Author:
Ian Williams

40 items, Page 2 of 4

When Iran Attacks

On January 8, 2020, Iran used ballistic missiles to attack U.S. air bases in Iraq, in response to the U.S.-targeted killing of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force (IRGC-QF) commander Qasem Soleimani. The attack against U.S. bases in Iraq demonstrates that Tehran continues to rely on its missile forces as a tool for signaling, diplomacy,...

Catching Up: China’s Developing Military Power

For decades, China has engaged in a fervent game of “catch-up” with U.S. military capabilities. This effort, which has ballooned China’s defense spending to 620 percent of its 1990 level, is beginning to bear real fruit. While still far from achieving military parity, China’s military technology and doctrine are quickly coalescing into a coherent form of warfare,...

More Than Missiles: China Previews its New Way of War

On October 1, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) celebrated the 70th anniversary of its founding. Among the pageantry was a military parade in which the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) performed a highly orchestrated show of strength, exhibiting many of its strategic weapon systems. While China has regularly held such displays in the past, this...

Adapting NATO Missile Defense to Survive Enemy Contact

Tensions with Iran are once again high, making plain the risk of unexpected conflict between Iran and the United States. In the event of such a conflict, the United States would likely rely heavily on regional missile defense architectures like the European Phased Adaptive Approach, or EPAA, designed to protect NATO from ballistic missile attacks...

Commentary: Leaving the INF Treaty Now Is the Right Call

Recent statements by President Trump and National Security Adviser John Bolton indicate the United States may soon withdraw from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. The INF Treaty was a landmark achievement in arms control, eliminating nearly 3,000 nuclear delivery vehicles from U.S. and Soviet arsenals. Originally concluded between the United States and the...

Russia Nearing Production of New SHORAD System

The Russian news agency TASS has reported that it is preparing for “serial production” of a new mobile short-ranged air defense system, dubbed “Sosna.” TASS notes that the system is meant to replace Russia’s older Strela-10M system. Sosna can reportedly be equipped with 12 “Sosna-R” surface to air missiles, with a range of 10 kilometers...

DPRK to Permit ICAO Inspections

North Korea will reportedly admit inspectors from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to conduct in-country inspections to assess measures taken by Pyongyang to improve the safety of commercial aircraft from North Korea’s ballistic missile launches. North Korea is one of 192 members of the ICAO and is therefore obligated to give prior notice of...