CNA Talks: A National Security Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Independence Day Special: The Continental Navy's Legacy Jul 03, 2024

Show notes

The United States Navy is the most powerful naval force on earth, able to project power in every corner of the globe, but this mighty forces has humble beginings.

Just in time for Independence Day, Steve Wills, joins the show to discuss the Continetial Navy's role in the American Revolution and how its legacy is reflected in the modern day US Navy.

Biographies

Steven Wills is an expert in U.S. Navy strategy and policy, and U.S. Navy surface warfare programs and platforms. As a Navy historian, his research interests include the history of U.S. Navy strategy development over the Cold War and immediate post-Cold War eras, and the post-World War II Navy surface fleet. He is also the Navalist for the Center for Maritime Strategy at the Navy League.

Vladimir Putin's New Defense Minister Andrey Belousov Jun 05, 2024

Show notes

The Russian Federation is an example of a large authoritarian state whose military is subordinate to its civil government. But since the onset of the War in Ukraine, tensions have been growing between civilian and military leaders.

In this episode, Julian Waller joins John to discuss the current state of civil-military relations in Russia's government and how the Wagner Group rebellion fits into this puzzle.

Biography

Julian G. Waller is a Research Analyst with CNA's Russia Studies Program. He is an expert in the politics of authoritarian regimes in post-Soviet Eurasia and Europe, focusing on Russian and Ukrainian domestic political institutions and their relation to political-military issues.

Further Reading

CNA: Russian Military Logistics in the Ukraine War

China's Economic Activities in Africa May 08, 2024

Show notes

Over the past 20 years, the People's Republic of China has invested billions of dollars in African nations. But what impact have these investments had on the continent, and how have things changed in the wake of the dual global shocks of the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia's invasion of Ukraine?

Tim Ditter joins the show to answer these questions and discuss his research into China's presence in Africa.

Guest Biographies

Timothy Ditter is a 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: PRC Illicit and Malign Activities in Africa

CNA: PRC Lending in Africa

The Impact of Extreme Weather on Vulnerable Populations Apr 24, 2024

Show notes

Climate change increases the frequency, severity, and cost of extreme weather events. However, these events are not felt by everyone equally. Existing inequalities in our society exasperate the risks for vulnerable populations.

In this episode, Leola Abrahams and Mark Roberts discuss how extreme weather events impact older adults and Native Americans and how protecting our most vulnerable populations protects everyone.

Biographies

Leola Abraham is the program manager of CNA's Center for Vulnerable Population Protection. She focuses on climate change, emergency management, public health, and justice reform. Leola is a senior communications practitioner with over 20 years of professional experience advising federal, state, and local government leaders, nonprofit organizations, and universities to deliver national and global programs and campaigns.

Mark Roberts is a Research Scientist with CNA's Center for Justice Research and Innovation and an expert in domestic safety and security. He is a certified GIS Professional specializing in geospatial and supply chain analyses. His past work for CNA includes developing and facilitating a hybrid workshop for the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine on prioritizing infrastructure resilience along the Gulf of Mexico.

Further Reading

CNA: The Impacts of Extreme Weather on Older Adults

Conventional Missiles in the Ukraine War Apr 10, 2024

Show notes

The Russia‑Ukraine war marks the first large‑scale deployment and use of conventional ballistic and cruise missile technology. Because of this, the theater has become a test bed for missile technology and strategy and has revealed the strengths and weaknesses of contemporary missile forces and doctrines.

In this episode, Fabien Hoffman and Gabriela Rosa Hernandez join the show to discuss how both sides have used conventional weapons during the Ukraine War and the war's impact on strategic stability.

Biographies

Fabian Hoffmann is a Doctoral Research Fellow at the Oslo Nuclear Project (ONP). His research focuses on missile technology, nuclear strategy, and defense policy. His Ph.D. project examines the implications of conventional long-range strike weapons on nuclear strategy.

Gabriela Iveliz Rosa Hernandez is an Associate Research Analyst at the CNA Russia Studies Program. Her research centers on security orders, deterrence issues, and Russia's security policy, supplemented by her significant in-country experience living in Russia, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, and other countries in the region. Her commentary has been featured in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Time Magazine, and other media.

Further Reading

CNA: Strategic Stability and the Ukraine War Implications of Conventional Missile Technologies

Department of the Navy Deputy Principal Cyber Advisor Joshua Reiter on the Department's Cyber Strategy Mar 27, 2024

Show notes

Military operations in the physical domains all depend on the cyber domain. To ensure the success of traditional naval capabilities, the Navy and Marine Corps must project power in and through cyberspace while defending their systems and assets from adversary cyber capabilities. The side that most effectively sequences and synchronizes cyber effects will have a decisive advantage.

Department of the Navy (DON) Deputy Principal Cyber Advisor Joshua Reiter and CNA's Ariel Michelman-Ribeiro join the show to discuss the DON Cyber Strategy.

Guest Biographies

Ariel Michelman-Ribeiro is a Principal Research Scientist in the Cyber, IT Systems, and Networks Program and has been with CNA for 13 years. In addition to directing projects, she is also CNA's Cyber Research Coordinator.

Joshua Reiter is the Deputy Principal Cyber Advisor (PCA) for the Department of the Navy, In this role, he is responsible for supporting the PCA in advising the Secretary of the Navy, Chief of Naval Operations, and Commandant of the Marine Corps, and implementing the Department of Defense Cyber Strategy within the Department of the Navy.

Further Reading

Department of the Navy Cyber Strategy

Zero Trust: Modernizing in a Classified Environment Mar 13, 2024

Show notes

In an age when the risks of cyberattacks are increasingly clear, the Zero Trust security model, built on the principle of "never trust, always verify," is the new standard for cyber security. Like many organizations, CNA is working to implement the model throughout our organization.

Rizwan Jan, CNA's Chief Information Officer, and cybersecurity expert Adam Monsalve join the show to discuss CNA's journey to implement Zero Trust, how we can use that experience, and how we have leveraged this experience to better serve our clients and sponsors.

Biographies

Rizwan Jan is CNA's Chief Information Officer. He leads our technology and security practices while strengthening information systems. As CIO, he ensures the delivery of all information and technology capabilities required to successfully achieve CNA's mission.

Adam Monsalve is a Systems Engineer at CNA's Center for Enterprise Systems Modernization. He is a cybersecurity expert who specializes in the intersection of uncrewed technologies and cybersecurity for multiple federal government clients.

Further Reading

NIST: Zero Trust Architecture

CISA: Zero Trust Maturity Model

Civilian Harm Mitigation is a Moral Imperative and a Strategic Priority Feb 28, 2024

Show notes

The DOD Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response Action Plan (CHMR-AP) represents a significant step forward for global efforts to reduce civilian harm. The plan recognizes that reducing civilian harm is not just a moral imperative but a strategic priority. It lays out concrete steps that the Department of Defense can take to mitigate civilian harm caused by its operations.

Larry Lewis, Marla Keenan, and Sabrina Verleysen join John Stimpson in this episode. They discuss the CHMR-AP and the decades of work on civilian harm mitigation that made it possible.

Biographies

Dr. Larry Lewis is a Principal Research Scientist in CNA's Operations Division. Dr. Lewis spearheaded the first data-based approach to protecting civilians in conflict by analyzing military operational data in conjunction with open-source data. He has worked extensively with militaries—including the U.S., NATO allies, and key U.S. partners—to help reduce civilian harm in their operations and strengthen their institutional capacity to mitigate such harm.

Marla Keenan is a Principal Advisor to CNA and an expert in human security, the protection of civilians, civilian harm mitigation and response, and civil-military relations in armed conflict. She has conducted high-level advocacy with international and regional organizations, including the United Nations, African Union, and NATO. She formerly led all international programs for the Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC), working directly with civilians caught in conflict and militaries to support improved protection outcomes.

Sabrina Verleysen is a Senior Specialist in Strategic Development and brings expertise in government relations and Indonesian civilian-military relations. She supports the CHM portfolio as an analyst, builds partnerships, and convenes interagency stakeholders to improve information sharing and collaboration on CHMR.

Further Reading

DOD: Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response Action Plan

CNA: Civilian Harm Mitigation

How Can Emergency Managers Best Utilize Social Media? Feb 14, 2024

Show notes

Climate Change is increasing both the frequency and severity of extreme weather events. Because of this, it is more important than ever that emergency management officials utilize every tool available to them to communicate effectively and clearly with the public.

Jamie Biglow and Heather Marshall from CNA's Center for Emergency Management Operations join John Stimpson. They discuss how state and local officials can use social media before, during, and after a crisis to build trust with their communities, disseminate vital information, and counter misinformation.

Biographies

Jamie Biglow is a Project Manager with CNA's Center for Emergency Management Operations.

Heather Marshall is a Senior Research Specialist with CNA's Center for Emergency Management Operations.

Further Reading

CNA: Best Practices in Social Media Crisis Communications for State and Local Emergency Management Agencies

A New Tool to Protect First Responders Jan 31, 2024

Show notes

As cities across the country become more networked and connected with smart sensors, more data is available to first responders than ever before. But how can this data be interpreted efficiently in emergencies where every second counts?

In this episode, John Crissman and Shaelynn Hales from CNA and Godfrey Nolan, founder and CEO of RIIS LLC, join the show. We discuss their award-winning First Responder Awareness Monitoring during Emergencies (FRAME) System, which takes in data from these sensors, uses machine learning to interpret the information, and aggregates that into a common data view to increase emergency situational awareness.

Guest Biographies

Shaelynn Hales is the Managing Director of CNA's Center for Data Management Analytics. She is an expert in systems engineering, data management, data analytics, and integrated program management support.

John Crissman is a Research Analyst in CNA's Center for Data Management Analytics. He is an expert in artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and natural language processing.

Godfrey Nolan is the Founder and President of RIIS LLC.

Further Reading

Business Wire: Groundbreaking Innovations Unveiled: Winners Announced for the AI3 Prize Competition