NSDM Seminars

These are just some of the lectures by the NSDM Staffers that you can see at Origins.

Air and Space Power 101
(Presenter:  Lt Col Robert Blanke, USAF)
 “America = airpower.”  No U.S. conventional infantryman has died by enemy air attack since 1952.  We rule the skies.  Space, too.  What advantages accrue?  What threats to this dominance exist?  Former CHECKMATE planner Robert Blanke takes a look at America’s capabilities in the third dimension and how we exploit this control.

Air and Space Power 2020
(Presenter:  Lt Col Robert Blanke, USAF)
Projecting military power into air and space is more affected by technology than across any other domain.  As the US military transforms, what shape will our forces in air and space take, and what capabilities will they provide to operators in all of the military domains-ground, air, space, maritime, and information?  Former CHECKMATE planner Robert Blanke offers his take on where we might be as we start the third decade of the 21st century.

Iran-Deadly Threat or Posturing Nuisance
(Presenter:  Lt Col Robert Blanke, USAF)
With the public release of the National Intelligence Estimate on Iran’s nuclear program, many insist that Iran is less of a threat-while others insist that the threat remains the same.  Robert Blanke will present a broad spectrum update looking at who is in control, what is the threat, and what can we expect from the Iranians over the next few years.

Hezbollah-Politicians, Reporters, and Terrorists
(Presenter:  Lt Col Robert Blanke, USAF)
In 2006, they precipitated a war with Israel.  In 2007, one of their operatives was detained in Iraq while supporting anti-Coalition Shia militants.  At the same time, they are a political faction in Lebanon, run a satellite TV news network expressly devoted to propagandizing, and provide social services in Southern Lebanon.  Robert Blanke takes a look at Hezbollah, the world’s most capable terrorist organization and a key player in the stormy political dynamic in Lebanon.

The Russian Navy – It’s Still There, and Modernizing
(Presenter:  Dan McDonagh, NAVAIR)
Russian seapower.  Naval policies, doctrines.  Industrial base, geographical situation, technological capability, national tradition, and political resolve.  Procurement from foreign sources.  Platforms and systems.

Submarine and Anti-Submarine Warfare
(Presenters:  CAPT Mark McDonagh, USNR, and Dan McDonagh, NAVAIR)
The various types of submarines and their missions.  Submarine and anti-submarine doctrine, platforms, sensors, weapons and tactics.  Presented by a veteran submariner and an ASW coordinator.

The Red Chinese Threat – Scarier This Year Than Last
(Presenter:  Dan McDonagh, NAVAIR)
What is the Politburo’s policy with regard to its neighbors?  What aggressive aspirations might they have in the longer term?  How are the PLA, PLAN, and PLAAF armed today, and how might they be armed in the future?

Dieppe – “Too Big For a Raid, Too Small For an Invasion”
    (Presenter:  Mike Tucker, NATO Institute of Canada)
Of the 6,000 men involved, over 4,000 became casualties. Was it poor planning, bad luck or incompetence? Did politics, ambition or overconfidence lead to disaster on the beaches of France?

 
International Relations:  A Blunt Introduction
(Presenter:  Craig Greathouse)
Do the traditional ideas of blood, gold and power still have relevance?   This talk focuses on the basics of how the international system operates and primary actors and their motivations

 
Strategic Culture and Its affects on Grand Strategy   (Presenter:  Craig Greathouse)
The cultural lens that each state views the world through affects what its goals are and how it achieves them.   With many states forced to reassess their grand strategies the impact of strategic culture on this process is examined.

 
Global War on Terror – 2008 Update
(Panelists:  NSDM Staff)
DoD professionals with long experience in the field will discuss what motivates Islamic terrorism, what groups are involved, what governments support it, and what can be done in response.