Catching China Off Guard
The December 2nd phone call between President-elect Donald Trump and Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen is the first such communication between a U.S. president or president-elect […] More
Security/Stability
Playing the Taiwan Card
On November 25th, six Chinese aircraft—two nuclear-capable H-6K bombers, two Su-30 fighters, and two surveillance planes—participated in an exercise near Taiwan’s airspace. Four of the […] More
Keane: U.S. ‘Ill-Prepared’ to Meet Threats
Weeks after declining an offer to serve in president-elect Donald Trump’s administration, retired Army Gen. Jack Keane on Tuesday testified before Congress that the United […] More
Strategic Concerns for the EU and U.S.
Russia can influence politics in Central and Eastern Europe via the energy sector. Most of the Visegrad Group countries in Central Europe, for example, are […] More
Russia’s Energy Leverage Wanes in Parts of Europe
Russia has historically used its dominance in the energy sector to influence Central and Eastern European governments. But since the Russia-Ukraine gas dispute in 2009, […] More
Russia’s Energy Influence Dropping
Russia undeniably wields some degree of influence over Central and Eastern Europe due to the high volume of energy exports it sends their way. However, […] More
Italy's Vote: A Historic Opportunity
Italians called to confirm or reject Prime Minister Matteo Renzi’s constitutional reform on December 4 may be under the impression that they are participating in […] More
Best Of: The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter: Game-Changer or Procurement Nightmare?
For this year’s Thanksgiving Day feature, The Cipher Brief revisits its coverage of the innovation and procurement challenges behind the F-35 Lighting II. As production […] More
Lessons to be Learned
For this year’s Thanksgiving Day feature, The Cipher Brief revisits its coverage of the innovation and procurement challenges behind the F-35 Lighting II. As production […] More
The Security Clearance Process Might Need a Revamp
As the security clearance process comes under the microscope during President-elect Donald Trump’s transition, some experts and former intelligence community members say the system for […] More
Securing a Seamless Presidential Transition
The recent election of a new President and Vice President of the United States marks the beginning of another transition period at the White House. […] More
Cybersecurity and Privacy: Two Sides of the Same Coin
The balance between privacy and security in the digital age will be a key cybersecurity challenge for the next administration, according to former Homeland Security […] More
Syria: Options Remain If America is Willing to Take Them
One of the biggest foreign policy challenges that President-elect Donald Trump will face is Syria. Here are how things look on the ground today and […] More
The U.S. Military: Ready or Not?
In a September 7th speech, then-candidate Donald Trump described his vision for the future of the American military. “As soon as I take office, I […] More
U.S. Army: Regaining Lost Ground
By some analyses, the U.S. Army has fared the worst in terms of diminished readiness. Fifteen years of operations in the Middle East and budget […] More
Spain's New Fully-Functioning Government May Not Work
Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy was recently reinstated to form a minority government, following a ten-month period of political deadlock in which no party could […] More
Modi: Modernizing India
In an announcement that caught many by surprise, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the government would discontinue its two largest currency denominations in an […] More
India: A Stronger Country with Stronger Relationships
Since becoming prime minister in 2014, Narendra Modi has pursued a more prominent and active role for India on the world stage in a bid […] More