21 - 2020

Considering Technical Information Protection through an Evaluation of ASAT Technology in Japan

By |2020-12-01T11:09:52-10:00December 1st, 2020|

This article details the significance of Japanese advances in space, while emphasizing the need for protecting these technologies against espionage and theft. Summary Recent civil space missions have highlighted the significant advances Japan has accomplished in this high technology field.  While deserving recognition and celebration, in an increasingly competitive space domain, urgent attention is also needed in safeguarding the intellectual property and technical information around these missions.  Japanese advances in space are widely admired around the world, but likely also prime targets of industrial espionage and theft by malign actors.  In a world of dual-use technologies, moreover, there is an [...]

The Evolving Significance of Afghanistan in China’s Strategic Calculus: From an Insignificant ‘Backyard’ to a Consequential Geostrategic Hub

By |2020-11-24T16:01:02-10:00November 24th, 2020|

This article addresses how Afghanistan may shift its strategic outlook to meet the shift in Beijing’s behavior, which is part of a broader strategy to expand and consolidate its influence in Central, South, and Western Asia. Abstract: Paradoxical to its historic no-interest policy, China’s projection of strategic influence in Afghanistan has become increasingly visible. This shift in Beijing’s behavior is part of a broader strategy to expand and consolidate its influence in Central, South, and Western Asia. Such a policy revision in China’s strategic calculus transforms Afghanistan into a geo-strategic ‘backyard,’ that consolidates China’s influential position in the country. Additionally, [...]

Competitive Security Gaming: Rethinking Wargaming to Provide Competitive Intelligence that Informs Strategic Competition and National Security

By |2020-12-01T16:06:35-10:00November 24th, 2020|

This article illustrates how wargaming may be used to inform a higher-level strategy, rather than conflict. Summary Generating competitive intelligence to make intelligent decisions in a world increasingly facing complex security challenges is more difficult than ever before. Competitive Security Gaming reframes wargaming in terms of strategic, operational and tactical competition rather than conflict. Like business wargames, it produces quality insight into the reactions and strategies of competing actors. But unlike business games, it focuses on higher-level strategy, such as national security objectives, and is not driven by market value and financial gain. When it comes to operationalizing strategic competition [...]

Planning for Military Involvement in an Indo-Pacific Pandemic Vaccination Program

By |2020-11-18T14:48:25-10:00November 18th, 2020|

This article addresses the pros, cons, and planning of military involvement in an Indo-Pacific Pandemic Vaccination Program. Summary The Indo-Pacific contains most of the world’s population and many frail health systems that may falter when it comes to implementing a vast global vaccination campaign against COVID-19. For decades, military medicine has pioneered vaccination programs and is aware of the complex ethical considerations involved. Military involvement in vaccination programs could do immeasurable harm to soft power efforts and international relations if mishandled. It is likely that the Oslo humanitarian doctrine, stipulating that foreign military assistance should only be used as a [...]

Media and the Security Practitioner

By |2020-10-29T15:35:32-10:00October 29th, 2020|

This article makes recommendations for the security practitioner and news consumer to overcome the hazards of diminishing trust in mainstream media and the resulting widespread outrage against journalism. Excerpt It is impossible to overstate the supreme importance of seeking information from diverse sources for a balanced understanding of our world. Relying largely on social media is as much an impediment to the effectiveness of a security practitioner as is seeking news to fit one’s views. It’s as important for professional development to regularly upskill by seeking out training to equip oneself with the knowledge to recognize forms of disinformation and [...]

Partnerships and Soft Power in Space

By |2020-10-22T14:00:33-10:00October 22nd, 2020|

This article emphasizes the importance in examining the role of allies and international partners in the newly-formed U.S. Space Force and Space Command’s evolving mission. Excerpt There are valuable gains to be won by reaching out to these many other nations either lacking in space capabilities or with civilian-led space security-related sectors. For example, in a context of strategic competition and aggressive initiatives such as the Belt and Road Space Information Corridor led by the People’s Republic of China (PRC), a broadening of our partnership aperture might help in alerting partner nations and articulating an alternative avoiding deeper economic dependence [...]

Building Peace and Security: A Woman Trailblazer in Pakistan

By |2020-10-22T13:46:22-10:00October 22nd, 2020|

An Interview with Ms. Ammara Aamer Khattak,  Additional Director, Pakistan Civil Services Academy, Lahore In this interview, Dr. Saira Yamin speaks to Ms. Ammara Khattak, a distinguished alumna of DKI APCSS who attended the Comprehensive Crisis Management course (CCM 15-1). Ms. Khattak is a senior Pakistan civil servant who has broken the glass ceiling many times. She is the first woman to have served in the prestigious position of Deputy Commissioner in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, as the Director Relief and Operations managing refugees and internally displaced persons (IDP) at Jalozai camp - the largest and oldest refugee camp in Pakistan [...]

Is the U.S. Relationship with Australia Detrimental to Strategic Aspirations with Papua New Guinea?

By |2020-10-19T15:45:08-10:00October 19th, 2020|

This article discusses the pitfalls of the U.S. - Australia relationship, and how they relate to Papua New Guinea. Excerpt The United States partnership with Australia is beyond doubt the most significant in Oceania. As a western nation, Australia holds many of the same values as the U.S. and there are extensive economic, diplomatic and military ties that bind the two countries together. There are, however, three detractors when it comes to adding Papua New Guinea (PNG) to the equation. While they should not affect the quality of the U.S.-Australia relationship, the U.S. should be seen as actively providing remedies [...]

Women’s Empowerment in Bangladesh: Preventing Violent Extremism and Building Peace

By |2020-10-14T14:16:48-10:00October 14th, 2020|

An Interview with Dr. Lailufar Yasmin, Professor, Department of International Relations University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Transcript prepared by Ms. Kamaile Patton. Click here for a video of the interview. In this interview, Dr. Lailufar Yasmin, a distinguished alumna of the DKI APCSS Advanced Security Cooperation course (ASC 19-2), talks to Dr. Saira Yamin about Bangladesh's initiatives to empower women, particularly in countering violent extremism as a critical objective of its National Action Plan (NAP) on Women, Peace, and Security (2019).  She shares her insights on the NAP formulation process as it seeks to build peace through preventative strategies.  Key players [...]

Religion in a Values-Based Approach to Strategic Competition

By |2020-10-14T11:29:47-10:00October 14th, 2020|

This article asks the question “Can we bring religious faiths and beliefs to bear in our strategic competition with our competitors?” Excerpt We speak often of a values-based approach to strategic competition.  In so doing, we usually operate within a mental frame that privileges familiar political and economic values such as those associated with our democratic political systems and practices, and our liberal market-led approaches to economic organization.  Less often do we draw attention to the place of religious faiths and beliefs within our value systems.  In a context of strategic competition, this omission potentially denies us an opportunity to [...]

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