Publications
"Nobody does defense policy better than CSBA. Their work on strategic and budgetary topics manages to combine first-rate quality and in-depth research with timeliness and accessibility—which is why so many professionals consider their products indispensable." – Gideon Rose, Editor of Foreign Affairs, 2010-2021
Search Publications
Studies
The Cost of U.S. Nuclear Forces: From BCA to Bow Wave and Beyond
The Cost of U.S. Nuclear Forces provides an accounting of what U.S. nuclear forces cost and how much could potentially be saved by cutting those forces.
Studies
What it Takes to Win: Succeeding in 21st Century Battle Network Competitions
Success or failure in war is often measured in terms of territory gained and losses imposed on the enemy. These metrics, however, may not reflect what is really most useful in winning a war or a military competition.
Studies
Sustaining America’s Precision Strike Advantage
The U.S. military has enjoyed an enormous advantage in precision strike over the past 25 years. The success of America’s precision strike operations has not gone unnoticed, however. Potential enemies have invested in active and passive defenses that could force the U.S. military to fly more strike sorties and expend larger numbers of precision-guided munitions (PGMs) in future wars.
Briefs
Are U.S. Nuclear Forces Unaffordable?
While costs are projected to grow over the next decade due to a "bow wave" of nuclear modernization programs, Harrison concludes that the search for savings in nuclear forces continues to be a "hunt for small potatoes."
Testimonies
The Role of Surface Forces in Presence, Deterrence, and Warfighting
In this testimony before the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces, Bryan Clark argues that the Navy needs a new approach to surface warfare in light of new security challenges. Today's security environment is not as benign or stable as it was 15 years ago, when the Navy planned a "network-centric" approach to surface warfare supported by a family of new ships.
Studies
Trends in Air-to-Air Combat: Implications for Future Air Superiority
In this study, Dr. John Stillion conducts a historical analysis of air-to-air combat, drawing on a database of over 1,450 air-to-air victories from multiple conflicts from 1965 to the present. Using this data, Stillion assesses how advances in sensor, weapons, and communication technologies have changed air combat and the implications of these trends for future combat aircraft designs and operational concepts.