Defense Technology | Council on Foreign Relations

Nigeria

"Bandits" Shoot Down Alpha Jet as Nigerian Airpower Comes Under Scrutiny

Weeks ago, bandits shot down a fighter jet in northern Nigeria. This comes amid questions over the Nigerian Air Force's readiness to curb insecurity and a slew of deals by the Nigerian government to upgrade its airpower.

Blog Post by John Campbell August 3, 2021 Africa in Transition
Technology and Innovation

CEO Speaker Series With Kathy Warden of Northrop Grumman

Please join Kathy Warden as she discusses technological advancements in the aerospace and defense industry and her perspective as a CEO in the national security arena. The CEO Speaker Series is a unique forum for leading global CEOs to share their insights on issues at the center of commerce and foreign policy, and to discuss the changing role of business globally.

Virtual Event by Kathy Warden and Frances Fragos Townsend June 23, 2021 CEO Speaker Series
China

Virtual Roundtable: The Future of Strategic Arms Control

To avoid a costly and potentially dangerous arms race with China and Russia, the United States should consider new and creative approaches to strategic arms control. A new paper, “The Future of Strategic Arms Control,” for the Managing Global Disorder series explains how this expanded conception can enhance strategic stability. American, Chinese, and Russian experts discuss how the major powers can pursue effective arms control in the future amid growing mistrust and animosity.

Virtual Event by Dmitry Stefanovich, Tong Zhao and Rebecca K. Hersman May 19, 2021 Center for Preventive Action

Global Governance

When Assessing Geopolitical Risks of Geoengineering, Don’t Assume the Future Will Look Like the Past

Attempting to shut down discussion of the potential weaponization of geoengineering is unwise. We can only see a short way into the future.

Blog Post by Guest Blogger for the Internationalist May 18, 2021 The Internationalist
Global Governance

Can Solar Geoengineering Be Used as a Weapon?

The premise that solar geoengineering is weaponizable is either false or grossly overstated. It is time to leave such distractions behind and focus more squarely on the real dilemmas of this otherwise promising technology.

Blog Post by Guest Blogger for the Internationalist April 29, 2021 The Internationalist
Nigeria

The Nigerian Military’s Missing Link: A Joint Special Operations Command

Fola Aina is a doctoral fellow at King’s College London. He is an international security analyst with expertise on peace and security in the Lake Chad Basin and the Sahel. Nigeria’s northern regio…

Blog Post by Guest Blogger for Africa in Transition March 17, 2021 Africa in Transition

Space

The Outer Space Treaty

Outer space is growing more crowded and contested. Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan recommends regulating activities that disrupt, deny, or destroy space systems to ensure outer space is available to all.

Report by Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan February 23, 2021 International Institutions and Global Governance Program
Cybersecurity

Most Tools Failed to Detect the SolarWinds Malware. Those That Did Failed Too

The SolarWinds breach shows that even the best-intentioned companies that have pledged to work cooperatively are not doing so in practice, at least when it counts.

Blog Post by Robert K. Knake January 28, 2021 Digital and Cyberspace Policy Program
Artificial Intelligence (AI)

The Future of AI, Ethics, and Defense

Speakers discuss the intersection of technology, defense, and ethics, and the geopolitical competition for the future of innovation. The Malcolm and Carolyn Wiener Annual Lecture on Science and Technology addresses issues at the intersection of science, technology, and foreign policy. It has been endowed in perpetuity through a gift from CFR members Malcolm and Carolyn Wiener.

Virtual Event by Ash Carter, Reid Hoffman, Fei-Fei Li and Karen Kornbluh October 22, 2020 Malcolm and Carolyn Wiener Annual Lecture
Demonstrations and Protests

Tear Gas and the Politics of Protest Policing

Tear gas is banned in international warfare, and its health risks are well-documented. Still, it remains a crowd-control agent of choice for police worldwide.

In Brief by Jessica Moss August 26, 2020
Cybersecurity

Cyber Doctrines and the Risk of Nuclear Crisis Instability. Part 1: Issues with U.S. Cyber Strategy

Cyber operations that target nuclear-armed states could unintentionally pressure them into preemptively using their nuclear weapons.

Blog Post by Guest Blogger for Net Politics August 17, 2020 Digital and Cyberspace Policy Program
Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Accelerating the Defense Department’s AI Adoption

The Department of Defense is struggling to adopt artificial intelligence technologies. Lindsey Sheppard explains the challenges the department faces and recommends strategies for moving forward.

Report by Lindsey Sheppard April 9, 2020 Digital and Cyberspace Policy Program
Cybersecurity

Huawei and the Third Offset

In order to effectively mitigate the security risks posed by Huawei, the U.S. Department of Defense needs to fund and integrate cutting-edge technologies from the private sector.

Blog Post by Guest Blogger for Net Politics April 6, 2020 Digital and Cyberspace Policy Program
Defense Technology

The U.S.-China-Israel Technology Triangle

Since the 1980s, Israel has had robust technological cooperation and trade with the U.S. while often, in deference to U.S. security concerns, limiting the sale of some technologies to China. This delicate strategy is becoming harder to maintain as China becomes more interested in Israeli tech and tensions between Washington and Beijing grow.

Blog Post by Guest Blogger for Net Politics July 30, 2019 Net Politics
Space

Big Bangs, Red Herrings, and the Dilemmas of Space Security

Policymakers should be careful not to focus to excess on the possibility of kinetic warfare in space.

Blog Post by Guest Blogger for the Internationalist June 27, 2019 The Internationalist