CNA Talks: A National Security Podcast

CNA's Phil E. DePoy Award recognizes analytic excellence, harmonious relations with colleagues and clients, and dedication to this organization. The ideal candidate produces consistently superb analysis, communicates effectively to expert and lay audiences alike, leads teams well, and influences the thinking and decisions of sponsors through their work. In this episode, this year's winner, Jerry M...

Companies, including Amazon, UPS, and Domino's are all investing in package delivery drones. These systems represent a significant paradigm shift from the current air traffic control model. With the private sector moving at the speed of innovation, the government will need new tools to regulate this new airspace. In this episode, we discuss CNA's new agent-based model, UAS Cooperative Airspace Tra...

In great power strategic competition, states deploy wedge strategies to divide, weaken, and prevent opposing alliances. In part two of a two-part series on the topic, host David Wallsh moderates a discussion on Russia's wedge strategies in the Global South and how the United States can address this challenge. Dmitry Gorenburg is a Senior Research Scientist with CNA's Russia Studies program. He is...

In great power strategic competition, states deploy wedge strategies to divide, weaken, and prevent opposing alliances. In part one of a two-part series on the topic, host David Wallsh moderates a discussion on Chinese wedge strategies in the Indo-Pacific and how the United States can address this challenge. Biographies  David Wallsh is a Senior Research Scientist in CNA's Strategy, Policy, Plans,...

On April 20, 2023, CNA's National Security Seminar (NSS) series hosted a virtual panel discussion on the challenges, opportunities, and risks of incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) into nuclear operations. The event was centered on a recently released CNA report, Artificial Intelligence in Nuclear Operations.  Guest Biographies Mallory Stewart, Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Arms Con...

High-end, long-range combat drones like the MQ-1 Predator can fly for thousands of miles and strike adversaries from far away. They are also extremely expensive—one MQ1 costs $20 million—and manufacturing takes time.   Such drones are in short supply in Russia, creating a gap in Russian military capabilities. But Russia has adapted. This episode examines Russian use of cheap commercial and foreign...

For decades, competition between the United States and Russia has defined strategic deterrence. But as China emerges as the greatest rival to the United States, it is worth examining how Beijing views the concept. In this episode we examine how China's military and civilian analysts are writing about strategic deterrence, and how new technologies and domains impact their perception. Guest Biograph...

One of the defining features of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, has been the inability of the much larger and more advanced Russian Aerospace Forces to establish air superiority in the conflict. This surprised analysts and prompted a widespread reconsideration of the services' capabilities as well as the potential threat it poses to NATO countries. In this episode CNA's Julian Waller and RUSI's Just...

Free and fair elections are an essential of the democratic process, but in recent years foreign inference and disinformation have shaken voters trust in the electoral system. In this episode, guest host Sabrina Verleysen, sits down with CNA's Dawn Thomas and former Elections Assistance Commissioner Matt Masterson. They discuss how jurisdictions can secure their elections, what resources are availa...

Drones have become a ubiquitous part of our society, used by everyday people for fun or as part of their business. The potential of these tools seems limitless but one area that is less discussed is how they can be used by first responders and emergency managers to help keep the public safe. In this episode Addam Jordan and Marina Rozenblat join John Stimpson. To discuss how jurisdiction can succe...

For the past 3 months Israel has experienced the largest mass protest movement in its history. The demonstrators oppose judicial reforms which, if enacted, would give the government greater control over appointing Supreme Court judges and allow its parliament to overrule supreme court decisions. In this episode, Samuel Plapinger returns to the podcast to discuss the protests, why they have been so...

In this episode, Dmirtry Gorenburg and Steve Wills join John Stimpson. They discuss Finland and Sweden's NATO accession and what it means for the alliance and for Russia. Dmitry Gorenburg is a Senior Research Scientist with CNA's Russia Studies program . He is an expert on security issues in the former Soviet Union, the Russian military, Russian foreign policy, and ethnic politics and identity. He...

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 M...

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 re...

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...

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 Midd...

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 Opera...

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...

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.

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 q...

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 Securi...

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 , Directo...

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 Is...

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 di...

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.