Mark Cancian (Colonel, USMCR, ret.) is a senior adviser with the CSIS International Security Program. He joined CSIS in April 2015 from the Office of Management and Budget, where he spent more than seven years as chief of the Force Structure and Investment Division, working on issues such as Department of Defense budget strategy, war funding, and procurement programs, as well as nuclear weapons development and nonproliferation activities in the Department of Energy. Previously, he worked on force structure and acquisition issues in the Office of the Secretary of Defense and ran research and executive programs at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. In the military, Colonel Cancian spent over three decades in the U.S. Marine Corps, active and reserve, serving as an infantry, artillery, and civil affairs officer and on overseas tours in Vietnam, Desert Storm, and Iraq (twice). Since 2000, he has been an adjunct faculty member at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, where he teaches a course on the connection between policy and analysis. A prolific author, he has published over 40 articles on military operations, acquisition, budgets, and strategy and received numerous writing awards. He graduated with high honors (magna cum laude) from Harvard College and with highest honors (Baker scholar) from Harvard Business School.
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Featured
The First Battle of the Next War: Wargaming a Chinese Invasion of Taiwan
CSIS wargamed a Chinese invasion of Taiwan 24 times and found that Taiwan would endure as a democratic and independent entity in most scenarios. However, the costs were enormous. Victory is not enough. The United States needs to strengthen deterrence to avoid war.
Report by Mark F. Cancian, Matthew Cancian, and Eric Heginbotham — January 9, 2023
In the News
How the US military plans to construct a pier and get food into Gaza
Mark F. Cancian in BBC — March 13, 2024
America’s Defense spending dragged into budget chaos
Mark F. Cancian in The Hill — March 11, 2024
The F-22 Has Gone from Rolling Retirement To The USAF’s Top Priority
Mark F. Cancian in Forbes — March 8, 2024
European states gather Soviet-style artillery rounds for Ukraine
Mark F. Cancian in Defense News — February 29, 2024
What We’re Paying for in Ukraine
Mark F. Cancian in The Dispatch — February 24, 2024
The GOP could be about to cost Ukraine the war
Mark F. Cancian in Business Insider — February 14, 2024
Supplier bottlenecks threaten US Navy effort to grow arms stockpiles
Mark F. Cancian in Defense News — February 6, 2024
Short on ammo, Ukrainian artillerymen can't fire on a hunch anymore. They have to know the Russians are there.
Mark F. Cancian in Business Insider — February 2, 2024
All Mark F. Cancian Content
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The Mattis Resignation: What Does It Mean for the Future of National Security?
Critical Questions by Mark F. Cancian, Todd Harrison, and Andrew Philip Hunter — December 21, 2018
Bad Idea: Using the Phrase 'Military Requirements'
Commentary by Mark F. Cancian — December 7, 2018
U.S. Military Forces in FY 2019: The Buildup and Its Limits
Report by Mark F. Cancian — November 2, 2018
Defense Buildup: Where Are the Forces?
Commentary by Mark F. Cancian — October 11, 2018
The State of Military Readiness: Is There a Crisis?
Critical Questions by Mark F. Cancian and Seamus P. Daniels — April 18, 2018
Defense Outlook 2018
Report by Mark F. Cancian and Kathleen H. Hicks — April 17, 2018
Forecasting the Trump Defense Budget
Critical Questions by Mark F. Cancian — March 8, 2018
Military Force Structure: Trade-offs, Trade-offs, Trade-offs
Commentary by Mark F. Cancian — February 26, 2018
Project on Nuclear Issues
Report by Mark F. Cancian — February 21, 2018
Coping with Surprise in Great Power Conflicts
Report by Mark F. Cancian — February 20, 2018