Can the U.S. Navy Maintain an “Around the World” Presence?
Ray Mabus, who was navy secretary during both Obama Administrations and held that post longer than anyone since World War I, discussed innovation in the […] More
Navy
The Battle of Midway Still Teaches the Value of Intelligence, Decisive Action
June 4 marks the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Midway, the greatest naval battle in American history and the turning point of World War […] More
Asian Nations Arming for Underwater War
When U.S. President Donald Trump told Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte that the U.S. had two submarines in the waters near Korea, it began a controversy […] More
Asian Sub Spending Spree Raises Risks of Mistakes, Escalation
For more than a decade, Asian countries have been on a submarine spending spree. Some countries are updating obsolete vessels while others are purchasing submarines […] More
Best Of: Aircraft Carriers: Bigger is Better
Editor’s Note: For this year’s Memorial Day feature, The Cipher Brief revisits its coverage examining the future of U.S. aircraft carriers. As I write, the […] More
Best Of: The Time is Right for Light Carriers
Editor’s Note: For this year’s Memorial Day feature, The Cipher Brief revisits its coverage examining the future of U.S. aircraft carriers. Some planners advocate building […] More
Sizing Up America’s Aircraft Carriers of the Future
Editor’s Note: For this year’s Memorial Day feature, The Cipher Brief revisits its coverage examining the future of U.S. aircraft carriers. America’s largest warships have […] More
Georgetown Salon Series: A Tale of Two Seas
The South China and East China Seas present flashpoints for maritime conflict, though the assembled experts at The Cipher Brief’s Georgetown Salon Series could not […] More
Defining the Ends, Means, and Ways of SCS Strategy
Since China undertook a massive artificial island building program in 2013 with the intention of militarizing the islands, the U.S. has grown increasingly worried about […] More
Little Margin for Error in South China Sea Policy
President Donald Trump and his cabinet are now responsible for U.S. policy on one of Asia’s most contentious regions: The South China Sea. While China’s […] More
Red Lines and Red Carpets in the South China Sea
Few security challenges are as vexing as the South China Sea. With multiple claimants and murky claims, the contours of the conflict can be difficult […] More
Reality Has Got to Set In: The Trump Administration and the Defense Budget
For a moment, try to ignore President Donald Trump’s tweets and rambling speeches and let’s look at what the Trump administration may be thinking about […] More
Land, Sea, and Air: U.S. Military Readiness in the Navy and Marine Corps
The crash of a MV-22B off of Okinawa on December 13, 2016 occurred during one of the most difficult tasks a Marine aviator can do […] More
U.S. Navy Readiness: The Fleet’s Problems Are Not Fleeting
With important global roles during times of peace and war, U.S. Navy ships and sailors must be ready to deploy anywhere in the world on […] More
Trump in East Asia: No Time for Spring Training
President-elect Donald Trump’s first meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe appears to have gone smoothly, though it remains too soon to say what policies […] More
In the Strait of Hormuz, Little has Changed with Iran
When the Iran nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was signed in July 2015, you might have been forgiven for […] More
Pushing the Boundaries
Iran’s supreme leader implemented a dramatic overhaul of Iranian military leadership in June 2016, and in so doing, effectively consolidated control of the Iranian military […] More
The Risk of Miscalculation
According to U.S. Navy officials, confrontations between American and Iranian naval vessels in the Persian Gulf have risen by roughly 50 percent. This despite the […] More