From the end of the Soviet Union until now, the sole purpose of nuclear weapons was to deter nuclear attacks. SMA Executive Advisor Greg Treverton fears that has changed.

Will the European Union become less effective as an American partner? SMA Executive Advisor Greg Treverton looks at the EU’s financial problems, Muslim immigration, and political shifts

SMA Executive Advisor Greg Treverton suggests that the US need to rethink its “way of war,” designed for a time that has passed, to counter the Chinese projection of power.

Einstein supposedly said, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.” SMA Executive Advisor Greg Treverton asks whether, one year on, the US is expecting a different result from North Korea.

Is “If They Can Do It, So Can We” an ethically acceptable playbook? SMA Executive Advisor Greg Treverton discusses the challenges to our intelligence tradecraft.

What challenges does the proposed U.S. Space Force face in ramping up and better coordinating military activities in space?

Although intended to curtail the ubiquity of nuclear weapons and delivery systems, of what broad strategic value is the New START agreement if China is not a signatory?

Now is the time, and New START is an occasion, for President Trump to establish a good relationship with President Putin and Russia.

Strategic deterrence is no longer just about nuclear war – we must consider cyber and space – and reflect on possible responses and their second-order effects.

If our world is less existentially dangerous than the high Cold War, it is scary in its shapelessness. It is a world that needs strategic analysis: what is important, what is less so?

Chinese President Xi Jinping is a puzzle. He understands our politics better than we understand his, but will he win the trade war with President Trump?

The strategic context for countering the proliferation of WMDs has changed dramatically without many observers quite noticing

President Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Intermediate Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty is not a disaster but is a mistake. Having a place for [the Russians and Chinese] to come [to discuss nuclear weapons], like the INF treaty, would not be a bad idea.

Treaties are tricky documents. They rely on three factors to be of value: trust among the participants, clearly verifiable terms, and verifiability that participants are holding to those terms…

The focus of recent concern is threats and attacks that seek to remain below the level of kinetic war. What challenges does this create for intelligence?

Because of its opposition to Iran’s aggression, Saudi Arabia remains an important tool in our overall strategy. It must remain so for the foreseeable future.

The bizarre, brutal killing of Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul is an occasion for rethinking U.S. policy toward the region.

Cyber is too important to be left to the technologists. It’s the great challenge of our times, and never before have such powerful public interests been almost entirely in private hands.

A dedicated, truly joint space command makes eminent sense. But it would be wise not to expect too much too soon. The 2019 NDAA calls for a combatant command, not a new military department.

What makes the establishment of the U.S. Space Force a near term priority is not organizational necessity, but a logical organizational response to a threat that is acknowledged, even by detractors.

In response to Dr. Greg Treverton’s critique of President Trump’s global strategy, or perceived lack thereof, Dave Patterson argues that he is actually doing a good job.

There is a certain logic to Trump’s strategy: major global institutions, like the EU & NATO, were created in a very different time, and the war on terrorism distracted from the return of geopolitics among major nations, so it is appropriate to ask of any action whether it is good for America.

SMA’s Point[Counterpoint] will feature two distinguished authors, Greg Treverton and Dave Patterson, who have previously written controversial SMA opinion papers. Together, they will help readers explore opposing viewpoints on a wide range of topics. Readers are invited to contribute their point of view or to suggest topics for the series.

Dave Patterson, SMA SVP for Strategic Business Opportunities responds to Greg Treverton’s “What Will Follow the First American Republic?” published on 29 August,

Time as any to reflect on the ending of the first American republic and to reflect on what may come next. Historians remind us that today looks a lot like the last third of the nineteenth century in its economic uncertainty, corruption, and government dysfunction.

While we can’t do without language when discussing international relations, that same language can limit and often distort our understanding. We need language but we are also its prisoners.

Topic number one at a recent Seoul gathering of North Korea experts and intelligence chiefs from a dozen countries was Kim Jong-un. What does he intend?

North Korea continues to present a special set of challenges for intelligence. Those challenges will only increase if recent summitry leads to serious conversation about denuclearization.

The Armed Force Procurement Regulations, less than 125 pages in 1947, was 1,200 pages and growing daily by 1965. It’s only 172 pages today. What would distinguish defense journalist Hanson Baldwin say about that?

Dr. Gregory F. Treverton admitted that while he used to be a non-believer in North Korean denuclearization, his views were now in flux

The goal of hybrid threats is to achieve outcomes without actual war. There are a number of ways we can respond…

Russia is a failing petro-autocracy. Virtually everything Vladimir Putin has done temporarily extends Russia’s corrupt government but hastens its inevitable decline.

Recently released government policy documents indicate that the Trump Administration’s national security priorities will benefit many SMA clients, especially in the aerospace and defense industry.

Greg Treverton, former Chair of the US National Intelligence Council, and SMA Executive Advisor, reflects on the last quarter century of NIC activities and assesses whether this organization continues to provide an actionable interpretation of the truth for senior US policy makers.

Improving the Defense Acquisition System: “The solution is to establish a source selection schedule and keep to it. Simple. Right?”

The “Pre-Decisional” draft Nuclear Posture Review (NPR) developed by the Trump Administration is thoughtful and addresses threats to the U.S. as they are.

By producing a National Security Strategy in his first year in office, President Trump has indicated that he views the NSS as an important security roadmap to keep Congress and the American people informed of his administration’s national security intentions.

Rivalry between the great powers is an unwelcome surprise when the US had laser focused on the non-state threat of terrorism. So: is the Cold War back?

Can we counter other nations’ abilities to find and release discrediting information, and use social media for propaganda to influence future US elections?

Is it time for everyone to receive a minimum income regardless of circumstance to offset the effects of the successful advance of technology?

Caspar Weinberger’s six principles for using military force are a useful lens on Trump’s newish path in Southwest Asia.

What are the future challenges facing national intelligence? What will be the effect of the Trump administration?

Dave Patterson, SMA SVP Strategic Sales, explains why we need Congress to pass appropriations bills on time.

Based on current trends, what does the future have in store for us five years from now, and 20 years from now, and how might this affect US global policy, especially with respect to poorer countries?

Will the Trump administration be a boom for the defense industry? Greg Treverton, Dave Patterson, and Ajay Patel revisit their earlier analysis.

Expert analysis on how the threats to our national security are changing, from nuclear and conventional war, to terrorism and cyberwar.

Will the Trump administration be a boom for the defense industry? Greg Treverton, Dave Patterson, and Ajay Patel advise caution.

Greg Treverton, SMA Executive Adviser, hypothesizes a future where the first nuclear weapon since 1945 will be used in a conflict and China and America will defuse the crisis.

Greg Treverton warns a preemptive strike on North Korea isn’t likely to take out their nuclear program or bring about regime change.