Defense Budget and Acquisition

The Defense Budget Analysis Program, the Defense-Industrial Initiatives Group, and the Arleigh A. Burke Chair in Strategy track the foremost budget issues in the defense policy sphere.

Photo: Yurii/Adobe Stock

Photo: Yurii/Adobe Stock

Operational Fires in the Age of Punishment

Russia’s decoupling of firepower from maneuver in Ukraine signals a dangerous shift toward punitive, algorithmic warfare—forcing NATO to rethink doctrine, deterrence, and the role of human-machine integration in future conflicts.

Report by Benjamin Jensen and Jose M. Macias III — May 6, 2025

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Photo: CSIS

Photo: CSIS

The Cost of Deterrence

May 6, 2025 • 4:30 – 5:00 pm EDT
Video On Demand
Hosted by Defense and Security
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Experts

Cynthia Cook

Cynthia Cook

Director, Defense-Industrial Initiatives Group and Senior Fellow, Defense and Security Department
Gregory Sanders

Gregory Sanders

Former Deputy Director, Defense-Industrial Initiatives Group and Senior Fellow, Defense and Security Department

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The Cost of Deterrence

Please join the CSIS Defense and Security Department for a conversation on the future of U.S. defense spending and the cost of American military power, featuring CSIS experts Dr. Tom Karako, Dr. Heather Williams, and Kari A. Bingen. 

Event — May 6, 2025

Operational Fires in the Age of Punishment

Russia’s decoupling of firepower from maneuver in Ukraine signals a dangerous shift toward punitive, algorithmic warfare—forcing NATO to rethink doctrine, deterrence, and the role of human-machine integration in future conflicts.

Report by Benjamin Jensen and Jose M. Macias III — May 6, 2025

Conflict in Focus: Lessons from Russia-Ukraine

The Russia-Ukraine War has redefined modern conflict, from drones and cyberattacks to contested space. Conflict in Focus, a CSIS series, unpacks key lessons across all domains of war—insights vital for anticipating and preparing for future large-scale conflicts.

Report by Matthew Slusher, Krista Auchenbach, Scott Murphy, Quinton Packard, Scott Pence, and Luke Slivinski — May 2, 2025

Trump Restructures the Pentagon Budget: Two Views

Who should win and lose under Secretary Hegseth’s direction to reallocate 8 percent of DOD’s budget? CSIS experts Mark Cancian and Melissa Dalton took very different approaches in a recent exercise: a global focus (Cancian) versus the implications of the administration's strategy (Dalton).

Report by Mark F. Cancian and Melissa Dalton — April 16, 2025

Securing the Digital and Orbital Frontiers in Ukraine

As cyberattacks shadow Ukraine’s ceasefire, resilience becomes the front line. From railways to satellites, Ukraine’s digital and orbital defenses must hold firm against coercion to secure peace and deny Russia leverage in new domains of conflict.

Commentary by Benjamin Jensen and Erica Lonergan — April 3, 2025

How to Secure the Black Sea During a Russia-Ukrainian Ceasefire

Securing a fragile Black Sea ceasefire demands more than diplomacy. NATO must field a multidomain fleet-in-being—one that deters Russia, respects Montreux limits, and projects power without draining overstretched naval forces elsewhere.

Commentary by Benjamin Jensen and Mark Montgomery — March 31, 2025