Benjamin Jensen

Senior Fellow, Futures Lab, Defense and Security Department
Benjamin Jensen

Benjamin Jensen is a senior fellow for Futures Lab in the Defense and Security Department at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). He is also a professor of strategic studies at the Marine Corps University School of Advanced Warfighting. Dr. Jensen has spent the last decade researching the changing character of political violence, technology, and strategy. He has worked with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Marine Corps Warfighting Lab, NATO, the U.S. Army, and a range of government agencies and foundations to develop wargames and scenario-driven exercises exploring strategy, defense analysis, crisis response, military planning, and complex emergencies. Outside of traditional defense and security issues, he supported the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in developing a human security assessment framework and a red team manual for early-warning analysts and development practitioners. He is the author of four books including the forthcoming Information at War: Military Innovation, Battle Networks, and the Future of Artificial Intelligence (Georgetown University Press, 2022), Military Strategy in the 21st Century: People, Connectivity, and Competition (Cambria, 2018), Cyber Strategy: The Evolving Character of Power and Coercion (Oxford University Press, 2018), and Forging the Sword: Doctrinal Change in the U.S. Army (Stanford University Press 2016). Most recently, he served as the senior research director and lead author for the U.S. Cyberspace Solarium Commission. Dr. Jensen is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and received his MA and PhD from the American University School of International Service. He is also a reserve officer in the U.S. Army.
 

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Audio Briefs

How to Exorcise Russia’s Ghost Fleet

An audio version of “How to Exorcise Russia’s Ghost Fleet,” a new commentary by CSIS’s Benjamin Jensen. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs. 

Podcast Episode by Benjamin Jensen — January 10, 2025

Audio Briefs

How to Exorcise Russia’s Ghost Fleet

Russia’s ghost fleet is more than an economic lifeline—it’s a covert weapon in hybrid warfare. Through sabotage, sanctions evasion, and undersea disruption, Moscow’s shadowy armada demands bold U.S.-European steps to secure maritime order and weaken the Kremlin’s economy.

Commentary by Benjamin Jensen — January 7, 2025

Competition in the Shadow of Technology

Technological advancements are reshaping international relations and deterrence strategies; this report examines the strategic calculus behind revealing disruptive military capabilities and their impact on great power competition in an era of unprecedented innovation.

Report by Benjamin Jensen, Yasir Atalan, Can Mutlu, and Jose M. Macias III — December 16, 2024

Winter is Coming: How Energy and Economics Will Impact Negotiations in Ukraine

Energy economics in a shifting political landscape will shape peace negotiations in Ukraine. With rising costs, public opinion shifts, and strategic moves on the table, this commentary provides policymakers the factors influencing Europe’s stance and Ukraine’s position.

Commentary by Benjamin Jensen — December 10, 2024