Recent Articles

Special Commentary - Fighting the "Islamic State": The Case for U.S. Ground Forces Dr. David E. Johnson Special Commentary Document by US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "This article argues counterinsurgency wars are not analogous to the challenges presented by the Islamic State. The United States needs to accept the nature of the war it is in, and undertake a clear and comprehensive assessment of the means necessary for strategic success. Such an assessment will make apparent the need to commit US ground combat forces."

From Frozen Ties to Strategic Engagement: U.S.-Iranian Relationship in 2030 Mr Roman Muzalevsky Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "Locked in a confrontational stance lasting more than 3 decades, the United States and Iran have failed repeatedly to transform their hostile relationship. The ongoing nuclear talks, however, offer better prospects of not only addressing Iran’s nuclear program challenges, but also developing a mutually beneficial strategic relationship between the United States and Iran in the long term. Why are these prospects better today? According to Mr. Roman Muzalevsky, the coming to power of new presidential administrations in both countries, the additional sanctions under the Barack Obama administration, game-changing regional trends, as well as U.S.-Iranian economic and security cooperation imperatives, have all facilitated an interim nuclear deal, prompting talks of a promising start in U.S.-Iranian ties that, if cultivated, could turn into a strategic détente by 2030."

The Gulf Moment: Arab Relations Since 2011 Dr Florence Gaub Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "Within only 4 years, the “Arab Spring” has turned into a regional power play. The regional landscape has shifted not only once or twice but three times in a very short time frame. The first shock to the regional system, which occurred in 2011, removed four decade-old regimes; the second brought Islamism as a political force to the forefront in first Tunisia and later Egypt and Libya; and the third saw the return of revisionist forces following the removal of Egypt’s President Mohamed Morsi from power, the power-sharing agreement in Tunisia, and the persistence of Bashar al-Assad in Syria. With every wave of change at the domestic level, the regional implications of the Arab Spring became more and more pronounced, and, by 2014, visible in military and diplomatic terms."

Gold, Blood, and Power: Finance and War Through the Ages Mr James Lacey Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "This monograph presents a survey of the crucial link between state (national) power and finance from the ancient era through the present day. Cicero once said that the true sinew of war was “endless streams of money.” His observation remains as accurate today as it was when Rome first began constructing its Empire. "

Collins Center Update - Volume 17, Issue 2 (Winter 2015) Professor James Shufelt, Professor Bernard F. Griffard, Lieutenant Colonel Donald Travis, CDR Ed “Cliffy” Zukowski, USN, Bill Waddell, Professor B.F. Griffard, Professor Bert B. Tussing, Major Dennis Davis, Major Joe Chretien, Mr. Rob Clements, Colonel Martin C. Clausen, Lieutenant Colonel Brent Kauffman, Professor John A. Bonin, Ph.D Collins Center Update by the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership

United Nations Peacekeeping Missions Military Reconnaissance Unit Manual United Nations Peacekeeping Missions Manual by the US Army War College, Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute, United Nations "This first edition of the United Nations (UN) Reconnaissance Unit Manual provides field commanders and their staff a guide for planning and conducting UN Reconnaissance Unit operations in support of UN peacekeeping Missions. Field Missions and UN Headquarters planners will also benefit from a common understanding of the employment, capabilities, tasks and organization of UN Reconnaissance Units as they develop the Statement of Unit Requirement (SUR) that is the basis for generating and deploying UN military units (see the sample of a previously-issued SUR at Annex A)."

A Russian View on Landpower Mr Keir Giles, Maj Gen Aleksandr V Rogovoy Letort Paper by US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "In a time of rapid change for the U.S. Army, it is essential to retain awareness of how potential adversaries are also developing their concepts of Landpower. This Letort Paper, written by an influential Russian general, lays out an authoritative view on the importance of substantial conventional land forces, as seen from Moscow."

Another Brick in the Wall: The Israeli Experience in Missile Defense Dr Jean-Loup Samaan Letort Paper by US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "Over the last years, missile defense has resurfaced as a major feature of the strategic debate in the United States and among its close allies. In 2010, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Summit of Heads of State saw intense discussions among transatlantic partners on the strategic value of missile defense alongside the traditional deterrence means of the Alliance. But if these transatlantic debates are for the most part still speculative, for many years, one close American ally has already faced the concrete and immediate challenge of defending its territory against missiles and rockets—Israel."

Parsing Chinese-Russian Military Exercises Dr Richard Weitz Letort Paper by US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "China and Russia have engaged in an increasing number of joint exercises in recent years. These drills aim to help the two countries deter, and if necessary defeat, potential threats—such as Islamist terrorists trying to destabilize Central Asian governments—while also reassuring their allies that China and Russia will protect them from such threats. Furthermore, the recurring exercises, and other joint Russia-China military activities, have a mutual reassurance function insofar as they inform Moscow and Beijing about the other’s military potential and thereby build mutual confidence."