Mark Cancian

Major trends and takeaways from the Defense Department’s Unfunded Priority Lists

Mark Cancian and Chris Park of CSIS break down what is in this year's unfunded priority lists and what they say about the state of the US military.

National Guard chief looks to keep 25 Guard fighter squadrons, but may need help from Hill

“We have 25 fighter squadrons in the Guard right now. And when I look at the global demand, my personal view is I think we need to keep all 25 of those. I think our nation needs that capability,” said National Guard chief Gen. Daniel Hokanson.

To cool the war over amphibs, the Navy and Marines need a clearer justification

Congress should not shoot the messenger, but help the Navy and Marine Corps explain why 31 amphibs is the right number, CSIS's Mark Cancian argues in this op-ed.

A year into Ukraine, looking back at 5 prewar predictions

A year ago, Mark Cancian of CSIS laid out five things to watch for in a war between Ukraine and Russia. Now he assess where things ended up.

Three key takeaways from the Biden administration’s National Security Strategy

The National Security Strategy is finally out, 22 months into the Biden administration. But what does it actually say?

‘A bloody mess’ with ‘terrible loss of life’: How a China-US conflict over Taiwan could play out

Early results from a DC think tank's wargame suggest the US would prevail in defending Taiwan from China, but at a heavy cost that would leave it ill-prepared for new threats from Russia or Iran.

Analyzing the biggest changes in the Marine Corps Force Design 2030 update

Last month's update to the Marine Corps strategic guidance included many changes from the original document. Mark Cancian of CSIS goes in depth on what shifted, and why it matters.

A year after Jan. 6, DoD’s vague extremism definition could set up new problems

"DoD is taking the attitude towards violent extremism that the Supreme Court took towards pornography; they will know it when they see it," writes Mark Cancian. "That was not a useful legal test for pornography, and DoD will run into the same problem."

What would it take to defend Ukraine? Potentially, billions of dollars.

Mark Cancian of CSIS takes a look at two strategies for US military deployment to deter Russia - and how realistic they may be.

Afghanistan Is Not Done With Us; Four Long-Term Dangers Await

  The message was clear, from the mouths of military officials, the State Department and President Joe Biden himself: Aug. 30 marked the official end of the US war in Afghanistan. But, as Mark Cancian writes below, just because the US has decided it is done with Afghanistan does not mean Afghanistan is done with […]

In Afghanistan, Contractors Were Unsung Heroes Of US Efforts

As the US spends its final hours in Afghanistan, Mark Cancian of CSIS notes that more contractors have died (8,000) than US service members (7,000) in post 9/11 operations.

What If The Bigger Shipbuilding Budget Just Doesn’t Come?

“The Navy’s going to have a huge problem,” Mark Cancian, a fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said of the service’s likely budget squeeze.

The Five Surprises In Pentagon’s 2022 Budget

Most observers had expected an increase in the Navy's shipbuilding accounts with this budget, especially after the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley, said that, even as an Army general, he would support budget increases for the Navy and Air Force in light of the Chinese threat. But this budget decommissions 12 ships and buys relatively few replacements.

OMFV: Army’s Bradley Replacement Faces Hill, DoD Skeptics

Industry is excited about the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle. Congress and the Biden Administration are a harder sell.