National Defense University Press - NDU Press

📚 NDU Press plays a critical role in advancing professional military education and national security dialogue as National Defense University’s cross-component publishing house.

We provide a forum for discussion, debate, and innovative solutions that contribute to shaping the national security discourse and preparing the next generation of national security leaders.

Publications include Joint Force Quarterly, INSS Strategic Perspectives, INSS Strategic Forum, books and edited volumes, policy briefs, and monographs on topics related to national security, defense policy, and military strategy.

As we move toward a digital-first model, stay updated with us at https://ndupress.ndu.edu and be sure to subscribe to our email list for new releases: eepurl.com/gt4ZsX

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Beginning with JFQ 120, NDU Press will significantly reduce print distribution of Joint Force Quarterly (JFQ) as audiences continue shifting to digital platforms and budget pressures increase across government.

Future print copies will be limited primarily to joint professional military education institutions, the Joint Staff, and Combatant Command staffs, while digital editions will remain widely available online.

To continue receiving the latest JFQ research, analysis, and professional military thought, readers are encouraged to subscribe to the JFQ email list and explore new editions online: http://eepurl.com/gt4ZsX

What happens when intelligence meets algorithms, and gets it wrong?

In Spies, Lies, and Algorithms, Amy Zegart explores how AI is reshaping intelligence work, bringing faster analysis, but also risks like bias and hallucinations that can distort real-world decisions.

Drawing on interviews and case studies, she highlights the people navigating the systems and the ethical tradeoffs they face in a rapidly evolving field.

Read the full book review: https://ndupress.ndu.edu/Media/News/News-Article-View/Article/4365637/spies-lies-and-algorithms-the-history-and-future-of-american-intelligence/

JFQ 119 | BOOK REVIEW 📙

Civil-military relations are back in the spotlight, but how much should we actually be worried?

In The State and the Soldier, Kori Schake traces nearly 250 years of U.S. civil-military relations, showing how norms established by George Washington continue to shape the balance between civilian authority and military leadership today.

Reviewed by Lindsay L. Rodman, this book review highlights a key takeaway: the U.S. system has been more resilient than current discourse suggests, but navigating it today requires more than traditional models.

Read more: https://ndupress.ndu.edu/Media/News/News-Article-View/Article/4368250/the-state-and-the-soldier-a-history-of-civil-military-relation-in-the-united-st/

JFQ 119 | BOOK REVIEW 📕

Peter R. Carkhuff reviews Collisions: The Origins Of The War in Ukraine And The New Global Instability, and what it reveals about the war in Ukraine.

The book highlights how an echo chamber within Russian leadership reinforced perceptions of military strength, raising confidence in early success and increasing the likelihood of conflict.

For deterrence and strategy professionals, it offers a valuable case study in how perception can drive war.

Read the review: https://ndupress.ndu.edu/Media/News/News-Article-View/Article/4364610/

As the Arctic opens, is the U.S. ready to defend its sea lines of communication?

“U.S. Arctic Sea Lines of Communication” by Samuel Krakower and Troy Bouffard examines how limited infrastructure and presence leave the United States at a strategic disadvantage in the North Pacific and Arctic.

The authors argues that developing a maritime complex and corridor in the Bering region, centered on Nome, could strengthen access, presence, and deterrence.

Read more: https://ndupress.ndu.edu/Media/News/News-Article-View/Article/4368092/us-arctic-sea-lines-of-communication-the-imperative-for-a-maritime-complex-and/

In a future large-scale conflict, casualty evacuation won’t look like it does today.

“What’s Old Is New: LSCO Casualty Evacuation in the 21st Century” by Jonathan S. Pederson explores how past methods may need to be revived and adapted to handle the scale and complexity of modern warfare.

From legacy approaches to new innovations, ensuring timely evacuation and care will be critical in high-intensity operations.

Read more: https://ndupress.ndu.edu/Media/News/News-Article-View/Article/4367958/whats-old-is-new-lsco-casualty-evacuation-in-the-21st-century/

What does illegal fishing have to do with strategic competition?

China’s distant-water fishing fleet has expanded rapidly along the Pacific coast of South America - posing economic, environmental, and security challenges for regional partners.

"Combating IUU Fishing in the South American Pacific" explores how combating illegal, unregulated, and unreported (IUU) fishing offers the United States a practical way to strengthen partnerships, reinforce regional leadership, and counter growing Chinese influence closer to home.

Read more: https://ndupress.ndu.edu/Media/News/News-Article-View/Article/4364800/combating-iuu-fishing-in-the-south-american-pacific-an-opportunity-to-counter-c/

Can cyber operations actually deter adversaries or do they create new risks?

“The Cyber Deterrence Dilemma” by Jorge R. Kravetz examines how cyber operations compare to intelligence and special operations in shaping deterrence.

By drawing parallels between cyber and intelligence activities, this article highlights several challenges: cyber operations often struggle to signal intent, impose clear costs, or produce predictable deterrent effects.

This contributes to a more complex deterrence environment, where ambiguity, attribution challenges, and limited visibility shape strategic outcomes.

Read more: https://ndupress.ndu.edu/Media/News/News-Article-View/Article/4367779/the-cyber-deterrence-dilemma-parallels-between-cyber-and-intelligence-special-o/

What role do Intercontinental-range ballistic missiles (ICBMs) play in U.S. nuclear strategy?

"Political Objectives, Nuclear Forces, and the Enduring Value of U.S. Intercontinental-Range Ballistic Missiles" by Michaela Dodge examines how intercontinental ballistic missiles support U.S. political objectives - deterring adversaries, assuring allies, and contributing to strategic stability as part of the nuclear triad.

Read more: https://ndupress.ndu.edu/Media/News/News-Article-View/Article/4367736/political-objectives-nuclear-forces-and-the-enduring-value-of-us-intercontinent/