this mind-tech nexus. With special attention to rival concepts from China and the evolving nature of cognitive warfare, the book challenges military leaders to rethink processes, embrace change, and avoid overreliance on either humans or machines alone
War in Ukraine: Conflict, Strategy, and the Return of a Fractured World; The War for Ukraine: Strategy and Adaptation Under Fire; A Call to Action: Lessons from Ukraine for the Future Force
No full textThis review examines three pivotal books—War in Ukraine, The War for Ukraine, and A Call to Action—that collectively offer a comprehensive analysis of Ukraine’s ongoing conflict and its broader military and strategic implications. Drawing parallels to the U.S. Army’s transformation post-Yom Kippur War, the review highlights Ukraine’s decentralized command model and adaptive warfare as crucial advantages over Russia’s rigid, artillery-centric doctrine. Contributions from military experts, including Lieutenant Colonel Jay Bradley and Colonel Jamon Junius, delve into Ukraine’s effective use of mission command and modernized targeting systems, despite technological limitations and residual Soviet influence. Each book serves a distinct purpose: Brands’s work focuses on U.S. national security strategy, Ryan’s on professional military education, and A Call to Action on tactical battlefield insights. Together, they provide timely and layered perspectives across operational levels, marking them as leading works on contemporary warfare in Ukraine
Joint Force Quarterly, Issue 118, 3rd Quarter 2025
No full textThis issue of Joint Force Quarterly addresses key strategic, operational, and doctrinal questions shaping the future of the joint force. Articles examine mobilization as a strategic imperative, PLA Air Force modernization, Southeast Asia’s geographic role in U.S. defense strategy, and leader development for strategic lethality. Contributions also explore AI’s role in detecting deepfakes, the civil-military relationship, and innovations in military logistics and cyber force design. A retrospective on the Joint Warfighting Concept and critical reviews of recent defense literature provide context and continuity. Collectively, these pieces offer insight into how the joint force must evolve to meet emerging challenges
Insect-Sized Microdrones: A Tiny Vector for Big Biothreats
No full textDr. James Giordano and Dr. Diane DiEuliis of INSS write this piece for National Defense Magazine. Recent demonstrations by China’s National University of Defense Technology showcased mosquito-sized robotic micro-unmanned aerial vehicles (micro-UAVs) capable of stealthy reconnaissance and potentially delivering highly potent biological or chemical agents. Advances in microelectronics, biomicroelectromechanical systems, and biotechnology have enabled these insectoid drones to carry aerosolized, contact-based, or environmental payloads with precision and plausible deniability. Such capabilities challenge traditional biosecurity, defense, and attribution frameworks, as minimal-volume, targeted delivery can evade detection and conventional mitigation measures. This commentary examines operational advantages, including stealth, guided navigation, and deniable deployment, and explores the risks posed to high-value targets, critical infrastructure, and enclosed environments such as SCIFs. It further outlines defensive and deterrent strategies, including enhanced detection systems, fortified facilities, rapid medical countermeasures, attribution protocols, regulatory oversight, and multilateral agreements. Insect-sized micro-UAVs represent a new class of biosecurity threat that demands rethinking readiness, mitigation, and international norms for the safe and responsible governance of emerging dual-use technologies
Can Seoul Take the Lead & The Alliance Expand Its Aperture?
No full textThis article by Dr. Clint Work examines the fifty-seventh U.S.-South Korea Security Consultative Meeting (SCM), emphasizing wartime operational control (OPCON) transition and alliance evolution. The communiqué reiterates South Korea’s role in leading the defense of the Korean Peninsula, while language on expedited capability development aligns with the Lee administration’s defense priorities and U.S. calls for allies to assume greater military responsibilities. The piece analyzes the Conditions-based OPCON Transition Plan (COTP), challenges in capability acquisition, and potential alliance friction, while highlighting the alliance’s broader regional posture to deter threats from North Korea, Russia, and China. The article situates these developments within historical trends to assess whether strategic statements can translate into operational readiness
Strategic Ambiguity: Erdoğan’s Turkey in a Multipolar World
No full textThis analysis by Dr. Jeffrey Mankoff, in the INSS Center for Strategy and Military Power, examines Turkey’s foreign policy under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as it navigates a shifting global landscape marked by multipolarity. The authors explore how Turkey leverages strategic ambiguity, balancing its NATO membership and ties with the West while deepening engagement with Russia, China, and other actors, to pursue greater autonomy and regional influence. The article highlights Ankara’s use of diplomatic leverage in NATO decisions, its expansive foreign engagements from the Middle East to Africa, and pragmatic relations with rival powers. It also discusses domestic political dynamics and how Turkey’s dual orientation complicates its alliances and ambitions in a world where power is increasingly dispersed
Developing Alternative Manning Strategies to Maintain the Combat Effectiveness of the Joint Force
No full textThe U.S. military is confronting a recruitment crisis stemming from a declining pool of eligible and willing recruits, largely due to deteriorating physical and mental fitness across the population and waning societal confidence in the military. This article explores strategic alternatives to address the shortfall in military manpower. It evaluates three core approaches: enhancing the fitness and mental health of potential recruits, adapting recruitment standards to align with current population capabilities, and restructuring to a smaller but technologically augmented force. The authors argue that while improving population fitness is costly and yields uncertain long-term results, and adapting standards risks reduced operational capability, a downsized, high-tech force offers a viable and efficient solution. This approach prioritizes quality over quantity, supports cost savings, and sustains military readiness through technological innovation and strategic use of reserve forces
Movement and Maneuver at Leyte, October 1944
No full textThis article examines the enduring principles of warfare—particularly movement and maneuver—through a detailed analysis of Operation King II, the U.S. amphibious assault on Leyte in October 1944, which marked the beginning of the Philippines\u27 liberation during World War II. The study situates the operation within the broader context of global war, emphasizing the evolution of U.S. and Japanese strategies in the Pacific theater. It highlights how coordinated, multidomain operations—across land, sea, and air—enabled U.S. forces to seize key terrain and deliver a decisive blow to the Imperial Japanese Navy at the Battle of Leyte Gulf. Despite challenges stemming from divided command structures, the operation demonstrated the effectiveness of integrated planning, timely intelligence, and agile joint force execution. Key takeaways emphasize the necessity of unity of command, cross-domain synchronization, and rapid, adaptive decision-making in modern warfare. By revisiting this historical case, the article calls to attention the relevance of these timeless operational tenets for today’s joint force facing multidomain challenges