Category: The Forum

297 Articles

East Asia & Indo-Pacific

The Soldier and the Democratic State: Civil-Military Relations and South Korea’s 2024 Constitutional Crisis

On June 3, 2025, Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party won the South Korean presidential elections by a landslide. He swept the governing People’s Power Party out of office—the…

June 9, 2025

Defense

Demand for Dominance: Geopolitical Drivers and Trends of F-35 Foreign Military Sales

In the immediate aftermath of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the German parliament approved a €100 billion ‘Special Fund for the Armed Forces,’ which ended, among…

June 8, 2025

Gender, Identity, and Security

Beyond Securitization: Rethinking Women, Peace, and Security for Genuine Global Change

The Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda was established in 2000 with the dual objective of preventing conflict and integrating  the historically excluded half of the…

June 4, 2025

Defense
East Asia & Indo-Pacific

Paper Tigers and Iron Domes: The Uncertain Future of Extended Deterrence in the Indo-Pacific

The chaotic opening of the second Trump administration has sent shockwaves through U.S. alliances and reignited debates about the status of the U.S. military presence abroad.…

June 2, 2025

Defense

China’s Navy is Booming, the United States’ is Bottlenecked: The Case for Reauthorizing the Defense Production Act

In March 2025, President Donald Trump issued an Executive Order to Restore U.S. Maritime Dominance, directing the Department of Defense to leverage existing…

May 22, 2025

Gender, Identity, and Security
Middle East & North Africa

They Who Have Seen Hell: The Forgotten Child Soldiers of the Yazidi Genocide

In August 2014, the Islamic State (ISIS) unleashed a genocidal assault on the Yazidi community of Sinjar in northern Iraq. ISIS massacred Yazidi men and captured…

May 21, 2025

Europe & Central Asia
Technology

A First Point View: Examining Ukraine’s Drone Industry

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, Ukraine’s drone industry has emerged as a key pillar of the country’s defense innovation apparatus. Drones have helped Ukraine enhance…

May 15, 2025

Middle East & North Africa
Race & Security

A Dangerous Echo of Iraq’s Past: Syria’s Minorities in a Post‑Assad Era

As Syria emerges from the shadow of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, the country faces a critical crossroads. The country’s transitional phase since December 2024 has become…

April 28, 2025

Defense
The Americas

Is the Military Recruiting Crisis Over? Not quite.

In early February, U.S. Army Recruiting Command (USAREC) announced its best December in 15 years, enlisting 346 soldiers daily. By the end of Fiscal Year (FY) 2024, the…

April 27, 2025

Europe & Central Asia

The EU’s Overdue Defense Buildup: How ReArm Europe Can Succeed

On March 4, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announced a new EU-wide initiative, the ReArm Europe Plan. This package aims to unlock €800…

April 26, 2025