CNA Talks: A National Security Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Creating an Air Space That is ASSUREd Safe Mar 12, 2025

Show notes

Our partners from the FAA's Center for Excellence's ASSUREd Safe join the show to discuss integrating uncrewed aerial systems into the national airspace.

Guest Biographies

BJ McClenton is the Associate Director of ASSUREd Safe, brings over 20 years of first responder and emergency service experience as a firefighter and emergency medical technician. Prior to joining ASSUREd Safe, he spent 15 years working with Mississippi State University Extension conducting adult education and outreach programs.

Michelle Hanlon is the Executive Director of the Air and Space Law Program at the University of Mississippi. She is the Editor-in-Chief of both the Journal of Space Law and the Journal of Drone Law & Policy. As a key partner with ASSURE, the FAA's Center of Excellence for UAS Research, Michelle drives advancements in drone policy, from airspace integration to beyond-visual-line-of-sight operations.

Steven Habicht is the director of CNA's Center for Enterprise Systems Modernization.

Further Reading

CNA: Agent-Based Modeling of Uncrewed Aircraft System Flight Planning for Airspace Fairness

CNA: Port Security and Emergency Response Using Autonomous Systems: Virginia Pilot Program

South Korea: Martial Law and President Yoon's Impeachment Mar 05, 2025

Show notes

This episode covers South Korean President Yoon's December 3 declaration of martial law, his impeachment, and what this means for US/ROK security cooperation.

Guest Biographies

Dr. Thomas Bickford is a principal research scientist in the CNA Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Program. His research has focused on Chinese maritime strategy, Chinese national security policy, and China's relations with its neighbors.

Carita Reid is the Research Assistant for the China and Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Division. Her research focuses on the Korean peninsula, and she is interested in the domestic environment of both Koreas, nuclear proliferation, democratization efforts, and human rights.

China's Dual Use Technology Feb 19, 2025

Show notes

This episode covers technological innovation in the People's Republic of China, including developments in AI, subsea sensors, and the commercial space industry.

Guest Biographies

April Herlevi is a senior research scientist in CNA's China and Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Division.

Christopher Cairns is a research scientist in CNA's China and Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Division.

Further Reading

Intersections: Issue 12

To subscribe to Intersections, email Intersections@cna.org.

Tackling Challenges in the Industrial Base Feb 05, 2025

Show notes

Experts from across CNA join the show to discuss their research on challenges the industrial base faces in meeting U.S. government demands.

Guest Biographies

Dr. Charles A. Cartier is a research scientist in CNA's Gaming and Integration Program. He was a lead analyst and co-designer of the CAMOLAND wargame on Clothing and Textiles for the Defense Logistics Agency.

Dawn Thomas is a co-director of the Center for Emergency Management and Operations and director of the Center for Critical Incident Analysis. She is an expert in large-scale incident planning and response.

April Cho is a research scientist in CNA's Data Science Predictive Analytics Program. She has worked on various projects supporting the Navy, including the munitions industrial base study for the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development, and Acquisition.

Further Reading

CNA Report: Camoland Clothing and Textile Industrial Base Wargame Report

The Blue Book Project

Registration Link: Blue Book TV Hosts: Planning for National Security Emergencies

Syria After Assad Jan 22, 2025

Show notes

This episode covers the fall of the Assad regime and what it means for Syria, Russia, Iran, and Turkey.

Guest Biographies

Michael Connell is a specialist in Russia and the Middle East in CNA's Russia Studies Program. His primary area of expertise is the armed forces of Iran and Russia, and he has published extensively on these topics both inside and outside of CNA.

Jeffrey Edmonds is an expert on Russia and Eurasia in CNA's Russia Studies Program. Edmonds previously served as the Senior Advisor to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, covering topics in Europe, Russia, the Middle East, and Africa. Jeff also served as acting Senior Director for Russia on the National Security Council.

Further Reading

CNA's Russia Studies Program

Ukraine Today, Taiwan Tomorrow Jan 08, 2025

Show notes

This episode covers how Taiwan applies lessons from the Ukraine War to prepare for a potential invasion from the People's Republic of China.

Guest Biographies

April A. Herlevi is a Senior Research Scientist in CNA's China Studies program. She is an expert on the People's Republic of China (PRC) foreign and security policy, economic statecraft for technology acquisition, and the increasing role of PRC commercial, economic, and military actors globally.

Dr. Pollpeter is the Director of Research at the Air University's China Aerospace Studies Institute (CASI). Kevin Pollpeter is an internationally recognized expert on China's space program and has been widely published on national security issues related to China. Before joining CASI he was the Senior Research Scientist at CNA. He previously served as the deputy director of a project on innovation and technology in China for the University of California's Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation.

Further Reading

CNA Report: Taiwan Lessons Learned from the Russia-Ukraine War

CNA's Innovation Incubator

Rebroadcast: The Navy and Strategic Competition with China Dec 25, 2024

Show notes

The Chief of Staff to the Secretary of the Navy asked CNA for recommendations on how the Navy can better position itself for such competition, that is, below the threshold of armed conflict.

In this episode, three experts from across CNA join the show to discuss their specific recommendations and what the future fleet needs to look like to implement them.

Guest Biographies

David M. Finkelstein is vice president and director of CNA's China and Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Division. A retired U.S. Army officer, he held significant China-related positions at the Pentagon as an advisor to the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Gordon Jaquith is the vice president and director of CNA's Systems, Tactics and Force Development Division. He formerly served as director of the Strategic, Defensive, and Science/Technology Division at the Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation (CAPE) office within the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

Ann Parcell is the Director of CNA's Navy Human Resources Program.

Further Reading

CNA: The Department of the Navy and Strategic Competition with the People's Republic of China

A New Tool to Analyze the Shipbuilding Plan Dec 11, 2024

Show notes

This episode covers RShiny, a CNA-funded dashboard government leaders can use to examine the Navy Shipbuilding Plan.

Guest Biographies

Rachel Hartley is a research analyst for CNA's Force Optimization and Readiness Generation program. She specializes in performance-to-plan Human Resources and addressing recruiting crises.

Further Reading

CNA's Innovation Incubator

Rebroadcast: AUKUS Nov 27, 2024

Show notes

In this episode, Ralph Espach and Stephanie Stapleton join the show to discuss their assessment of AUKUS's implementation.

Guest Biographies

Ralph Espach is an expert in U.S.-Latin American relations, U.S. security assistance and cooperation in Latin America, and the assessment, monitoring, and evaluation of U.S. strategies and programs. His work focuses on U.S. security relations across the Americas, maritime security and naval issues, U.S. security cooperation efforts, and strategic risks such as Chinese and Russian regional relations and climate change.

Stephanie Stapleton is a nuclear policy specialist. Her research topics include strategic deterrence and competition, multipolarity, nuclear arms control, risk reduction, and US nuclear policy. Before joining CNA, she was the managing editor of the academic journal Peacebuilding and Development and taught at Georgia Highlands College.

China's Military Presence in Africa Nov 13, 2024

Show notes

Timothy Ditter joins the show to discuss his report on China's military presence in Africa, including its first overseas military base in Djibouti.

Guest Biographies

Timothy Ditter is a senior research scientist in CNA's China Studies Program. His work covers PLA amphibious warfare, China's military modernization and expansion, China's growing nuclear weapons program, and China's nascent global military presence.

Further Reading

CNA Report: The Military and Security Dimensions of the PRC's Africa Presence

CNA Report: PRC Illicit and Malign Activities in Africa: Critical Infrastructure and Mining

CNA Report: PRC Lending in Africa: Impacts in a Time of Global Shocks

CNA Talks: China's Economic Activities in Africa