Ukraine War Shows Why America Should Invest in Energetics

An explosion conducted by the 202nd Ordinance Company at the Udairi Range, Jan. 25, 2022, at Camp Buehring, Kuwait. (U.S. Army Central Public Affairs)

Footage of missile strikes and burned-out tanks in Ukraine are a stark reminder that the explosive power behind munitions like missiles, rockets, and artillery are key to asserting control of the battlefield. Yet since the end of the Cold War, the United States has underinvested in energetics and now faces serious supply chain vulnerabilities. As a result, the United States could find itself outgunned in a protracted war, warns Nadia Schadlow in Breaking Defense. 

Biden Must Deter Putin from Using Nuclear Weapons

A RS-24 Yars intercontinental ballistic missile vehicle is pictured during the rehearsals for the Victory Day Military Parade on April 18, 2022 in Alabino, outside of Moscow, Russia. (Getty Images)

To deter Russia and prevent nuclear escalation, the Biden administration must convince Russia that the U.S. and NATO are not intimidated by their nuclear threats, that we have a proportional response on the ready, and that we are willing to employ it in defense of our vital interests, writes Rebeccah Heinrichs in National Review. 

Seapower and US Strategic Competition in the Indo-Pacific

USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) as an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter lifts off from the flight deck on November 19, 2019. (Getty Images)

Does the United States have sufficient seapower and defense capabilities to deter China from seizing Taiwan or undertaking other acts of aggression in the Indo-Pacific? Join Hudson Institute’s Asia-Pacific Security Chair Patrick M. Cronin on Friday for a discussion with two senior members of the House Armed Services Committee, Congressman Joe Courtney of Connecticut (CT-02) and Congressman Rob Wittman of Virginia (VA-01).

Russia Squeezes Kazakhstan

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev greets Russian President Vladimir Putin during their bilaterlal meeting at the Russian-Kazakh Regional Forum on November 7, 2019 in Omsk, Russia. (Getty Images)

As Washington policy makers look for ways to counter Russian influence and complicate Mr. Putin’s life, helping Kazakhstan reduce its dependence on Moscow-controlled pipelines, reform its economy, and coordinate with neighboring Central Asian states to limit the influence of both China and Russia might be a good place to start, writes Walter Russell Mead in The Wall Street Journal.

Virtual Event | Should the US Overhaul its Defense Strategy?

Troops from the Polish 18th Mechanised Division and the 82nd Airborne Division (USA) take part in tactical and fire training on April 8, 2022 in Nowa Deba, Poland. (Getty Images)

The Pentagon’s new defense strategy indicates that the Biden administration will rely primarily on threats of economic and diplomatic punishment, coupled with strategic capabilities, to deter aggression. Yet this approach failed to stop Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Does the United States need to overhaul its approach to defense strategy? Join Bryan Clark, director of Hudson’s Center for Defense Concepts and Technology, for a conversation with Congressman Mike Rogers on this critical topic.

BEFORE YOU GO...

On the latest episode of Counterbalance, Marshall Kosloff and Mike Doran speak with Visiting Fellow Mohammed Khalid Alyahya about why U.S. engagement with partners like Saudi Arabia and Israel is crucial to maintaining order and protecting American interests in the Middle East.