News

CSBA Appoints Chris Bassler as Senior Fellow

May 26, 2020

The Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (CSBA), a premier institution for understanding the future of international competition and conflict, today announced the appointment of Dr. Chris Bassler as a Senior Fellow, effective immediately. Chris joins CSBA following an exceptionally distinguished career in government, and he will contribute to the organization’s research on joint aerospace capabilities, maritime operating concepts, and overall U.S. military strategy.

CSBA Appoints David Zikusoka as Research Fellow in Aerospace Studies

January 30, 2020

CSBA today announced the appointment of David Zikusoka as a Research Fellow in Aerospace Studies. Dave will join CSBA on February 10 and will conduct research and analysis on integrated concepts of air, space and cyber power, assessing the impact of all aerospace domains on U.S. and allied strategy.

CSBA Launches Congressional Defense Seminar Series (CDSS)

October 22, 2019

CSBA officially launched its inaugural series of seminars designed for Congressional staff members on October 17 at its Washington Headquarters. The program featured an opening session for the 16 incoming CDSS Fellows hosted by former Congressman Randy Forbes (R-VA), a member of CSBA’s Board of Directors, and attended by members of the CSBA team and outside guests.

CSBA Announces Congressional Defense Seminar Fellows

October 9, 2019

CSBA is proud to announce its inaugural class of fellows for the CSBA Congressional Defense Seminar Series. This seminar series is an in-depth bipartisan program for Congressional staff members. This evening series of topical seminars aims to provide staffers with the tools to master the conceptual foundations of defense policy as well as the intricacies of contemporary national security processes.

CSBA Announces New Advisory Council of National Security and Defense Leaders

September 23, 2019

The Center Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (CSBA) announced today that it has launched the CSBA Council, an advisory board composed of accomplished individuals whose interests in contemporary security debates coincide with CSBA’s mission. The CSBA Council will further the institute’s efforts to develop innovative, resource-informed defense concepts, promote public debate, and spur policies to advance the interests of the United States and its allies.

CSBA Launches Congressional Defense Seminar Series

September 10, 2019

The Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (CSBA), the world’s premier center for understanding future international competition and conflict, announced today the launching of its inaugural Congressional Defense Seminar Series. This highly selective program will bring together professional staff members from Congress for an evening series of topical seminars that aims to provide staffers with the tools to master the conceptual foundations of defense policy as well as the intricacies of contemporary national security processes.

Studies

Evaluate Like We Operate: Why DOD Should Evaluate Weapons Systems as Networked Force Packages, Not Individual Platforms

August 15, 2023 Travis Sharp, Tyler Hacker

Weapons do not conduct military operations in isolation from one another, and yet the U.S. defense community devotes considerable attention each year to individual platforms. The time spent appraising specific weapons is understandable, given the huge investments and cutthroat politics surrounding these projects, not to mention the defense budget boiling everything down to line items, but is misplaced in a strategic context.

Studies

Extending Deterrence by Detection: The Case for Integrating Unmanned Aircraft Systems Into the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness

July 13, 2023 Travis Sharp, Thomas G. Mahnken, Tim Sadov

In May 2022, the “Quad” nations — the United States, Australia, Japan, and India — announced the creation of the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA) to monitor illegal fishing, humanitarian crises, maritime security, marine conservation, and related issues in the region. IPMDA’s most significant activity involves disseminating unclassified data collected by commercial satellites to improve the common operating picture of participating nations and bolster information sharing across regional fusion centers, including in India, Singapore, the Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu.

Studies

Beyond Precision: Maintaining America’s Strike Advantage in Great Power Conflict

June 12, 2023 Tyler Hacker

The United States' (U.S.) provision of weapons to Ukraine over the last year has raised critical questions about the overall supply of Western munitions and the ability of the weapon industrial base to meet the munitions demands of contemporary conflict. Although war in Ukraine has focused the world’s attention on the munitions issue, a survey of previous U.S. strike operations reveals that the U.S. has struggled to meet PGM demands in nearly every major campaign undertaken since their adoption. Looking to the future, simply producing and procuring more PGMs may not be enough to satisfy the requirements of a near-term great power conflict given current fiscal, industrial, and political constraints.

Studies

The Decisive Decade: United States–China Competition in Defense Innovation and Defense Industrial Policy in and Beyond the 2020s

May 22, 2023 Thomas G. Mahnken, Tai Ming Cheung

In the long-term competition between the United States and China, the competitive edge will be decided not only by who more effectively fields current capabilities and strategies, but also by which state's techno-security system can most effectively develop and field new technologies for strategic, dual-use, and defense applications. Although both states recognize the need to prevail in the techno-security competition, the two have drastically different approaches to defense innovation and defense industrial policy.

Studies

Speeding Toward Instability? Hypersonic Weapons and the Risks of Nuclear Use

May 1, 2023 Evan B. Montgomery, Toshi Yoshihara

Today, states are pursuing an array of supposedly "disruptive" or "game-changing" technologies that could alter how they organize, train, equip, and employ their forces, including their nuclear forces. The 2022 National Defense Strategy emphasized the link between some of these technologies and the risk of nuclear use, noting that "a wide range of new or fast-evolving technologies and applications are complicating escalation dynamics and creating new challenges for strategic stability."

Briefs

2022 Annual Report

April 21, 2023

For nearly three decades, CSBA has provided consistent, high-quality, and innovative research on defense strategy, budgets, and the security environment.

Evaluate Like We Operate: Why DOD Should Evaluate Weapons Systems as Networked Force Packages, Not Individual Platforms

Extending Deterrence by Detection: The Case for Integrating Unmanned Aircraft Systems Into the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness

Beyond Precision: Maintaining America’s Strike Advantage in Great Power Conflict

The Decisive Decade: United States–China Competition in Defense Innovation and Defense Industrial Policy in and Beyond the 2020s

Speeding Toward Instability? Hypersonic Weapons and the Risks of Nuclear Use

Air Power Metamorphosis: Rethinking Air Force Combat Force Modernization

Innovating for Great Power Competition: An Examination of Service and Joint Innovation Efforts

Chinese Lessons From the Pacific War: Implications for PLA Warfighting

Moving Pieces: Near-Term Changes to Pacific Air Posture

Arming America’s Allies: Historical Lessons for Implementing a Post-INF Treaty Missile Strategy

Featured Event

Report Release Webinar: Chinese Lessons From the Pacific War: Implications for PLA Warfighting

CSBA Appoints Chris Bassler as Senior Fellow

CSBA Appoints David Zikusoka as Research Fellow in Aerospace Studies

CSBA Launches Congressional Defense Seminar Series (CDSS)

CSBA Announces Congressional Defense Seminar Fellows

CSBA Announces New Advisory Council of National Security and Defense Leaders

CSBA Launches Congressional Defense Seminar Series

Latest Publications

Evaluate Like We Operate: Why DOD Should Evaluate Weapons Systems as Networked Force Packages, Not Individual Platforms

Extending Deterrence by Detection: The Case for Integrating Unmanned Aircraft Systems Into the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness

Beyond Precision: Maintaining America’s Strike Advantage in Great Power Conflict

The Decisive Decade: United States–China Competition in Defense Innovation and Defense Industrial Policy in and Beyond the 2020s

Speeding Toward Instability? Hypersonic Weapons and the Risks of Nuclear Use

2022 Annual Report