This episode covers technological innovation in the People’s Republic of China, including developments in AI, subsea sensors, and the commercial space industry. 

Guest Biographies 

April Herlevi is a senior research scientist in CNA’s China and Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Division. 

Christopher Cairns is a research scientist in CNA’s China and Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Division.

Further Reading

Intersections: Issue 12 

To subscribe to Intersections, email [email protected]. 

Experts from across CNA join the show to discuss their research on challenges the industrial base faces in meeting U.S. government demands. 

Guest Biographies 

Dr. Charles A. Cartier is a research scientist in CNA’s Gaming and Integration Program. He was a lead analyst and co-designer of the CAMOLAND wargame on Clothing and Textiles for the Defense Logistics Agency. 

Dawn Thomas is a co-director of the Center for Emergency Management and Operations and director of the Center for Critical Incident Analysis. She is an expert in large-scale incident planning and response.

April Cho is a research scientist in CNA’s Data Science Predictive Analytics Program. She has worked on various projects supporting the Navy, including the munitions industrial base study for the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development, and Acquisition.   

Further Reading

CNA Report: Camoland Clothing and Textile Industrial Base Wargame Report

The Blue Book Project

Registration Link: Blue Book TV Hosts: Planning for National Security Emergencies

This episode covers the fall of the Assad regime and what it means for Syria, Russia, Iran, and Turkey. 

Guest Biographies

Michael Connell is a specialist in Russia and the Middle East in CNA’s Russia Studies Program. His primary area of expertise is the armed forces of Iran and Russia, and he has published extensively on these topics both inside and outside of CNA.

Jeffrey Edmonds is an expert on Russia and Eurasia in CNA’s Russia Studies Program. Edmonds previously served as the Senior Advisor to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, covering topics in Europe, Russia, the Middle East, and Africa. Jeff also served as acting Senior Director for Russia on the National Security Council. 

Further Reading 

CNA’s Russia Studies Program

This episode covers how Taiwan applies lessons from the Ukraine War to prepare for a potential invasion from the People’s Republic of China. 

Guest Biographies

April A. Herlevi is a Senior Research Scientist in CNA’s China Studies program. She is an expert on the People’s Republic of China (PRC) foreign and security policy, economic statecraft for technology acquisition, and the increasing role of PRC commercial, economic, and military actors globally.

Dr. Pollpeter is the Director of Research at the Air University’s China Aerospace Studies Institute (CASI). Kevin Pollpeter is an internationally recognized expert on China's space program and has been widely published on national security issues related to China. Before joining CASI he was the Senior Research Scientist at CNA. He previously served as the deputy director of a project on innovation and technology in China for the University of California’s Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation. 

Further Reading

CNA Report: Taiwan Lessons Learned  from the Russia-Ukraine War

CNA’s Innovation Incubator

The Chief of Staff to the Secretary of the Navy asked CNA for recommendations on how the Navy can better position itself for such competition, that is, below the threshold of armed conflict.

In this episode, three experts from across CNA join the show to discuss their specific recommendations and what the future fleet needs to look like to implement them. 

Guest Biographies

David M. Finkelstein is vice president and director of CNA's China and Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Division. A retired U.S. Army officer, he held significant China-related positions at the Pentagon as an advisor to the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Gordon Jaquith is the vice president and director of CNA’s Systems, Tactics and Force Development Division. He formerly served as director of the Strategic, Defensive, and Science/Technology Division at the Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation (CAPE) office within the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

Ann Parcell is the Director of CNA’s Navy Human Resources Program.

Further Reading

CNA: The Department of the Navy and Strategic Competition with the People’s Republic of China

This episode covers RShiny, a CNA-funded dashboard government leaders can use to examine the Navy Shipbuilding Plan.

Guest Biographies

Rachel Hartley is a research analyst for CNA’s Force Optimization and Readiness Generation program. She specializes in performance-to-plan Human Resources and addressing recruiting crises.  

Further Reading

CNA’s Innovation Incubator

In this episode, Ralph Espach and Stephanie Stapleton join the show to discuss their assessment of AUKUS’s implementation.  

Guest Biographies

Ralph Espach is an expert in U.S.-Latin American relations, U.S. security assistance and cooperation in Latin America, and the assessment, monitoring, and evaluation of U.S. strategies and programs. His work focuses on U.S. security relations across the Americas, maritime security and naval issues, U.S. security cooperation efforts, and strategic risks such as Chinese and Russian regional relations and climate change.

Stephanie Stapleton is a nuclear policy specialist. Her research topics include strategic deterrence and competition, multipolarity, nuclear arms control, risk reduction, and US nuclear policy. Before joining CNA, she was the managing editor of the academic journal Peacebuilding and Development and taught at Georgia Highlands College.

Timothy Ditter joins the show to discuss his report on China’s military presence in Africa, including its first overseas military base in Djibouti.  

Guest Biographies

Timothy Ditter is a senior research scientist in CNA’s China Studies Program. His work covers PLA amphibious warfare, China’s military modernization and expansion, China’s growing nuclear weapons program, and China’s nascent global military presence.

Further Reading 

CNA Report: The Military and Security Dimensions of the PRC's Africa Presence

CNA Report: PRC Illicit and Malign Activities in Africa: Critical Infrastructure and Mining

CNA Report: PRC Lending in Africa: Impacts in a Time of Global Shocks

CNA Talks: China's Economic Activities in Africa

This episode examines the views of three stakeholder communities within Moscow’s interconnected nuclear ecosystem and how they view Russia’s nuclear doctrine. 

*A previous version of this episode incorrectly stated that Russia's Security Council changed its nuclear doctrine during a September 25 meeting. The correct telling is that Russian President Vladimir Putin soft-launched proposed changes to the doctrine during this meeting. At this time, Russia has made no official changes to its nuclear doctrine. 

Guest Bios

Gabriela Rosa Hernandez is a specialist in Russia's security policy. Her recent research has focused on Russian strategic deterrence, security orders, conventional and nuclear arms control in Europe, and the Russian military.

Cornell Overfield is a specialist in the relationship between maritime law and foreign policy. At CNA, he has worked on projects covering Arctic security and economic activity, improved engagement with allies and partners, and data analytics.

Further Reading

CNA Report: Moscow Doesn’t Believe in Tears

CNA Talks:  Nuclear Policy After the War in Ukraine

This episode examines the misinformation that spread after Hurricanes Helene and Milton and how individuals and institutions can help stop it. 

Guest Bios

Dawn Thomas is a co-director of the Center for Emergency Management and Operations and director of the Center for Critical Incident Analysis. She is an expert in large-scale incident planning and response. She has worked on a large array of emergency preparedness issues, helping federal, regional, state, and local agencies prepare for and respond to biological attacks, active shooters, large-scale evacuations, medical evacuations, earthquakes and tsunamis, mass casualty chemical incidents, public health outbreaks, and cyberattacks.

Meg McBride is a Senior Research Scientist at CNA. Her expertise includes extremism, terrorism, radicalization, disinformation, and the evaluation of programs to prevent violent extremism. Her recent work has focused on psychological risk factors for radicalization and vulnerability and resilience to misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation.    

Further Reading

CNA Report: The Psychology of (Dis)information: Case Studies and Implications