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Strategy

IST Experts Weigh in on the 2026 Cyber Strategy

IST Experts Weigh in on the 2026 Cyber Strategy

Today’s Cyber Strategy for America outlined six key priorities for the administration’s “cyber vision.” IST experts weigh in on what’s there, what isn’t, and what the plan means for cybersecurity going forward.

critical infrastructure, cyber offense, cybersecurity, deterrence, National Cybersecurity Strategy, Strategy, White House

March 6, 2026

NC3 in a Multipolar Nuclear World: Big Structures and Large Processes

NC3 in a Multipolar Nuclear World: Big Structures and Large Processes

In this essay, Paul Bracken analyzes the big structures and large processes of nuclear multipolarity. A framework for analyzing this global system is developed, one made up of national command and control plus the "system dynamics" of their interlinked behavior. The paper underscores how advanced technologies — cyberwar, drones, and anti-satellite weapons (ASAT) — affects NC3.

anti-satellite, cold war, command, communication, control, cyberwar, drones, Europe, missile defense, NATO, NC3, Non-Proliferation, nuclear, stability, strategic, Strategy, weapon

May 14, 2019

U.S. Nuclear Command and Control for the 21st Century

U.S. Nuclear Command and Control for the 21st Century

Dr. John Harvey calls for fixing the legacy NC2 system, including the so-called “thin line” architecture, to address Cold War-era nuclear scenarios which have not yet gone away, developing an NC2 concept and associated architecture to address “modern” nuclear conflict, and generating a plan to field it over the next 10-15 years.

21st century, alert posture, cold war, command, communication, conflict, control, deterrence, NC2, NC3, nuclear, resilience, stability, strategic, Strategy, sustainment

May 23, 2019

Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications: U.S. Country Profile

In "Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications: U.S. Country Profile," Jeffrey Larsen argues that, for the last 75 years, the deterrence forces of the United States have relied on the credible threat of nuclear weapons use to prevent adversarial attacks.

authority, C2, command, communication, control, deterrence, NC3, nuclear, policy, president, stability, strategic, Strategy, United States, US, World War II

August 22, 2019

NC3 Decision Making: Individual Versus Group Process

NC3 Decision Making: Individual Versus Group Process

Dr. Alex Wallerstein sketches a framework for thinking about how concentrated nuclear use authority should be at the top. While he discusses specific U.S. proposals for reform in response to recent domestic debates, the scope of his analysis is uniquely global and includes a comparative analysis of the approach of all nine nuclear weapons states.

civil-military, cold war, congress, Constitution, deterrence, enrichment, migration, NC3, nuclear codes, Senate, stability, status quo, STRATCOM, Strategy, UK

August 8, 2019