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
CSBA 2015 Progress Report: The Future of National Security
The Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments began its analytic work in 1983 as the Defense Budget Project. Its mission was to fulfill an urgent need for research and information on defense policy and budget issues.
Winning The Airwaves: Regaining America’s Dominance In The Electromagnetic Spectrum
The electromagnetic spectrum (EMS) is one of the most critical operational domains in modern warfare, but its use in military operations is rapidly changing. In the same way smartphones and the Internet are redefining how the world shares, shops, learns, and works, the development and fielding of advanced sensors and networking technologies will enable some militaries to gain significant new advantages over competitors that fail to keep pace.
Defense Reform
At a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing CSBA's Vice President for Studies Jim Thomas’ argued that new legislation is needed to ensure the DoD is effectively organized to address current and future security challenges.
Alternative Approaches to Defense Strategy
In his testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Dr. Andrew F. Krepinevich describes the current threats facing the United States and argues that the need for a well-crafted defense strategy has never been greater. Three revisionist powers in three different regions are confronting the United States and actively challenging the rules-based international system. At the same time, the means available to address these challenges are diminishing. The United States will need to develop different ways of deterring our enemies and of defeating them if deterrence fails. This effort should be informed by (and inform) the strategy we adopt.
Examining the Iran Deal and the Military Balance in the Middle East
In this testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Ambassador Eric Edelman asserts that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) to resolve the Iranian nuclear issue is deeply flawed because it concedes an enrichment capacity that is too large, sunset clauses that are too short, a verification regime that is too leaky, and enforcement mechanisms that are too suspect. He asserts that the prospect of Iranian nuclear latency will, in turn, put the Middle East on the path to a catastrophic arms race. Ultimately, Ambassador Edelman recommends that Congress disapprove the agreement in order to allow for a more stringent deal to be renegotiated.
Managing China’s Missile Threat: Future Options to Preserve Forward Defense
In this testimony before the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, Dr. Evan Montgomery discusses the implications of China's offensive missile force. He argues that in the face of an eroding conventional military advantage in the Western Pacific, the United States faces acute challenges to its forward defense posture.