Cna Talks

Our partners from the FAA’s Center for Excellence’s ASSUREd Safe join the show to discuss integrating uncrewed aerial systems into the national airspace.  Guest Biographies BJ McClenton is the Associate Director of ASSUREd Safe, brings over 20 years of first responder and emergency service experience as a firefighter and emergency medical technician. Prior to joining ASSUREd Safe, he spent 15 years working with Mississippi State University Extension conducting adult education and outreach programs. Michelle Hanlon is the Executive Director of the Air and Space Law Program at the University of Mississippi. She is the Editor-in-Chief of both the Journal of Space Law and the Journal of Drone Law & Policy. As a key partner with ASSURE, the FAA’s Center of Excellence for UAS Research, Michelle drives advancements in drone policy, from airspace integration to beyond-visual-line-of-sight operations. Steven Habicht is the director of CNA’s Center for Enterprise Systems Modernization.  Further Reading CNA: Agent-

This episode covers South Korean President Yoon’s December 3 declaration of martial law, his impeachment, and what this means for US/ROK security cooperation.  Guest Biographies Dr. Thomas Bickford is a principal research scientist in the CNA Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Program. His research has focused on Chinese maritime strategy, Chinese national security policy, and China’s relations with its neighbors. Carita Reid is the Research Assistant for the China and Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Division. Her research focuses on the Korean peninsula, and she is interested in the domestic environment of both Koreas, nuclear proliferation, democratization efforts, and human rights.

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 Intersections@cna.org.   

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 Natio

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 th

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 R

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: Mosc

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, disinformatio

This episode explores the Kursk Offensive, Ukraine’s counter-invasion of Russia, and its implications for the United States and NATO.  Guest Biography Michael Petersen is a Principal Research Scientist in CNA's Countering Threats and Challenges Program at CNA. He is an expert on Russian military strategy, operations, and net assessments of high-intensity conflict. From 2023-2024, he served as senior advisor to Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Lisa Franchetti. From 2015-2023, he was Professor and founding director of the Russia Maritime Studies Institute and the Holloway Advanced Research Program at the U.S. Naval War College. He’s also served with the Defense Intelligence Agency and the National Security Council. Further Reading Russia Studies Program   *There was an audio issue in a previous version of this podcast. This edition is correct. 

This episode covers the inception, development, and potential of CNA’s internal large language model, Morse Code. Guest Biographies  Gregor Goodman is the Director and Chief Technology Officer in CNA’s Chief Information Office. He has 20 years of hands-on experience with technology and cyber security, from technical administration to consulting. His expertise is understanding business goals and aligning a technology posture to drive organizational growth.  

Experts discuss victim-centered policing. How can it lead to better outcomes for crime victims and investigators, and how police departments can implement the practice. Guest Biographies Nicole Carroll is the Director of the Victim Services Unit at the Louisville Metro Police Department, where she ensures the rights and needs of crime victims and witnesses are met through quality programs and services, exercising supervision of subordinate personnel, and overseeing advocacy and service provision for victims involved in the criminal justice system of Jefferson County. Lindsey Clancey is a Research Scientist with CNA’s Center for Justice Research and Innovation and an expert in crime, justice, and victimology. Before joining CNA, Clancey was an associate teaching professor with the University of Missouri - Kansas City, where she served as the assistant undergraduate director for the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology. Valerie Schmitt is a Research Scientist with CNA’s Center for Justice Research and

We cover CNA’s Force Design Lab, which helps shape the Navy's future by assessing the platforms, capabilities, and concepts that enable it to perform desired missions.  Guest Biographies Gordon Jaquith is the Executive Director of CNA’s Department of Navy Relations and the Vice President and Director of CNA’s Systems, Tactics and Force Development Division. Before joining CNA, Gordon 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. Jon Bollinger is a Senior Research Scientist with the Surface Warfare Team in the Systems, Tactics, and Force Development Division. He has been with CNA for four and a half years. His work is focused on the capabilities of long-range and overhead sensors and developing new computational approaches to optimize the employment of Navy surface assets. Further Reading CNA: A Novel Model of Cyber Combat

One of the most prominent challenges organizations face when planning for the future is grappling with how unknown external factors will impact their organization. STEEP analysis allows planners to examine future Social, technical, economic, ecological, and political factors and plan for the opportunities and threats these factors will create.  In this episode, CNA’s Melissa Gutierrez and Heleana Melendez, Captain Jose Gurule from the Denver Sheriff's Department, and Danielle Rubes from Sam Houston State University join the show to discuss applying this framework to corrections.  Guest Biographies Melissa Gutierrez is a Senior Research Specialist with CNA’s Center for Justice Research and Innovation. She is an expert in criminal justice research with a focus on gang networks and gun violence, including gun markets. At CNA, her work includes providing training and technical assistance on violent crime reduction programs and researching technology in law enforcement. Before joining CNA, Gutierrez worked at the

Today is the 60th anniversary of the Gulf of Tonkin incident, which led to the United States’ entry into the Vietnam War. In recognition of this event, we are bringing you a special episode of CNA Talks, featuring a group of historians with uniquely valuable perspectives on the incident. This discussion was originally held on August 5, 2023.   

In September 2021, Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States announced a trilateral security agreement known as AUKUS. The partnership would allow Australia to acquire nuclear-powered submarines from the US, and it would be an agreement that the partners would collaborate on advanced technology like artificial intelligence and autonomy.  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 com

Climate change is a complex and multifaceted problem that no actor can address alone. How can governments understand the impact of various actors in their jurisdiction and ensure that solutions are rolled out effectively and sustainably? Dawn Thomas joins the show to discuss her work using ecosystem models to examine New Orleans’ efforts to tackle climate change. Guest Biography 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.