CNAS Live

On October 23, CNAS hosted a panel on the U.S. defense budget and the Department of Defense’s alignment of resources to strategy. Featuring our new report, Stuck in the Cul de Sac: How U.S. Defense Spending Prioritizes Innovation over Deterrence, CNAS Defense Program experts Dr. Carlton Haelig and Philip Sheers examine the gaps between the Department of Defense’s strategic priorities and its resource allocation and identify a wide range of challenges and opportunities the Pentagon faces in transitioning its key modernization initiatives to the field. This discussion drew on those insights to cover a range of topics from creating and maintaining a next-generation force, the impacts of a government shutdown on defense preparedness, and more. The panel featured: Moderator Philip Sheers, Research Associate, Defense Program Center for a New American Security The Honorable Susanna V. Blume, Distinguished Senior Fellow, Defense Program, Center for a New American Security Todd Harrison, Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute Dr. Carlton Haelig, Fellow, Defense Program, Center for a New American Security To learn more about upcoming events at CNAS, head to cnas.org/events.

Judge Advocates General (JAGs) serve a critical role in the U.S. military by providing expert, apolitical legal advice to commanders and defense officials. On Wednesday, October 8, CNAS held the Judge Advocates General: On the Frontline of National Security and the Rule of Law event. The event featured opening remarks from Admiral John Richardson, USN (Ret.), member of the CNAS Board of Directors and former chief of naval operations, and a panel discussion with Judge James E. Baker, former chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces; Rear Admiral James E. McPherson, JAGC, USN (Ret.), former undersecretary of the Army and former judge advocate general of the Navy. Hosted by Carrie Cordero, General Counsel and Senior Fellow at CNAS, the conversation covered the critical role of Judge Advocates General on the frontline of national security and rule of law, the need for factual and legal assessments in military operations, how JAGs can navigate operational pressure when providing legal advice to their commanders, and more. Over the past two years, CNAS has conducted research work that focuses on federalism and national security, including work that addresses disputes that can arise between presidents and governors over deployment of the National Guard. This work includes a commentary series published in May that provides recommendations at the federal and state levels for ensuring that domestic deployment of the military is consistent with law and the protection of civil liberties. To learn more about upcoming events at CNAS, head to cnas.org/events.

Nationwide, there has been a noticeable uptick in swatting cases, negatively impacting the safety and security of high-profile public servants and law enforcement agencies. In this episode of our Safe@Home speaker series, CNAS hosted a virtual event with Kenneth Corey, former NYPD Chief of Department, and Josh Campbell, CNAS Adjunct Senior Fellow and CNN Correspondent, for a conversation on the increase of these incidents targeting public officials, challenges to law enforcement agencies in terms of resources, capacity, and risk, and proposed legislative remedies at the state and federal levels. The CNAS Safe@Home speaker series focuses on challenges to homeland security such as international and domestic terrorism, political violence against government officials, mass shootings and gun violence, pandemic preparedness and response, climate related emergency management, cybersecurity and response, and related issues. Under the Securing U.S. Democracy Initiative, this series aims to inform policymakers to ensure that domestic security and public safety are adequately represented in national security conversations and problem-solving efforts.

Michael Masters, National Director and CEO of the Secure Community Network joined Carrie Cordero, Robert M. Gates Senior Fellow at CNAS for a conversation on antisemitism in the U.S., the work of the Secure Community Network, and the way forward to combat antisemitism

General B. Chance Saltzman, Chief of Space Operations recently sat down with Dr. Stacie Pettyjohn, Senior Fellow and Director of the CNAS Defense Program, to discuss the service’s early successes and remaining challenges.

Pillar 2 of the trilateral agreement AUKUS is focused on cooperative actions between the three nations to develop advanced defense capabilities, which are critical to the balance of power in future strategic competition with China. AUKUS Pillar 2's potential for establishing and maintaining advantages in critical technology areas can only be fulfilled if the alliance can demonstrate progress and overcome barriers to cooperation. As strategic competition continues to intensify, what can we expect from AUKUS Pillar 2 cooperation and emerging technologies? And how is Australia developing a technological edge the Indo-Pacific? On September 20th, the Center for a New American Security hosted Professor Tanya Monro, Australia's Chief Defence Scientist, in conversation with Becca Wasser to discuss the latest developments and challenges under AUKUS Pillar 2. This conversation is part of the CNAS Mission Brief speaker series, which features deep-diving discussions with the military and civilian leaders driving future U.S. and allied defense strategy. You can watch past Mission Briefs, and find out about upcoming ones, at cnas.org/events This podcast is a production of the Center for a New American Security, this episode was produced and edited by Anna Pederson, with assistance from Charles Horn.

Last week, the White House released an executive order detailing a ban on U.S. private-equity and venture-capital investments in some Chinese technology companies that have potential military applications. To break down the executive order and discuss what’s in, what’s out, and what it all means for investors and companies, CNAS hosted a special event with the Atlantic Council’s Geoeconomics Center. The conversation was moderated by Emily Kilcrease, senior fellow and director of the Energy, Economics, and Security Program at CNAS. She was joined by Sarah Bauerle Danzman, Senior Fellow, at the Atlantic Council, Peter Harrell, Nonresident Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and Eric Sayers, Managing Director at Beacon Global Industries. To learn more, read the latest commentary from CNAS Responds. CNAS Live is a production of the Center for a New American Security, bringing the center’s public events to a podcast audience. The show is produced by Anna Pederson and Charles Horn, with design help with Melody Cook and Rinn Rothback.

On March 16, 2021, the CNAS Technology and National Security Program hosted a virtual event on “Crafting a U.S. National Technology Strategy.” Speakers for this event included Michèle Flournoy, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of WestExec Advisors; Richard Fontaine, CEO of the Center for a New American Security; and Martijn Rasser, Senior Fellow of the Technology and National Security Program at the Center for a New American Security. Panelists included Secretary James "Hondo" Geurts, Performing the Duties of Under Secretary of the Navy, Director Sue Gordon, Senior Advisor at Pallas Advisors and Former Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence, and Loren DeJonge Schulman, Vice President of Research and Evaluation at the Partnership for Public Service and Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security. The panel was moderated by Megan Lamberth, Research Associate for the Technology and National Security Program at the Center for a New American Security.

On March 5, 2021, the CNAS Technology and National Security Program hosted a virtual discussion on AI and the role of confidence-building measures. This event is a part of the CNAS Artificial Intelligence and Global Security Initiative, which explores how the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution could lead to changes in global power, the character of conflict, and crisis stability. Speakers for this event included Michael C. Horowitz, Richard Perry Professor and Director of the Perry World House at the University of Pennsylvania, Helen Toner, Director of Strategy at the Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET), and Kerstin Vignard, Head of the UNIDIR Support Team to the UN Cyber Negotiations (OEWG and GGE). This event was moderated by Paul Scharre, Senior Fellow and Director of the Technology and National Security Program at CNAS.

On February 9, 2021, the Military, Veterans, and Society Program at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) held a two-part event to launch the report Massachusetts Veteran Needs Assessment: During the Pandemic and Beyond. The event was held as a CNAS webinar, and featured a presentation by Nathalie Grogan, keynote remarks by Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) and Massachusetts Secretary of Veterans Services Cheryl Poppe, and a discussion hosted by Emma Moore and Rosye Cloud, featuring panelists Michael Allard, Michael Dwyer, Meg Harrell, Pamela Johnson, and Kristy Kaufmann.

On October 21, 2020, the CNAS Technology and National Security Program hosted a virtual discussion for the new report, "Common Code: An Alliance Framework for Democratic Technology Policy.” Speakers for this event included Marietje Schaake, International Policy Director of the Cyber Policy Center at Stanford University, Richard Fontaine, CEO of the Center for a New American Security, and Akira Amari, Chairperson of the Research Commission on the Tax System for the Liberal Democratic Party in Japan. Panelists included Rebecca Arcesati from the Mercator Institute for China Studies, Shin Oya from the Asia Pacific Initiative, Martijn Rasser, Senior Fellow for the Technology and National Security Program at the Center for a New American Security, and Ainikki Riikonen, Research Assistant for the Technology and National Security Program at the Center for a New American Security. This event was moderated by Kylie Atwood, National Security Correspondent at CNN.

For 20 years, U.S. presidents have tried to get out of the Middle East only to be pulled back in. On September 22, 2020, the CNAS Defense and Middle East Security Programs convened a virtual panel discussion on developing a long-term sustainable U.S. military approach to the Middle East. Panelists at this event included CNAS CEO Richard Fontaine, Ilan Goldenberg, and Becca Wasser. This event also featured a special presentation of the CNAS 1LT Andrew J. Bacevich Jr., USA Award to Kaleigh Thomas, a Research Associate with the CNAS Middle East Security Program.