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US sailors conduct routine maintenance on a jet blast deflector on the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Nimitz on July 9, 2025. (US Navy)
Defense Strategy
Defense Strategy
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Soldiers from the Chinese People’s Liberation Army prepare for the opening ceremony of the Beijing Xiangshan Forum on security dialogue on September 16, 2026. (Getty Images)
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(Screenshot via YouTube)
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NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Lieutenant General Peter Mirow, commanding general of the 1st German-Dutch Corps, during a visit to the German-Dutch Corps in North Rhine-Westphalia, Münster on October 1, 2026. (Getty Images)
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French soldiers with the French Foreign Legion sit on top of a Leclerc tank during NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte’s visit to NATO allies in Setermoen, Norway, March 18, 2026. (US Marine Corps)
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First Lady of China Peng Liyuan, Chinese President Xi Jinping, US President Donald Trump, and First Lady Melania Trump walk on the red carpet during an arrival ceremony on September 23, 2026, at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. (Getty Images)
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A British corporal talks with Finnish soldiers at Vuosanka near Kajaani, Finland, during NATO’s Northern Axe exercise along the Russian border. (Getty Images)
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An F/A-18 Super Hornet lands on the flight deck of the USS George Washington on August 29, 2026, in the US 5th Fleet area of operations while supporting maritime security and stability in the Middle East. (US Navy)
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A member of the French Navy observes through his binoculars from the command post before the departure of an amphibious helicopter carrier in Toulon on February 17, 2026. (Getty Images)
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Military vehicles transport rocket launchers past Tian'anmen Square on September 3, 2025 in Beijing, China. (Getty Images)
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Chinese President Xi Jinping walks past Kyrgyz honour guards during a welcoming ceremony prior to talks with his Kyrgyzstan's counterpart in Bishkek on August 31, 2026. (Getty Images)
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US sailors conduct routine maintenance on a jet blast deflector on the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Nimitz on July 9, 2025. (US Navy)
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(Screenshot via YouTube)
Experts
David Byrd
Fellow, Center for Defense Concepts and Technology
Bryan Clark
Senior Fellow and Director, Center for Defense Concepts and Technology
Ian Crone
Fellow (Nonresident), Center for Defense Concepts and Technology
Jack David
Senior Fellow and Trustee
