May 18, 2018

By Dr. Robert J. Bunker

Dr. Robert J. BunkerOn April 7, 2018, insurgents and civilians in a rebel enclave in Douma, east of Damascus, Syria, were subjected to a chemical weapons attack during an offensive conducted by Assad regime and allied Russian and Iranian-linked ground forces. At least 42 individuals were reported to have been killed in the attack due to

Aug 14, 2015

By Dr. Robert J. Bunker

Dr. Robert J. Bunker Key Insights: A number of definitions for autonomous systems exist. One of the working definitions used at the colloquium was that in which their key feature is viewed as the ability of a given system to perform certain functions independently. Autonomous systems can support military operations by contributing to force

Sep 29, 2014

By Dr. Robert J. Bunker

Dr. Robert J. Bunker Key Insights.  Little ‘e’ (explosive events) suicide bombings have their conceptual origins in tactical actions (destructive) between military forces—including World War II Japanese Kamikazes—that, in time, evolved into acts of terrorism with strategic (disruptive) political outcomes. IED fatigue exists for troops in

Feb 20, 2014

By Dr. Robert J. Bunker

Dr. Robert J. Bunker The U.S. Army is facing both ongoing and projected austere economic times with deep troop and budget cuts. As a result, a concomitant rise in soul searching over the Army’s “strategic Landpower” contribution to national defense is increasingly evident. This is a natural and expected occurrence for a Service that has been in the

Mar 4, 2013

By Dr. Robert J. Bunker

Dr. Robert J. BunkerThe “Cyberspace: Malevolent Actors, Criminal Opportunities, and Strategic Competition” conference was held on November 1-2, 2012, in Pittsburgh, PA. The conference was sponsored by the Matthew B. Ridgway Center for International Security Studies, University of Pittsburgh, and the Strategic Studies Institute of the U.S. Army War

Jan 10, 2013

By Dr. Robert J. Bunker

Dr. Robert J. BunkerMuch discussion has been generated over the still relatively new U.S. strategic “Pivot to Asia” and what this will mean for our national defense policy and force structure. This pivot represents what will become a multi-year shift from the legacy of 9-11, with over a decade’s focus on ground and counterinsurgency operations in