Benjamin Jensen

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

Benjamin Jensen is director of the Futures Lab and a senior fellow for the Defense and Security Department at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). At CSIS, Dr. Jensen leads research initiatives on applying data science and AI and machine learning to study the changing character of war and statecraft. Under his leadership, Futures Lab has pioneered building AI applications into wargames and innovative scenario exercises. The exercise topics range from major war, competitive strategy, and national mobilization to economic security, energy politics, and national resilience. He is also the Frank E. Petersen Chair for Emerging Technology and a professor of strategic studies at the Marine Corps University School of Advanced Warfighting (MCU). At MCU, he leads a research program on future war and teaches seminars on modern operational art and joint-all domain operations. Dr. Jensen has authored five books including 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). He also served as senior research director for the U.S. Cyberspace Solarium Commission and is a reserve officer in the U.S. Army, with command experience from platoon to battalion. Dr. Jensen graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and earned his MA and PhD from the American University School of International Service.

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Iran’s Next Move: How to Counter Tehran’s Multidomain Punishment Campaign

Iran is executing a multidomain punishment campaign across energy, cyber, and maritime systems to coerce the United States and its partners. The challenge is not stopping attacks, but denying Tehran the economic disruption and strategic leverage they are designed to create.

Commentary by Benjamin Jensen — March 23, 2026

What Can Trump’s Budget Buy the Navy? Exploring Options and Trade-Offs

If defense spending reaches historic highs, how should the Navy invest its new funding? This report explores competing priorities, from ships and munitions to readiness and deterrence, and the trade-offs shaping the future of U.S. seapower.

Report by Benjamin Jensen, Mackenzie Eaglen, and Henry H. Carroll — March 19, 2026

How to Lose a Navy in 10 Days

The naval strikes against Iran reveal how quickly modern fleets can be crippled. Today’s maritime campaigns aim not just to sink ships, but to blind sensors, disrupt command networks, and destroy ports—often within the opening days of war.

Commentary by Benjamin Jensen — March 12, 2026

How Would Iran Respond to a U.S. Attack?

If the United States strikes Iran, how will Tehran respond? History suggests a calibrated mix of cyberattacks, drones, maritime pressure, and limited missile strikes designed to signal resolve while avoiding a wider regional war.

Critical Questions by Benjamin Jensen — February 26, 2026

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How Would Iran Respond to a U.S. Attack?

An audio version of "⁠How Would Iran Respond to a U.S. Attack?⁠," a new Critical Questions by CSIS's Benjamin Jensen. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs.

Podcast Episode by Benjamin Jensen — February 26, 2026

Audio Briefs

Russia-Ukraine War in 10 Charts

Four years after Russia’s full-scale invasion, the war in Ukraine has reshaped European security, global markets, and the balance of power. These 10 charts break down the battlefield, economic strain, military aid shifts, reconstruction costs, and what comes next.

Commentary by CSIS Scholars — February 24, 2026

Why the Army Needs Deception Groups

To outsmart modern threats, the U.S. Army must bring back “ghost armies”—dedicated deception units that manipulate what the enemy sees and believes, creating the space and confusion needed to maneuver and win on today’s transparent battlefield.

Commentary by Benjamin Jensen — January 29, 2026

AI and Grand Strategy: The Case for Restraint

Artificial intelligence may not reward a military arms race, but instead favor strategic restraint, economic capacity, and the ability to mobilize capital, infrastructure, and partnerships that shape long-term power and influence.

Report by Erica D. Lonergan and Benjamin Jensen — January 28, 2026