Rick Spencer

Analysis

My analytical writing spans defense and economic statecraft, Russian politics, nuclear weapons and any other varieties of commentary on current events. 

National Security

How do the Russian Armed Forces express jointness?

The Army’s Foreign Military Service Office (FMSO) produced an e-book in 2017 called The Russian Way of War, which is one of the only documents I’ve found that explores Russian inter-service cooperation thoroughly. According to the authors Dr. Lester Grau and Charles Bartles, Russian command and control has jointness baked-in.

2022-05-29

Nuclear Weapons Strategy & Policy

Does the US Need Cyberspace Strategy Modeled on NSC-68?

The 1950 report by the National Security Council interpreted George F Kennan’s “warning about Soviet ideological expansionism as a warrant for a build-up and projection of American military strength, force-backed intervention in countries at risk of adopting communist government, and a framework for understanding and negotiating with the USSR

2022-05-29

Foreign Policy and International Relations

Korean Think Tanks you ask?

In recent discussion about the world of think tanks, a question was raised about the think tank culture in Korea. …There are at least two places that I’ve found where one can go and learn more about the think tank sector as a whole.

2022-05-29

Russia: Political Analysis

How do the Russian Armed Forces express jointness?

The Army’s Foreign Military Service Office (FMSO) produced an e-book in 2017 called The Russian Way of War, which is one of the only documents I’ve found that explores Russian inter-service cooperation thoroughly. According to the authors Dr. Lester Grau and Charles Bartles, Russian command and control has jointness baked-in.

2022-05-29

International Organizations

Evaluating The International Atomic Energy Agency

If you had walked out of the signing of the United Nations Charter on June 26th, 1945 and taken a bicycle ride south and then east along US40 for roughly six hours per day, in three weeks you could have shown up in Socorro, New Mexico on July 16th to witness the first ever detonation of a nuclear weapon.

2022-05-29

Economic Statecraft

Topics of Analysis