Defense Strategy & Planning Program

The Defense Strategy and Planning program studies the role of military force and operational art in modern great power competition. Our team conducts rigorous research and analysis on the ways, means, and ends of military operations conducted by the U.S., China, and other major powers to achieve foreign policy objectives short of war. Our work highlights the evolving role of military force in the post-Cold War era, including in gray zone conflict.

By combining military and diplomatic history with data-driven analysis, we identify and assess the historical, environmental, and political characteristics that have shaped the modern use of military force, and provide tools and analysis to decision-makers to help inform choices on how to more effectively use the U.S. military across domains and into the future.