Over the past 22 years, the United States Department of Defense has optimized the American Special Operations Forces (SOF) for the Global War on Terror. While terrorist threats remain—especially from Iranian proxies—the DoD is now calling upon SOF to return to its irregular warfare roots to counter nation-states. Civilian control and leadership of special operations is key to expediting this transformation, and Congress has elevated the role of assistant secretary of defense for special operatio...
Oct 31, 2023•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 493
Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel caused the Jewish State to reevaluate the strength of its capabilities and its capacity to maintain border control. Israel has mobilized over 300,000 reservists to fight on the ground against Hamas. Although the Israel Defense Forces’ yearly budget of around $23.6 billion is more than the combined military spending of Egypt, Iran, Lebanon, and Jordan, Israel’s operation against Hamas may strain its finances. Since the beginning of the conflict, Israel has spent...
Oct 30, 2023•44 min•Ep. 492
With the eruption of war in the Middle East and Europe and tensions flaring in the Taiwan Strait, the American-led international system seems to be at an inflection point. The number of geopolitical flashpoints from the Sahel to the South China Sea is increasing at an alarming rate, and many are beginning to doubt the United States’ ability to deter hostile, revisionist powers across the globe. Join Hudson Distinguished Fellow Walter Russell Mead for a discussion with critically acclaimed histor...
Oct 30, 2023•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 491
With Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to the United States in June and President Joe Biden’s September visit to India, 2023 has been a landmark year for the India-US strategic partnership. But the world’s oldest democracy and the world’s most populous democracy have not always been such close friends. Through most of the Cold War, relations between the two countries were beset with challenges. Only within the last two decades have New Delhi and Washington become natural allies. ...
Oct 26, 2023•1 hr 31 min•Ep. 490
Join Hudson Senior Fellow Jonathan Schachter for a discussion with Israel-based journalist Yonah Jeremy Bob on his new book, coauthored with Ilan Evyatar, Target Tehran . About the Book Target Tehran describes how Israel was able to promote the normalization with Arab states like Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates by using its military might to thwart Iran’s nuclear weapons program. The writers recount the shadow between Iran and Israel—which sometimes operated in conjunction with the United S...
Oct 25, 2023•56 min•Ep. 489
The fiscal year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act established the bipartisan Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States to review US nuclear weapons policy, strategy, and force structure and to conduct an assessment of America’s near-peer competitors. Earlier this month, the commission released its final report on America’s strategic posture, the first such report since 2009. Join commission members and Hudson Senior Fellows Rebeccah L. Heinrichs and Marshall S....
Oct 25, 2023•1 hr 33 min•Ep. 488
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is undergoing a profound change. At the Madrid summit in July 2022, the alliance ratified a new strategic concept that returned NATO to its roots: deterring Russian aggression. At that same meeting, NATO began the process of welcoming Sweden and Finland into the alliance, leading to Finland’s full accession in April 2023. At the Vilnius summit this past summer, NATO continued to adapt in response to Russia’s war on Ukraine. The alliance updated its military...
Oct 25, 2023•50 min•Ep. 487
Increasingly contested international waters threaten the security and prosperity of the United States and its Indo-Pacific allies and partners. The Coast Guard deploys a fleet that is equivalent to the world’s 15 largest navies combined, with some 38,000 active-duty forces and more than 240 cutters. Responsible for law enforcement, marine safety, and environmental protection, the Coast Guard patrols America’s 3.4 million miles of exclusive economic zone. But the Coast Guard is also working to st...
Oct 25, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 486
Entrepreneur and presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy will discuss his vision for the defense of the American homeland, including how that vision applies in the Middle East in an address at Hudson Institute. Following his remarks, he will sit down for a fireside chat with Hudson Senior Fellow Michael Doran. About the Presidential Speech Series: The 2024 presidential election will coincide with a time of fundamental global transition. From the ongoing war in Europe to the Chinese Communist Part...
Oct 25, 2023•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 485
The Western-led international system faces a major test. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine 20 months ago harkens back to the major wars on European soil last century, while Hamas’s gruesome attack on Israel is a stark reminder of the threat of state-supported terrorism. From the Balkans to the Caucasus and from the Philippines to Taiwan, the number of real and potential global flashpoints is multiplying at an alarming speed. In this new geopolitical landscape, maintaining a favorable balan...
Oct 19, 2023•39 min•Ep. 484
This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of the world’s first oil shock, when the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) declared an embargo on oil shipments to Western countries. Oil prices quadrupled in the next few months, but the embargo’s consequences for energy, domestic politics, and international relations were bigger and longer lasting than the price spike at the pump. Join Hudson Senior Fellows Brigham McCown and Arthur Herman as they explore the past and present of...
Oct 18, 2023•2 hr 43 min•Ep. 483
The international system is less stable than at any time in recent decades. In the Middle East, Israel is taking the offensive in response to Hamas’s unconscionable terrorist attacks on the Jewish holiday of Shemini Atzeret. In Europe, Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine shows no signs of abating after 20 months of grinding conflict. And from the Balkans to the Caucasus, long-festering tensions risk exploding into all-out war. In these trying times, the transatlantic alliance is crucial for ...
Oct 17, 2023•51 min•Ep. 482
The United States began working to prevent the Chinese Communist Party’s illicit surveillance of Americans through Chinese-made telecom equipment long before the infamous spy balloon traversed the continental US. Yet in the past two decades, thousands of state and local governments in the US have purchased potentially compromised devices. This threat extends beyond America’s borders as countries across the globe—including those that host US military bases—have turned to Chinese companies like Hu...
Oct 12, 2023•52 min•Ep. 481
Governor Doug Burgum will deliver a foreign policy address at Hudson Institute. Following his remarks, the governor will sit down for a “fireside chat” with Hudson President and CEO John P. Walters.
Oct 11, 2023•1 hr 30 min•Ep. 480
Senator Tim Scott will deliver a speech at the Hudson Institute about standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Israel, wiping Hamas off the map, and confronting those who are enabling terrorism. Following the remarks, Senator Scott will sit down for a conversation with Hudson Senior Fellow Michael Doran.
Oct 10, 2023•56 min•Ep. 479
Mobile wireless services have been central to America and its allies’ economic growth and national security over the past three decades. Billions of people, including many of the world’s poorest, use wireless services daily. New services such as 5G depend on spectrum availability, and countries like China are making far more of the spectrum available for new technologies than the United States. America’s economic growth, social welfare, and national security depend on its ability to find more sp...
Oct 10, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 479
Under the cover of heavy rocket fire, hundreds of terrorists belonging to Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad invaded Israel from Gaza in the early hours of Saturday, October 7. They breached two security fences and stormed in by foot, jeep, motorcycle, and paraglider; yet they encountered virtually no resistance from the Israeli military. The terrorists murdered hundreds of civilians and left close to 2,000 wounded. They took an undisclosed number of soldiers and civilians captive, including wo...
Oct 09, 2023•52 min•Ep. 478
The United States military faces multiple intensifying challenges. China, a peer adversary, has eroded the US military’s post–Cold War dominance and threatens the sovereignty and economic prosperity of the US and its allies and partners around the globe. Facing flat budgets, the Pentagon is pursuing resilience, flexibility, interoperability, and affordable scale to gain an edge. Far from the exquisite precision strikes of Operation Desert Storm, US forces will need to assemble kill chains in the...
Oct 04, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 477
On September 19, Azerbaijan launched a rapid military operation to take full control of Karabakh, a region that is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, but which is home to tens of thousands of Armenians. What led to Azerbaijan’s latest move? What are the move’s implications? Will it bring Armenia and Azerbaijan closer to a lasting peace? To answer these questions, Hudson Senior Fellows Michael Doran and Luke Coffey host a discussion with Ambassador Elchin Amirbayov, representative ...
Oct 04, 2023•49 min•Ep. 476
Pentagon leaders largely view the Indo-Pacific through an air and maritime lens. But in the region, armies are the dominant military branch in national security priorities and doctrine. This gives the United States Army an opportunity to build relationships with its counterparts across the Indo-Pacific and establish security infrastructure for use in future conflicts. The resilience these “interior lines” provide could be decisive in deterring aggression. Join Hudson Senior Fellows Bryan Clark a...
Sep 25, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 475
Xi Jinping’s revanchist nationalism has led European officials to rethink their China policies, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has ended any chance of a Russia-Japan entente. Europe, Japan, and Australia increasingly work together to support Ukraine, conduct combined military exercises and development, and enact policies to de-risk their industrial bases from Chinese economic coercion. Hudson’s Japan Chair will host Eva Maydell, a member of the European Parliament and vice chair of the Delegat...
Sep 25, 2023•58 min•Ep. 474
Due to the Biden administration’s failed policies, the Taliban controls control more of Afghanistan today than it did on September 11, 2001. Meanwhile, transnational terrorist groups such as al-Qaeda and the Islamic State Khorasan (IS-K) have increased their scale and activity in the country. Since the Taliban’s return to power, one credible and non-extremist group has been willing to take up arms in opposition: the National Resistance Front (NRF) of Afghanistan. Based in the Panjshir province a...
Sep 21, 2023•53 min•Ep. 473
Quantum computing, with its ability to quickly solve highly complex problems, promises to be a technological leap over current technology. This advantage could be applied in sectors that demand high degrees of optimization, such as financial trading, pharmaceutical design, and information encryption. Thus, quantum computing has serious industrial and security implications. Hudson Institute’s Japan Chair will host Professor Kohei Itoh—one of the pioneers of Japanese quantum computing and the pres...
Sep 21, 2023•59 min•Ep. 472
The Chinese government has developed a set of remarkably innovative economic tools to shape the behavior of individuals, companies, and governments and bring them in line with Beijing’s core interests. To counter China’s authoritarian power projection, democratic governments need to band together to establish guardrails on international economic behavior. Join Hudson Senior Fellow Nury Turkel and Axios China Reporter Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian as they discuss her new book Beijing Rules: How China ...
Sep 21, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 471
In the first installment of Hudson Institute’s Presidential Speech Series, Vice President Mike Pence will deliver a foreign policy address. About the Presidential Speech Series: The 2024 presidential election will coincide with a time of fundamental global transition. From the ongoing war in Europe to the Chinese Communist Party’s increasingly aggressive challenge to the US, the next president will need to demonstrate strong leadership, strategic thought, and the ability to craft clear policy an...
Sep 21, 2023•34 min•Ep. 470
Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, chief of the Defence Staff of the United Kingdom, is a strong defender of the US-UK relationship, a champion of Western backing for Ukraine, and a vocal advocate for reinforced deterrence in the Indo-Pacific. As the professional head of the UK’s armed forces and the principal military adviser to the prime minister and secretary of state for defence, Admiral Sir Tony works closely with his American counterparts in the Joint Chiefs of Staff to manage the defense element o...
Sep 21, 2023•42 min•Ep. 469
Join Hudson Institute’s China Center for a conversation with Ambassador Robert C. O’Brien , the co-founder and chairman of American Global Strategies LLC and the twenty-seventh United States national security advisor. China Center Director Miles Yu will moderate a discussion with Ambassador O’ Brien. The discussion will be followed by an audience Q&A and a brief reception.
Aug 17, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 468
Pentagon assessments and think tank studies continue to highlight the erosion of the United States military’s dominance over a growing and improving Chinese force. Decrying the loss of American primacy, government officials and analysts now call for dramatic increases in defense spending and greater investment in the industrial base to sustain US overmatch. But attempting to field a larger and more capable force than the People’s Liberation Army in Beijing’s backyard is likely the wrong way to d...
Aug 17, 2023•59 min•Ep. 467
Since returning to power in January, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has sought to elevate Brazil's role in global affairs, strengthen the foundations of Brazil's economy, and undo the legacy of former president Jair Bolsonaro. Join Hudson Institute for an assessment of President Lula's first seven months in office and what his leadership means for the future of Brazil and US-Brazil relations. Adjunct Fellow Daniel Batlle will be joined by Marcio Coimbra, head of the Fundação da Li...
Aug 17, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 467
The precision warfare revolution, introduced by the United States military in the First Gulf War, provided it with a major competitive advantage for several decades. Today, however, China is rapidly closing the gap—if it has not yet erased it entirely. Simultaneously, the US confronts the prospect of another disruptive shift in war’s character, or “military revolution,” enabled by advances across a wide range of technologies. Please join Hudson Senior Fellows Timothy A. Walton and Andrew Krepine...
Aug 17, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 467
