National Security

Humiliation and Transformation: The Islamic Republic After the 12-Day War

  The 12-Day War between Iran and Israel in June 2025 exposed critical weaknesses in the Islamic Republic’s military, strategic, and ideological frameworks, marking a turning point for the regime. The Iranian government’s failure to achieve its political and...

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Shallow Ramparts: Air and Missile Defenses in the June 2025 Israel-Iran War

  Introduction There are two remarkable stories about defenses during the war between Israel and Iran in June 2025. One is the failure of Iran’s much-discussed air defense system; the other, the success of the Israeli missile defense system....

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American Missiles and Russian Dachas: Tomahawk and the Future of Stability and Deterrence in Europe

The Tomahawk cruise missile is a near perfect machine. Its development followed advances in guidance and turbofan engine technology in the 1970s. It has been tested for decades. And it has been upgraded and augmented for the same amount...

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America Looks to Finland to Save Its Icebreaker Fleet

The United States is facing a mounting national security risk to its north. The Arctic is fast becoming a new stage for geopolitical competition and America is underprepared. While Russia commands a fleet of over 40 polar icebreakers and...

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The Domestic Response to Operation “Rising Lion”

 Introduction Operation Rising Lion, Israel’s military campaign against Iran, commenced on June 13, 2025, the 615th day of the ongoing Swords of Iron war against Hamas. The launch was immediately felt on the Israeli home front: Air raid sirens...

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AUKUS Still Has a Virginia Problem

In a move that has likely led to sighs of relief in London and Canberra, the Trump administration has reportedly reaffirmed its commitment to the AUKUS submarine pact, preserving a key pillar of the trilateral defense partnership between the...

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The Return of Subic Bay

Subic Bay is back in American planning. Although described by the crew of the USS Fulton in 1945 as “a primitive, humid, unhealthy, desolate Siberia far from the pleasant climate, facilities, and girls of Australia,” the Filipino port was...

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Iran’s Perilous Path Back to Power

A year of sustained losses has left Iran’s grand strategy in ruins. The near destruction of Hamas in Gaza, the evisceration of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, and the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria deprived Iran of...

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Europe Should Buy and Integrate APKWS Rockets For Drone Defense 

In the early morning hours on September 10, more than a dozen Russian target drones crossed into Polish airspace, before less than a dozen were shot down by Dutch F-35s. The infiltration sparked concerns about escalation between NATO and...

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Nuclear Weapons In Space: Orbital Bombardment and Strategic Stability

Executive Summary  In 2015, a new space race began. Blue Origin, a privately owned company, landed a booster on a launch pad back on earth, after lifting an object 100 kilometers into the atmosphere. SpaceX quickly followed suit, landing its own Falcon booster back on a pad for use again for later space...

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