U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Raylin Carter, an aerial observer from Oklahoma with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 362 (Reinforced), 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, participates in flight operations with AH-1Z Viper pilots during a strait transit, Jan. 9, 2023.

From High Seas to Highlands: Framing U.S. Defense Strategy With Southeast Asia’s Geography

The 2022 U.S. National Security Strategy prioritized competing with China, and this focus seems likely to continue with the new administration.

U.S. Air Force Special Tactics Operators assigned to the 24th Special Operations Wing, U.S. Army Special Forces Operators and Ukrainian Special Operations Forces execute a bi-lateral military free fall from a U.S. Air Force MC-130J Commando II assigned to the 352d Special Operations Wing near Vinnytsia, Ukraine

Building Strategic Lethality: Special Operations Models for Joint Force Learning and Leader Development

The resurgence of Great Power competition as a dominant feature of the international environment brings a measure of certainty to the joint force.

An F/A-18F Super Hornet from the "Fighting Redcocks" of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 22 launches from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) in the Philippine Sea, April 22, 2025.

Increasing Operational Access: A Strategy for the Western Pacific

The geostrategic challenge posed by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in the Western Pacific is a contest that the United States must counter with the collective implementation of the instruments of national power in pursuit of improved operational access for the U.S. joint force.

The premier professional military and academic publishing house of the National Defense University

Joint Force Quarterly 118 | July 15, 2025

Rightsizing the PLA Air Force: Revisiting an Analytic Framework

Lauren Edson and Dr. Phillip Saunders

Modernization of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) has been an important priority for the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) due to the strategic importance of airpower in modern military campaigns.

Joint Force Quarterly 118 | July 15, 2025

Finding Deepfakes: A Tabletop Exercise About AI, Decisionmaking, and Algorithmic Performance

Andrea Brennan, Gwyneth Sutherlin, Lisa Pagano-Wallace, and Hermie Mendoza

Early in the scenario, participants discover algorithmic limitations in an artificial intelligence (AI)-based deepfake detection tool.

| July 15, 2025

T-BIRRD: Transforming the Future of Military and Humanitarian Logistics

Jacob R. Bright

The adage “amateurs discuss tactics, professionals discuss logistics” resonates more profoundly than ever in an age of rapid technological advancements and global challenges.

Joint Force Quarterly 118 | July 15, 2025

Revive: Getting Medical Supplies and Expertise Right in Distributed Maritime Operations

Seth Reini and Jonathan J. Haase

In the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the U.S. military medical enterprise achieved historical highs for saving lives and treating extreme injuries.

A Framework for Countering Organized Crime

David H. Ucko and Thomas A. Marks

Joint Force Quarterly 118 (3rd Quarter 2025)

NDU Press

The German Defense-Industrial Zeitenwende: Implications for Transatlantic Security

Brett Swaney

China's Military Diplomacy

Phillip C. Saunders and Melodie Ha

Joint Force Quarterly 117 (2nd Quarter 2025)

NDU Press

Joint Force Quarterly 116 (1st Quarter 2025)

NDU Press

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