CNA Talks: A National Security Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Moving at the Speed of Innovation — Regulating Package Delivery Drones Aug 16, 2023

Show notes

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 Traffic Simulation (UCATS), and how it can help the FAA and local stakeholders fairly regulate package delivery drone operations.

Guest Biographies

Rebekah Yang is Systems Engineer with CNA's Center for Data Management Analytics and the lead engineer on this model. She is an artificial intelligence and machine learning expert for the Federal Aviation Administration's Office of NextGen and a data visualization and modeling specialist.

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

Mark Lesko is a Research Scientist with CNA's Center for Enterprise Systems Modernization. He is an expert in FAA and traditional air traffic management, and supports the FAA Command Center in Warrenton, VA.

Further Reading

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

CNA: Simulation Applications for Forecasting Effective Responses in Corrections (Safer-C™): A COVID-19 Disease Spread Model

Alliance Wedge Strategies: Russia Aug 02, 2023

Show notes

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 an expert on security issues in the former Soviet Union, the Russian military, Russian foreign policy, and ethnic politics and identity. He is also an associate at the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies at Harvard University.

Angela Stent is Director of the Center for Eurasian, Russian and East European Studies and Professor of Government and Foreign Service at Georgetown University. She is also a Senior Fellow (non-resident) at the Brookings Institution and co-chairs its Hewett Forum on Post-Soviet Affairs.

Further Reading

CNA Report: Countering Chinese and Russian Alliance Wedge Strategies

Alliance Wedge Strategies: China Jul 19, 2023

Show notes

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, and Programs Division. Dr. Wallsh is an expert in alliance politics, Middle East security, and US security cooperation programs.

April Herlevi is a Senior Research Scientist in CNA's China and Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Division. Dr. Herlevi is an expert on the People's Republic of China's (PRC) foreign and security policy, economic statecraft for technology acquisition, and the increasing role of PRC commercial, economic, and military actors globally.

Twitter: @herlevi1

Andrew Taffer is a Research Fellow with the Center for the Study of Chinese Military Affairs within the Institute for National Strategic Studies (INSS) at NDU. Prior to arriving at INSS, Dr. Taffer was a Research Scientist in the China and Indo-Pacific Security Affairs division at the Center for Naval Analyses.

Toshi Yoshihara is a Senior Fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments. Dr. Yoshihara was previously the inaugural John A. van Beuren Chair of Asia-Pacific Studies and a Professor of Strategy at the U.S. Naval War College.

Further Reading

CNA Report: Countering Chinese and Russian Alliance Wedge Strategies

CNA InDepth: The US Advances Its Pacific Partnership Strategy in Micronesia

National Security Seminar: Artificial Intelligence in Nuclear Operations Jul 05, 2023

Show notes

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 Control, Verification, and Compliance, US Department of State

Paul Scharre, Vice President and Director of Studies and military uses of AI Expert, CNAS

Timothy P. McDonnell, Research Analyst and nuclear weapons policy expert, Strategy and Policy Analysis Program,

Larry Lewis, Principal Research Scientist and AI expert, Special Activities and Analysis Program, CNA

Cheap Commercial Drones and the War in Ukraine Jun 21, 2023

Show notes

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-made drones in Ukraine—how this impacts dynamics on the ground and what this may reveal about the broader Russian war effort.

Related Resources

Guest Biography

Samuel Bendett is an Advisor with CNA's Russia Studies Program. His research focuses on Russian defense and technology developments; uncrewed, robotic, and autonomous military systems; artificial intelligence; and Russian military capabilities. His analysis of Russia's war against Ukraine has appeared in globally-read news outlets such as VICE and The Washington Post.

Further Reading

CNA Report: Russia's Use of Uncrewed Systems in Ukraine

Not Just Nuclear Weapons: How China Views Strategic Deterrence Jun 07, 2023

Show notes

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 Biographies

Brian Waidelich is a Research Scientist with CNA's Indo-Pacific Security Affairs division. His research focuses on focuses on Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) organization and Indo-Pacific maritime and space security issues.

Timothy Ditter is a Research Scientist with 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: PRC Writings on Strategic Deterrence

CNA Report: Artificial Intelligence in Nuclear Operations

Why Hasn't Russia Established Air Superiority? May 24, 2023

Show notes

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 Justin Bronk join John Stimpson, to examine Russian air operations during the Ukraine War and ask what lessons policy makers can learn from them.

Guest Biographies

Justin Bronk is the Senior Research Fellow for Airpower and Technology in the Military Sciences team at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), and the Editor of the RUSI Defence Systems online journal. His areas of expertise include the modern combat air environment, Russian and Chinese ground-based air defences and fast jet capabilities, the air war during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, unmanned combat aerial vehicles and novel weapons technology.

Twitter: @Justin_Br0nk

Julian G. Waller is an associate Research analyst in CNA's Russia Studies program. He is expert in the politics of authoritarian regimes in post-Soviet Eurasia and Europe, with a focus on Russian and Ukrainian domestic political institutions and their relation to political-military issues. At CNA, he has developed reports on Russian military strategy, political media analysis and domestic artificial intelligence developments.

Twitter: @JulianWaller

Further Reading

CNA Report - Russian Combat Air Strengths and Limitations: Lessons from Ukraine

How Can Jurisdictions Secure Their Elections? May 10, 2023

Show notes

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 available to them and how to ensure their voters are confident in the results.

Guests

Matt Masterson served as Senior Cybersecurity Advisor at the Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (known as CISA), where he focused on election security issues. He previously served as a Commissioner at the Election Assistance Commission from December 2014 until March 2018, including serving as the Commission's Chairman in 2017-2018.

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. She has worked on a large array of emergency preparedness issues including: biological attacks, active shooters, large-scale evacuations, medical evacuations, earthquakes and tsunamis, mass casualty chemical incidents, public health outbreaks and cyberattacks.

Sabrina Verleysen is an expert in government relations and Indonesian civilian-military relations. She collaborates regularly on business development lifecycle activities and executes strategic initiatives, events, and engagements. In addition, she supports projects funded by the Department of State that focus on civilian harm mitigation.

Further Reading

Learn more about election security preparations using workshops, drills, and tabletop exercises on CNA.org.

If you'd like to receive updates about upcoming election security seminars please email electionsecurity@cna.org.

Exploring Drones as Tools for Public Safety Apr 26, 2023

Show notes

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 successfully implement drones into their public safety and emergency response plans.

Guest Biographies

Marina Chumakov Rozenblat is the Chief Scientist for CNA's Center for Data Management and Analytics. She is an expert in data management, cybersecurity, uncrewed aircraft systems, and aviation applications of AI and machine learning.

Addam Jordan is the Chief Scientist for CNA's Center for Enterprise Systems Modernization. He specializes in new entrants, uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS), artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity.

Further Reading

CNA Spotlight: The Glorious Future of Unmanned Aircraft Systems

The Largest Protest Movement in Israel's History Apr 12, 2023

Show notes

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 effective and what this portends for Prime Minster Netanyahu's administration.

Samuel Plapinger is a Research Scientist with CNA's Special Activities and Intelligence program. He is an expert on strategic competition, irregular warfare, combat effectiveness, insurgency, terrorism, and Middle East security.

Episode Links

CNA InDepth: Israel's New Government Is the Most Far-right in Its History

National Security Seminar: Artificial Intelligence in Nuclear Operations

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