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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U.S. Military Forces in FY 2022: Air Force
Report by Mark F. Cancian — November 30, 2021
U.S. Military Forces in FY 2022: Marine Corps
Report by Mark F. Cancian — November 17, 2021
Book Event: Major General Arnold L. Punaro's "The Ever-Shrinking Fighting Force"
Event — November 16, 2021
U.S. Military Forces in FY 2022: Navy
Report by Mark F. Cancian — November 2, 2021
U.S. Military Forces in FY 2022: Army
Report by Mark F. Cancian — October 21, 2021
A Conversation with LTG Jensen, Director of US Army National Guard
Event — October 20, 2021
U.S. Military Forces in FY 2022: Peering into the Abyss—The Budget and Strategy Overview
Report by Mark F. Cancian — October 12, 2021
Military Challenges to Future NATO Enlargement
Event — September 8, 2021
Future NATO Enlargement: Force Requirements and Budget Costs
Report by Mark F. Cancian — September 8, 2021