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Samoa Disputed Election Amid Great Power Rivalry

/our-media/indepth/2021/05/samoa-disputed-election-amid-great-power-rivalry

A disputed election has recently plunged Samoa into a state of constitutional crisis. The outcome of this dispute may reshape the small Pacific island country’s relations with China, the United States and U.S. allies in the region.

of Samoa. A confirmed FAST electoral victory is likely to alter Samoa’s policy toward foreign powers, particularly China. China’s presence and influence over Samoa was a major campaign issue during ... released in 2019 by the Department of State and Department of Defense , respectively, articulate the desire to protect the sovereignty of Pacific island nations from coercion and corruption ... . While there are various signs of U.S.-China competition in Samoa and other Pacific island countries, it would be a mistake to characterize Samoa’s foreign policy as a simple balancing act between

To Bootstrap US Maritime Industrial Base, Link Allies and Innovators

/our-media/indepth/2025/05/to-bootstrap-us-maritime-industrial-base-link-allies-and-innovators

US commercial and naval shipbuilding cannot be revived quickly, but here are four ways US strength in innovation can link with US ally strength in shipbuilding.

and Innovators /images/InDepth/2025/05/shipbuilding-welder-metaimage.jpg Joshua Tallis Dr. Joshua Tallis is a prinicpal research scientist in CNA's Strategy and Policy Analysis Program . From 2021 to 2023, he was the field analyst to the Commander of US Sixth Fleet and Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO as part of CNA's Field Program . This commentary originally appeared in Defense News ... innovation economy. The April maritime executive order included a mandated 90-day assessment of how allies and trade policy relate to the issue of domestic shipbuilding. Yet to the extent policymakers

A U.S. View on Australia’s Role in the Indian Ocean

/our-media/indepth/2019/10/a-us-view-on-australias-role-in-the-indian-ocean

Australia plays a critical role in maintaining strategic stability in the Indian Ocean and remains one of the United States’ closest allies on economic, diplomatic, defence, and intelligence matters.

in formulating the “Indo-Pacific” concept. Yet, even with the shift in US policy focus from the Asia-Pacific to the Indo-Pacific, US regional priorities will remain firmly entrenched in the Western Pacific ... of the Trump administration, the “Indo-Pacific” phrase entered US policy documents through the December 2017 National Security Strategy, which discussed the importance for US interests of keeping this region “free and open.” The “Indo-Pacific” was subsequently referenced in the January 2018 Summary of the US National Defense Strategy. In May 2018, US Pacific Command was renamed Indo-Pacific Command

cna talks: Maritime Security in Asia

/our-media/podcasts/cna-talks/2017/maritime-security-in-asia

Dr. Dov Zakheim sits down with three CNA experts to discuss maritime issues in Asia. Bringing together a wealth of research knowledge and real-world experience in the region, Rear Admiral Michael McDevitt, U.S. Navy (ret), Mark Rosen and Catherine Lea discuss China’s maritime capabilities, the South and East China Seas, relations between the Philippines, China and the United States, Russia’s role in Asia, the relationship between the Indian Navy and the U.S. Navy and much more.

, is a senior fellow at CNA. Previously, he served as Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) and Chief Financial Officer for the U.S. Department of Defense. Rear Admiral Michael McDevitt, U.S. Navy (ret ... McDevitt spent his operational time in the Pacific and held four at-sea commands including an aircraft carrier battle-group. He was the Director of the East Asia Policy office for the Secretary of Defense during the George H.W. Bush Administration. Mark Rosen, an international and national security lawyer, is senior vice president, general counsel and board secretary at CNA. He has authored

China Readies Drone Swarms for Future War

/our-media/indepth/2025/09/china-readies-drone-swarms-for-future-war

New CNA analysis highlights China’s efforts to build and test drone swarms to fight in Taiwan and technology to defend against competitors’ drone swarms.

Congress released its 14th Five-Year Plan , covering the years 2021 to 2025. It states that “future wars will be uncrewed and intelligent” and that the PRC must “steadily advance national defense ... in PRC military spending on UAVs following the release of the 14th Five-Year Plan and stated that “increased domestic demand for military drones is driven by policy.” Recent operational advances ... writings from the last five years assess that after a late start in drone swarm development, China is catching up to—or even surpassing—the US in drone swarm technology. In 2020, state-owned defense

Japan’s F-35B Sea Trials Aim to Boost Interoperability with US, Partner Navies

/our-media/indepth/2024/11/japans-f-35b-sea-trials

Successful tests of the F-35B Joint Strike Fighter on a Japanese ship bring Japan closer to a future of close collaboration with the US Navy and Marine Corps.

for the first time. Competitor reactions to Japan's F-35Bs Japan’s effort to employ F-35Bs is one among a series of recent defense initiatives that have drawn attention and criticism from the country’s potential adversaries. The three major security documents released by Tokyo in late 2022 spelled out plans to increase the country’s defense budget and develop “counterstrike” capabilities ... . The authors contended that Japan’s F-35B tests were focused on acquiring offensive capabilities that were in violation of the country’s stated self-defensive policy and were increasingly distancing

China's Party Congress Report Highlights New Challenges

/our-media/indepth/2022/10/chinas-party-congress-report-highlights-new-challenges

Xi Jinping’s report celebrated China’s recent accomplishments but warned of new challenges from the United States and global economic conditions.

scored across a host of domestic and foreign policy initiatives since the 19th Congress in 2017. These include the assertions that the party has completed the eradication of poverty and met its goal ... , and defense policies for decades. It was unambiguously confirmed at party congresses in 2012 and 2017. As recently as 2020, “peace and development,” was revalidated as the keynote of the times ... Finkelstein and other CNA experts, watch the YouTube video of our National Security Seminar Situation Spotlight: The 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party: Foreign Policy, Technology

China's Aid to Russia: Lip Service?

/our-media/indepth/2022/03/chinas-aid-to-russia

Elizabeth Wishnick explores whether China’s support for Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine will result in substantial aid, or if it’s simply lip service.

by Russian narratives . Most notable is the accusation- borrowed from the Russian Defense Ministry -that the Pentagon has secret biolabs in Ukraine where it has tested bat coronaviruses . This parallels ... to be confirmed at the 20th Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in October , in which case he may see no alternative to staying the course on Russia policy and trying to deflect attention ... was first published on the website of the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA). top

CNA Analysts Share Their Memories of 9/11

/our-media/indepth/2021/09/cna-analysts-share-their-memories-of-9-11

CNA analysts reflect on how September 11, 2001, changed their careers.

Wills Research Analyst Strategy and Policy Analysis Program In 2011, I was a U.S. Navy lieutenant commander assigned to the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) at Joint Base Anacostia ... Secretary of Defense, Acquisition, Technology and Logistics. My boss, however, changed this plan. He needed someone to take his place at conference at the Army Intelligence Center in Charlottesville

What Does Lebanon's New Government Mean for the U.S.?

/our-media/indepth/2020/02/what-does-lebanons-new-government-mean-for-the-u.s

For the first time in months, U.S. officials now have a functioning Lebanese cabinet they can work with as the two countries face a range of problems.

on continued instability and poor governance. The stability of Lebanon is critical to ongoing efforts to contain and defeat ISIS. All of these developments are important to U.S. defense policy. Regardless what elected officials are in power in Beirut, the Lebanese military has traditionally remained a close U.S. defense partner and a reliable ally. The Lebanese Armed Forces have some of the most