The U.S. capability in conventional warfare is unmatched by any other state for now and the immediate future. However, various types of challenges have arisen that may not threaten the existence of the U.S. but may prove sufficiently challenging to justify serious consideration and planning to mitigate the effect on U.S. interests. In the future, the DoD must anticipate stressing wars. The purpose of this study is to: Review previous and ongoing studies regarding stressing wars; Identify parameters for challenges to military operations (e.g., physical size, population, technological prowess, and denial and deception); Assess capability gaps; and Identify possible solutions, including technological, operational, and policy oriented solutions. Illus.

Since the beginning of the 20th century, the United States has sought to achieve Admiral Alfred Thayer Mahan's vision of "command of the sea" using large battle fleets of capital ships. This strategy has been generally successful: no force can oppose the U.S. Navy on the open seas. Yet capital ship theory has become increasingly irrelevant. Globally, irregular warfare dominates the spectrum of conflict, especially in the aftermath of 9/11. Fleet engagements are a thing of the past and even small scale missions that rely on capital ships are challenged by irregular warfare. In a pattern evident since World War II, the U.S. Navy has attempted to adapt its capital ship theory to irregular conflicts--with mixed results--before returning to traditional operations with little or no strategic debate. This book discusses the challenges of irregular warfare in the 21st century, and the need for U.S. naval power to develop a new strategic paradigm.

DoD plays a support role in managing Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and High-Yield Explosives (CBRNE) incidents, including providing capabilities to save lives, alleviate hardship or suffering, and minimize property damage. This report addresses the extent to which: (1) DoD's CBRNE consequence mgmt. plans and capabilities are integrated with other federal plans; (2) DoD has planned for and structured its force to provide CBRNE consequence management assistance; (3) DoD's CBRNE Consequence Mgmt. Response Forces (CCMRF) are prepared for their mission; and (4) DoD has CCMRF funding plans that are linked to requirements for specialized CBRNE capabilities. Includes recommendations. Charts and tables.

Changes in technology and adversary behavior will invariably produce new threats that must be assessed by defense and homeland security planners. An example of such a novel threat is the use of cruise missiles or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) by terrorist groups. Individual threats cannot be assessed in isolation, however, since adversaries always have many options for staging attacks. To examine this threat, RAND utilized a ?red analysis of alternatives? approach, wherein the benefits, costs, and risks of different options are considered from the point of view of a potential adversary. For several types of attacks, the suitability of these systems was compared against other options. This approach can help defense planners understand how the capabilities that different attack modes provide address key adversary operational problems. Given the insights this analysis produced about when these systems would likely be preferred by an attacker, RAND explored defensive options to address the threat. UAVs and cruise missiles represent a ?niche threat? within a larger threat context; therefore, defenses were sought that provide common protection against both this and other asymmetric threats. The monograph concludes with a discussion of cross-cutting lessons about this threat and the assessment of novel threats in general.

The Complete Guide to Understanding the Structure of Homeland Security Law New topics featuring leading authors cover topics on Security Threats of Separatism, Secession and Rightwing Extremism; Aviation Industry’s 'Crew Resource Management' Principles'; and Ethics, Legal, and Social Issues in Homeland Security Legal, and Social Issues in Homeland Security. In addition, the chapter devoted to the Trans-Pacific Partnership is a description of economic statecraft, what we really gain from the TPP, and what we stand to lose. The Power of Pop Culture in the Hands of ISIS describes how ISIS communicates and how pop culture is used expertly as a recruiting tool Text organized by subject with the portions of all the laws related to that particular subject in one chapter, making it easier to reference a specific statute by topic Allows the reader to recognize that homeland security involves many specialties and to view homeland security expansively and in the long-term Includes many references as a resource for professionals in various fields including: military, government, first responders, lawyers, and students Includes an Instructor Manual providing teaching suggestions, discussion questions, true/false questions, and essay questions along with the answers to all of these

The Cold War phrase “weapons of mass destruction” continues to be used despite significant changes in international political cultures, military concepts of operation, and technology advances. Today, the term “weapons of mass destruction” (WMD) is used to address many things, from grams of ricin and barrels of industrial chemicals to megaton nuclear weapons. As a direct result of the decision to refer to all nuclear, biological, and chemical (NBC) weapons as well as biological, chemical and radiological (CBR) hazards as “WMD,” we have lost the ability to accurately develop, assess, and discuss policy concerns relating to the contemporary use of unconventional weapons on the battlefield and within the homeland. This book uses a public policy framework to examine how the U.S. government, and in particular the U.S. military, should address the potential use of unconventional weapons in the 21st century. It defines the problem, identifies the policy actors and reviews policy options. It discusses past policy efforts before offering a critical review of current strategies and how WMD issues are integrated into the current military Joint Operating Concepts (deterrence, cooperative security, major combat operations, irregular warfare, stability, and homeland security), and proposes new national framework for countering WMD. The aim is to answer such questions as what does counterproliferation mean and whether the U.S. government is adequately prepared to protect U.S. citizens and its armed forces from adversaries developing unconventional weapons.