Geopolitics & Defense
Geopolitics, conflicts and defense: Ukraine and Russia, the Middle East, China and Taiwan, NATO, military industry, sanctions, trade and energy security.
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This reading list brings together items from the sources selected for Geopolitics & Defense. Open each item at its original source for the complete article, episode or video. This is a selection of current coverage, not a complete archive.
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Honeywell Aerospace’s counter-drone software unites data from multiple sensors into one
Honeywell Aerospace’s SAMURAI system is designed to bring information from disparate sources into a single interface.
Joshua Wong, heir to the Cold War dissidents
The cross-border friendships that sustained opposition in the Soviet bloc suggest that not all is lost for Asia's new generation of activists.
Golden Dome Is Technologically and Financially Infeasible
For as long as nuclear-armed, intercontinental ballistic missiles and submarine-launched ballistic missiles have existed, strategists and engineers have pursued a seductive idea: a shield effective enough to diminish — or even block — a ballistic missile attack. The appeal is obvious. A state that could reliably intercept ballistic missiles could protect its cities from these terrifying weapons and reduce its adversaries’ leverage.But defenses against strategic ballistic missiles have a long history of disappointments.
The Middle East’s Quiet Liberal Revolution
What people in the region actually believe.
A Democratic Reckoning in India
The battle on the streets over the foundations of the state.
How Sudan Became a Laboratory for Drone Warfare, Thanks to Abu Dhabi
In June 2026, I visited Khartoum, my hometown, for the first time since the war broke out in Sudan in April 2023. I left the city to seek safety with my family after the war spread into civilian neighborhoods. I never imagined I would return to the same city. I was very excited but also traumatized by the destruction I saw as the plane landed at Khartoum International Airport.
China’s Military Expansion in Southeast Asia Masks a More Complicated Reality
The Chinese Ministry of Defense’s announcement of a “joint support and training center” at an airport in Ban Keun, Laos, on Sept. 29 drew attention to the People’s Liberation Army’s growing footprint in Southeast Asia. Although China does not call it a “base” and said it’s “not targeted at any third party,” it is China’s first publicly acknowledged overseas military facility centered on airpower.
Battle for Brazil: The First-Round Election Results Explained
--------------------------------------------- A nonpartisan institution, CSIS is the top national security think tank in the world. Visit https://www.csis.org to find more of our work as we bring bipartisan solutions to the world's greatest challenges. Want to see more videos and virtual events? Subscribe to this channel and turn on notifications: https://cs.is/2dCfTve Follow CSIS on: • Twitter: https://twitter.com/csis • Facebook: https://facebook.com/CSIS.org • Instagram: https://instagram.com/csis/
Trump Launches Super Intelligence Force + OpenAI Does More Math
In this episode, Aalok and Nicole unpack OpenAI's latest math proof drop before diving into the White House's first policy actions in the "SI" era. They cover the (voluntary?) Accord on Super Intelligence signed by all the major industry players and discuss what listeners can expect from Trump's new Super Intelligence Force. *This episode was recorded at 2:00 pm ET on Tuesday, October 13, 2026.* Timestamps: 00:39 Model release updates + OpenAI/Anthropic price war 7:48 New math results from OpenAI 21:42 Tech leaders sign Accord on Super Intelligence 34:02 Trump's new Super Intelligence task force 43:40 Nonprofit sues OpenAI over Hugging Face hack Additional Reading: "Introducing GPT-6 Sol and Luna" by OpenAI: https://openai.com/index/introducing-gpt-6-sol-and-luna/ "Introducing Claude Opus 5.5" by Anthropic: https://www.anthropic.com/claude-opus-5-5 "GPT-6.1 Sol" by OpenAI: https://www.anthropic.com/claude-opus-5-5 "Claude Haiku 5.5" by Anthropic: https://www.anthropic.com/claude-haiku-5-5 "Introducing Muse Wonder and Muse Wonder Full: Frontier Models for Agents" by Meta: https://about.fb.com/news/2026/10/introducing-muse-wonder-models/ "Mark Zuckerberg says Meta has reached AI 'frontier'" by Financial Times: https://www.ft.com/content/fca23e77-be57-4d7e-ae61-74ff299e25cb "Gemini 4 Argon: Built to solve your hardest problems" by Google: https://blog.google/innovation-and-ai/models-and-research/gemini-models/introducing-gemini-4-argon/ OpenAI math results GitHub repository: https://github.com/openai/math/tree/main "100+ reactions to 100+ solutions" on Proofs and Prompts: https://proofsandprompts.com/2026/10/08/100-reactions-to-100-solutions/ White House Executive Order on Super Intelligence: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/09/inaugurating-the-era-of-super-intelligence/ White House Accord on Super Intelligence: https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/white-house-accord-super-intelligence Letter by three fired OpenAI employees: https:
Acting US Army secretary creates task force for HVAC repairs
A new, enterprise-level Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Task Force has identified more than $100 million in projects for early 2027.
US soldiers must train on ‘new basics’ of unmanned systems, officials say
As the U.S. Army trains soldiers for multi-domain operations, like in the multinational exercise Project Flytrap, the service needs to prepare them with “new basics” to establish one standard and baseline, officials said.
Northrop Grumman breaks out the big guns at AUSA
With the growing threat of attacks by small unmanned aircraft systems on the battlefield, Northrop Grumman is pitching gun-based air defense systems designed to take down waves of aerial threats.
The Days Of Army Air Defense Systems Firing Just One Type Of Interceptor Are Ending
The Army is pursuing an increasingly diverse array of new anti-air interceptors for use with existing launchers and other architectures.
Pentagon needs $50B for mass drone production, Hegseth says
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wants $50 billion in reconciliation funding to support the Pentagon’s push to scale autonomous and robotic systems.
France mulls keeping Charles de Gaulle carrier sailing after 2038
France is studying whether the Charles de Gaulle nuclear-powered aircraft carrier can continue to sail beyond its envisaged retirement in 2038.
Ukraine Has Problems With Both Koreas? | The Capital Cable #144
North Korea has sent soldiers and munitions to fight for Russia in its war against Ukraine. South Korea, a major aid recipient country for Ukraine, has kept its support largely at the humanitarian level. The two governments have also clashed over captured North Korean soldiers, after Kyiv publicly disclosed that it had transferred two prisoners of war to Seoul, which Seoul says violated an agreement to keep the transfer confidential. Where do Kyiv and Seoul’s interests converge and diverge on North Korea’s role in the war? What is Pyongyang gaining from its partnership with Moscow, and what does it mean for the Korean Peninsula? Joining Mark Lippert and Victor Cha to discuss these issues and more are Emma Chanlett-Avery of the Asia Society Policy Institute and Sydney Seiler of CSIS. Emma Chanlett-Avery is Deputy Director of the Asia Society Policy Institute's Washington, DC office and the Director for Political-Security Affairs. She leads Congressional outreach efforts and directs ASPI’s policy engagement on Indo-Pacific alliances. Previous to this post, she served for 20 years as a Specialist in Asian Affairs at the Congressional Research Service, where she focused on United States relations with Japan, the Korean Peninsula, Thailand, and Singapore, with an emphasis on security issues. In 2023, she served as a Congressional Fellow on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, assisting the Chairman with drafting Asia policy legislation and preparing for hearings. Sydney Seiler was the national intelligence officer for North Korea at the National Intelligence Council from 2020 to 2023 and is one of the nation’s top experts on North Korea. Previously, he was the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) senior analyst and senior defense intelligence expert for North Korea from 2016 to 2020, serving as the principal adviser and senior expert on Korean Peninsula security issues to the USFK commander and the U.S. Defense Intelligence Enterprise. Mr. Seiler also served as the U.S. speci
Hegseth talks autonomy at AUSA, a key show focus
Autonomy was top of mind at AUSA 2026, including in a keynote address by the secretary of defense.
The Future of U.S.-UK Defense Cooperation with UK Secretary of Defence Wes Streeting
As Europe rearms and the United States shifts more of the burden to its allies, what should defense cooperation between Washington and London look like? Please join the CSIS Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program on Thursday, October 15, 2026 for a conversation with UK Secretary of State for Defence Wes Streeting on how both countries can keep deterrence credible in Europe and beyond. In partnership with the British Embassy and the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), the event will explore how the United States and the United Kingdom can adapt to a changing security landscape — especially following the release of the UK’s Defence Investment Plan, ahead of the U.S. force posture review, and as the new UK government’s foreign policy priorities take shape. The event will be livestreamed from 10:50am - 11:20am ET. A recording will be available on demand following the event. This event is made possible by general support to CSIS. No direct sponsorship contributed to this event. --------------------------------------------- A nonpartisan institution, CSIS is the top national security think tank in the world. Visit https://www.csis.org to find more of our work as we bring bipartisan solutions to the world's greatest challenges. Want to see more videos and virtual events? Subscribe to this channel and turn on notifications: https://cs.is/2dCfTve Follow CSIS on: • Twitter: https://twitter.com/csis • Facebook: https://facebook.com/CSIS.org • Instagram: https://instagram.com/csis/
Army Explains How Merops Interceptor Drone Became Program Of Record In Just 142 Days
The low-cost interceptor, rushed to NATO partners after drone incursions, is now an example of how the Army hopes to rapidly field emerging capabilities. The low-cost interceptor, rushed to NATO partners after drone incursions, is now an example of how the Army hopes to rapidly field emerging capabilities.
‘Addicted to the Guard’: Generals call for ‘traffic cop’ to control state governor’s demands
One National Guard leader proposed a new "traffic cop" to filter state and federal activation and employment requests as the Guard faces increasing demand.
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