The Pensacola Shooting: When Trust Among Allies Fails
The U.S. is considering whether it will expel more than a dozen Saudi Arabian military students after a shooting at a naval base in Pensacola, Florida last month that killed three people and injured...
View ArticleSoleimani and the True Measure of Deterrence
CONVERSATION STARTER — Few would argue that the January 3 drone strike that killed Iranian General and Quds Force Commander General Qassem Soleimani was a bold move. The overt nature by which the...
View ArticleThe US Deal with the Taliban
The United States signed a peace agreement with Taliban leaders on Saturday that is intended to end the US’ 18-year involvement in Afghanistan. The deal agreed to in Doha, included the involvement of...
View ArticleOur Collective Mission on Groundhog Day
General David Petraeus (US Army, Ret) served over 37 years in the U.S. military, culminating his career with six consecutive commands, five of which were combat, including command of the...
View ArticleOSINT Global Trendline Report: COVID and the Americas
The Cipher Brief’s Open Source Trend Line Report utilizes open source data on a quarterly basis to track trends around the world that impact national and global security. We break the world down by...
View ArticleCOVID and Navigating the New Middle East Challenges
The global pandemic caused by COVID-19 has added a significant layer of uncertainty to an already complicated situation in the Middle East. The Cipher Brief turned recently to our expert Norm Roule...
View ArticleCOVID lessons from SOF to Silicon Valley
The Cipher Brief recently hosted General Joseph Votel (Ret.) for a member’s briefing on lessons learned from SOF to Silicon Valley and how the US needs to pull together to be ready for the next...
View ArticleAre We Ready for Another Shock?
OPINION — “Black swans” are events that arrive as unwelcome surprises and have significant effects on nations and societies. They can upend the status quo in politics, economics, or national security....
View ArticleThe New Dynamic Cyber Threat Environment
An attempted cyberattack on Israel’s water system in late April, just months after the global pandemic hit, prompted fears that cyber adversaries are getting even more bold in their efforts to cause...
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Russian Aims in Afghanistan
Bottom Line: Russia is accused of funding Taliban contract killings of US troops in Afghanistan. US military officials made limited accusations of Russian arms support for the Taliban in 2018, a...
View ArticleGetting to the Left of Boom in 21st Century Warfare
The author of this piece, Adam L. Silverman, PhD is a senior subject matter expert and consultant at Helios Global, Inc specializing in low intensity warfare and cultural considerations for strategy,...
View ArticleUS National Security Challenges: A Conversation Among Experts
Understanding expert perspective on where the US stands in the world with regards to national security is a key component of how The Cipher Brief keeps the security community connected. Michael...
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The Robot, the Targeter and the Future of U.S. National Security
Eric Washabaugh, Former CIA Targeting & Technology Manager Eric Washabaugh served as a targeting and technology manager at the CIA, where he served from 2006 – 2019, leading multiple inter-agency...
View ArticleAfghanistan: How Six Good Reasons Can Still Lead to a Bad Decision
Cipher Brief Expert Tim Willasey-Wilsey served for over 27 years in the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office where his focus was on South Asia and North East Asia as well as on the issues of...
View ArticleHow Iran is Winning, One Attack at a Time
EXPERT PERSPECTIVE — This week, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) issued a statement confirming that “U.S. forces at Al Dhafra Air Base, near Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), engaged two...
View ArticleThe Drone Series: A New Battle in the Air
EXPERT PERSPECTIVE: The presence of drones/UAV’s in armed conflicts as varied as Syria, Nagorno-Karabakh, and Ukraine is not only influencing military tactics and strategy but it’s also raising...
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Closing the Gap in US Cruise Missile Defenses
EXPERT PERSPECTIVE – Following recent Russian airstrikes on Kyiv, Germany sent the first of four planned IRIS-T SLM air defense systems to Ukraine. France, the UK and the Netherlands all promised to...
View ArticleDeep Tech Dominates Future Trajectory of Commerce, National Security
EXPERT ANALYSIS — Deep tech ventures have steadily gained stature as keystones of future economic and national security success. This sector nevertheless faces stiff challenges. Deep tech projects...
View ArticleDoD’s Replicator Drone Concept Builds on Lessons Learned in Ukraine
“Small, smart, cheap, and many” is the way Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks describes the characteristics of the drones that the Pentagon intends to put in the hands of warfighters in 18-24...
View ArticleThe West’s Weapons Problem: Growing Threats, Dwindling Stockpiles
SUBSCRIBER+EXCLUSIVE REPORTING — As the U.S. and NATO deepen their involvement in a pair of major global conflicts, western nations face a critical security challenge: a decline in their weapons...
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