In this bonus episode of CNA Talks, we are bringing you the recording of CNA’s recent National Security Seminar, “Nuclear cooperation with strategic competitors,” which has held on March 21, 2023. The event featured panelists Timothy McDonnell and Rose Gottemoeller. McDonnell is the author of a recent CNA publication entitled, “Working with the Adversary: Great Power Cooperation and Nuclear Risk Management.” This report uses archival sources to examine three historical cases of great power nucle...
Mar 23, 2023•1 hr 24 min
The Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center, in Panama City Florida, trains more than 1,200 military divers from across the services. These students are persuing certificates in everything from underwater construction to explosive ordnance disposal. In this episode, Neil Carey joins John Stimpson to discuss his research on the potential of extended reality technology (which includes virtual reality, augmented reality and mix/merged reality) as a tool for the training and assessment of these div...
Mar 15, 2023•24 min
In this episode, we examine a new regulation from the Department of Commerce aimed at limiting China’s access to semiconductors and microchips, the impact it is having on China and how U.S. partner nations are responding. Guests April Herlevi is a Senior Research Scientist with CNA's Indo-Pacific Security Affairs program. She is an expert in China's foreign economic policy, special economic zones, and economic statecraft. Christopher Cairns is a Research Scientist with CNA's Indo-Pacific Securit...
Mar 01, 2023•23 min
Since the end of the Cold War, the United States has been the predominant foreign power in the Middle East, influencing the economic, political and security affairs of the region. But in recent years other great powers have begun to chip away at this power, carving out their own spheres of influence in the region. In this episode, we explore the strategic objectives of China and Russia in the Middle East, the tools they are using to achieve them, and what this means for U.S. policymakers. Guests...
Feb 15, 2023•35 min
This episode originally aired on CIMSEC's Sea Control Podcast . Special thanks to their team for allowing up to rebroadcast this episode. Dr. Joshua Tallis joins the program to discuss the evolution of NATO's maritime command and control and the future for the Standing Naval Force. Dr. Tallis is a naval analyst at the Center for Naval Analyses, where he is a senior research scientist in the Operations Evaluation Group. He has embedded as an analyst with Carrier Strike Group Eight and most recent...
Feb 01, 2023•46 min
What do search engine optimization, airline schedules and standardized testing have in common? They are all vulnerable to Goodhart’s law, the idea that when a metric becomes a target it ceases to be a good metric. In this episode Michael Stumborg and Timothy Blasius join John to discuss their report, “Goodhart’s Law: Recognizing and Mitigating the Manipulation of Measures in Analysis.” Michael Stumborg is a Principal Research Scientist with CNA’s Strike and Air Warfare Program . Timothy Blasiu...
Jan 18, 2023•25 min
For the past 80 years, the Center for Naval Analyses has been the Navy’s partner and an essential resource for agencies across the federal government. In this episode, Executive Vice President of the Center for Naval Analyses, Andrew Mara sits down to discuss the Center’s accomplishments over the past fiscal year and where the organization is headed in the coming one.
Jan 04, 2023•28 min
On November 28, thousands of people across China took to the streets to protest the country’s ‘zero-COVID policies and censorship and to call for democracy. These demonstrations were an unprecedented show of dissent against the government in the era of Xi Jinping. How has the government responded to these uprisings, and how will they affect Beijing’s COVID strategy going forward? To answer these questions Heidi Holz and Josiah Case , analysts from CNA’s China Studies Program , join the podcast. ...
Dec 07, 2022•30 min
Video Link to this Podcast: https://youtu.be/Aly90z-1-eI https://www.cna.org THE 20TH NATIONAL CONGRESS OF THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY: FOREIGN POLICY, TECHNOLOGY AND MILITARY DIMENSIONS A SITUATION SPOTLIGHT Part of CNA’s National Security Seminars series November 17, 2022 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. EST Featuring: Dr. David Finkelstein, Vice President, CNA and Director, China and Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Division, CNA (https://www.cna.org/about-us/leadership/center-for-naval-analyses/david-fi...
Nov 24, 2022•1 hr 29 min•Ep. 124
Analysis of the impact of the women-led protests since the death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of the morality police. Is this a new Iranian Revolution led by women? Featuring: Dr. Michael Connell , Principal Research Scientist, Strategy, Policy, Plans, and Programs Division , CNA Nazee Moinian, Non-Resident Scholar, Iran Program, Middle East Institute Moderated by: Nilanthi Samaranayake , Director, Strategy and Policy Analysis Program , CNA With Introductions by: Halleh Seyson , Vice President/...
Nov 09, 2022•41 min
The Pacific Islands region is a massive and diverse region, and one with strategic value to both the United States and China. What challenges do the people of the Pacific Island Countries face and how can they navigate strategic competition between the great powers. April Herlevi and Chris Cairns from CNA’s Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Program , sit down to discuss the latest from the Pacific Islands, and how China and the United States are engaged in the region. Further Reading Army War Colleg...
Oct 26, 2022•28 min
Brazil is currently amid a contentious presidential election between incumbent Jair Bolsonaro and former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. President Bolsonaro has consistently claimed that Brazil's election system is vulnerable to fraud, sparking fears that the peaceful transition of power could be threatened. Ralph Espach , from CNA’s Strategy and Policy Analyses Program , joins the show to discuss the Brazilian election, the threat to democracy in the country and what this could mean for U....
Oct 12, 2022•22 min
For the past 80 years, the Center for Naval Analyses has been the Navy’s partner and an essential resource for agencies across the federal government. In this episode, Executive Vice President of the Center for Naval Analyses, Andrew Mara sits down to discuss the Center’s accomplishments over the past fiscal year and where the organization is headed in the coming one.
Sep 28, 2022•28 min
It’s been just over a year since the Taliban seized control of Kabul and established themselves as the government of Afghanistan. What has changed in Afghanistan in that time and what is the status of the major factions in the country? CNA’s Jonathan Schroden is joined by three experts on militant groups in Afghanistan, they discuss the status of the Taliban, Al Qaeda and ISIS-K in Afghanistan and the relationships between these groups. Jonathan Schroden is the director of CNA’s Counter Threats ...
Sep 14, 2022•40 min
In July, the eyes of the world were fixed on Sri Lanka, when protesters stormed the Presidential Palace, demanding the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. But while the headlines have since faded, the story is far from over. In this episode of CNA Talks, Nilanthi Samaranayake stops by to fill us in on what has happened in Sri Lanka since the protests and how the new President can address the crisis. Nilanthi Samaranayake ( @nilanthis ) directs CNA's Strategy and Policy Analysis Program,...
Aug 31, 2022•21 min
This content was originally published on BMNT's YouTube Channel. You can find the original video here . In this follow-up conversation to BMNT’s June panel "The Race for Autonomy: Navigating a New Battlefield," A'ndre Gonawela talks to Dr. David Broyles, Research Program Director at the Center for Naval Analysis and co-host of "AI with AI", on the challenges facing the Department of Defense when it comes to developing and leveraging autonomous systems and capabilities. Dr. Broyles digs into why ...
Aug 18, 2022•47 min
As the Navy transitions to the new Detailing Marketplace Assignment Policy increased demand will be placed on its detailers. In today’s episode, we discuss a new tool from CNA which could help expedite the assignment process and help detailers execute their mission. Biographies Warren Sutton is a Senior Research Scientist in CNA’s Navy Human Resources Program . Further Reading Navy Enlisted Detailing Marketplace Assignment Algorithm...
Aug 03, 2022•20 min
Every branch of the military is struggling to meet its fiscal year 2022 recruiting goals. Marine General David Ottignon recently told Congress that 2022 is “arguably the most challenging recruiting year since the inception of the all-volunteer force.” In this episode, we explore what is driving these challenges and how the military can adapt its recruiting strategizes to the modern media environment. Guests Elizabeth Clelan is a Principal Research Scientist in CNA’s Marine Corps and Defense Wor...
Jul 20, 2022•29 min
This week we are bringing you a rebroadcast of Episode 108, to coincide with CNA's recent case study on the same topic. As climate change increases the frequency and impact of natural disasters, the consequences of these events are not felt evenly. While disasters are devastating for everyone, they are exponentially worse for already vulnerable populations. In this episode of CNA Talks, CNA’s Angie De Groot sits down with Jason Biermann and Jody Ferguson, emergency management professionals from ...
Jul 06, 2022•31 min
Since the end of the Cold War, the threat of nuclear weapons has largely faded from popular consciousness. However, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and President Vladimir Putin’s nuclear threats have brought the issue back into focus. In this episode of CNA Talks, we are discussing nuclear policy and strategy, and how things have shifted since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Experts Timothy McDonnell is a research analyst in CNA's Strategy and Policy Analysis program, where he studies nuclear weapons...
Jun 22, 2022•29 min
Since the start of the global war on terror in 2001, U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF) have been laser-focused on counterterrorism. But as the Department of Defense shifts its priorities to great-power competition Special Operations Command (SOCOM), is adapting to fit this new mission. In this episode of CNA Talks, experts on Special Operations Forces sit down to discuss the Special Operations Command’s Vision and Strategy document. Biographies Jonathan Schroden is the Director of CNA's Speci...
Jun 08, 2022•44 min
This episode originally aired on September 3, 2020. Sometimes truth is more interesting than fiction. Christine Fox was a CNA analyst working at the Navy's legendary fighter school in Miramar, California when a Hollywood producer decided she'd be the perfect inspiration for Tom Cruise's love interest in the 1986 blockbuster "Top Gun." But that was just the start of Fox's incredible career -- she'd go on to become the most senior woman at the Pentagon, serving under multiple defense secretaries. ...
Jun 03, 2022•34 min
Drones once an exclusive tool of the military, are spreading throughout our society. Hobbyists use them for photography, businesses are exploring them as a tool to make deliveries, and local and state governments are exploring how they could be used for public safety. But at the same time, we’ve seen the rise of another new paradigm, the threat of cyberattacks. How can we ensure that these technologies are implemented in ways that increase public safety while ensuring that they are safe and secu...
May 25, 2022•21 min
Like many militaries, China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) played a role in their COVID-19 relief efforts. What do these operations show us about the PLA’s domestic and international capabilities? In this episode of CNA Talks, Heidi Holz and Brian Waidelich discuss their recent report on this topic. Heidi Holz is a Senior Research Scientist in the CNA China Studies program. Her research interests include PRC maritime policies and activities, and Chinese military doctrine and operations. Brian ...
May 11, 2022•30 min
As China seeks to expand its presence in the Arctic, it is important for observers to understand its motivations and how it fits into its larger global strategy. In this episode CNA analysts Heidi Holz and Andrew Taffer join John Stimpson, to discuss what the arctic means to Beijing, what it hopes to accomplish there and some unexpected obstacles to its objectives. Heidi Holz is a Senior Research Scientist in the CNA China Studies program. Her research interests include PRC maritime policies and...
Apr 27, 2022•21 min
China has consistently used foreign direct investment to increase its power and influence around the globe and has set its sights on the Arctic. These investments can be incredibly useful to smaller states but may also pose risks to their national security. In this episode of CNA Talks, Cornell Overfield and Rebecca Wolfson join John Stimpson to discuss China’s foreign direct investment in the Arctic States, what mechanisms are in place to protect their national security interests, and what the ...
Apr 13, 2022•26 min
As climate change increases the frequency and impact of natural disasters, the consequences of these events are not felt evenly. While disasters are devastating for everyone, they are exponentially worse for already vulnerable populations. In this episode of CNA Talks, CNA’s Angie De Groot sits down with Jason Biermann and Jody Ferguson, emergency management professionals from the Pudget Sound region, in Washington. They discuss an innovative approach that priorities getting aid to their most vu...
Mar 30, 2022•31 min
As new cases of COVID-19 continue to fall in the U.S., experts have begun to predict that the virus is shifting from a pandemic to an endemic. But while states all over the country have rolled back restrictions and mandates intended to slow the spread of the virus, it is something that we will continue to live with for the foreseeable future. In this episode of CNA Talks Eric Trabert and Yang Li, of CNA’s Center for Public Health Preparedness and Resilience, sit down to discuss what this new per...
Mar 16, 2022•25 min
As militaries around the world begin to integrate more autonomous systems into their ranks, nations have been asking themselves how to ensure that these systems follow the laws of war. To start to answer this question, Don Boroughs sits down with Jason Stack from the Office of Naval Research and CNA analyst Mike Stumborg. They discuss Mike’s recent report which provides a checklist for ethical autonomy. Follow the link below to read the report. https://www.cna.org/CNA_files/PDF/Dimensions-of-Aut...
Mar 02, 2022•31 min
Last summer, following the collapse of the U.S.-backed government in Afghanistan, the Taliban seized control of the country. In the months since Afghanistan’s economy has been devested by the Taliban’s policies and by international sanctions against the country. On this episode of CNA Talks Jon Schroden welcomes economists Torek Farhadi and Bill Byrd, to discuss this crisis and what can be done to alienate it. Jonathan Schroden is the Director of CNA’s Countering Threats and Challenges Program. ...
Feb 16, 2022•36 min
