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  • Enter the Battleverse: China’s Metaverse War

    Article by CASI's Josh Baughman, originally published in Military Cyber Affairs: Vol. 5 : Iss. 1 , Article 2. available at https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1083&context=mcaIn China, 2021 was dubbed year one of the metaverse with extensive investment by local government,

  • Understanding How Adversaries Think: China and Russia in Space

    Listen to the Mitchell Institute's Aerospace Advantage Podcast Episode 72, Understanding How Adversaries Think: China and Russia in Space.Daniel Rice of the Mitchell Institute is joined by MI-SPACE Senior Fellow Christopher Stone, CASI Director Dr. Brendan Mulvaney, and Air University's Dr. Daniel

  • The PRC State & Defense Laboratory System

    Over the past 30 years, China has developed a vast and complex laboratory system. From an analytical stand­point, at present, laboratories generally fall into one of several categories according to their administrative rank­ings. They include, in descending order: state-level laboratories[国家级],

  • Attacking the Metaverse

    In China, 2021 was dubbed year one of the metaverse with extensive investment by local government, tech companies, major conferences, and studies all related to development and future of the metaverse. While there is not one authoritative definition recognized for the metaverse as it continues to

  • Initial Analysis of Two Chinese Satellite Series: Shi Jian and Shi Yan

    The Chinese satellites with the Shi Jian (SJ) and Shi Yan designators are just two categories of Chinese space vehicles on which Beijing has not elaborated in recent years.  This paper reviews their history up to 2013 to provide space watchers with an initial framework for analyzing these

  • CASI Conference 2022- Great Power Competition & Deterrence

    CASI will hold its biennial CASI Conference Tuesday 17 May 2022 in person at National Defense University.  The conference is open for registration, and is free to attend.  More information can be found on the registration page at: CASI Conference 2022Tentative Schedule07:30-08:15

  • Competition with China: PLA Navy

    Part of CASI's "Competition With China" video series which helps Airmen better understand the strategic competition with China broadly, and takes a deep look at many of the military and security aspects of that competition. CASI uses source documents to research and report on China’s aerospace

  • Fight Fire with Fire: The PLA Studies Hybrid Warfare

         Moscow’s recent escalation of its invasion of Ukraine has refocused the world’s attention on a war that began in 2014 with Russia’s annexation of Crimea and its proxy war against Kyiv in eastern Ukraine. Russia’s successes in Ukraine in 2014 and the subsequent panic over Russian interference in

  • “Made-to-Order” NCOs: The PLA’s Targeted Training NCO Program

    Over the last decade, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has rapidly expanded a program to increase technical capabilities across its enlisted corps by developing what it calls “made-to-order” noncommissioned officers (NCO). These targeted training NCOs (定向培养士官) receive technical training at

  • Competition with China: Strategic Perceptions

    Part of CASI's "Competition With China" video series which helps Airmen better understand the strategic competition with China broadly, and takes a deep look at many of the military and security aspects of that competition. CASI uses source documents to research and report on China’s aerospace

  • PACAF's State of the Game

    In this new era of strategic competition, State of the Game aims to increase PACAF’s collective understanding of the PRC and the Indo-Pacific region. The May issue delves into disinformation about COVID-19 and the May Fourth Movement and how it sets the stage for current CCP-led nationalism. Topics

  • PRC Navy Likely Testing Carrier-Based Stealth Fighters

    Two probable prototype carrier-based FC-31 variants appeared at the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) Carrier Aviation Test and Training Base at Huangdicun in early November 2021.  Satellite imagery shows the two aircraft parked on active runways, indicating they are operable prototypes rather

  • Assessment of the PLA’s 3-Star Promotions in January 2022

    On 5 January 2022, Xi Jinping chaired a promotion ceremony for seven officers as either a commander (CDR) or political commissar (PC).  Each new general has the grade of Theater Command (TC) Leader and each previously held a billet at the grade of TC deputy leader.  As a TC leader-grade officer,

  • Competition with China: The PLA Air Force

    Part of CASI's "Competition With China" video series which helps Airmen better understand the strategic competition with China broadly, and takes a deep look at many of the military and security aspects of that competition. CASI uses source documents to research and report on China’s aerospace

  • Control and Decisionmaking in Xi Jinping’s Military

    Over the past decade, Xi Jinping centralized control over the military through more than just reshuffling the People’s Armed Forces. Just as importantly, he stripped away control over the Party gun from other parts of the Chinese Communist Party. In doing this, the primary potential disrupting

  • Third Combat Brigade of PLA Air Force Likely Receives Stealth Fighters

    On 9 December the Dutch Aviation Society’s website Scramble reported that a J-20 bearing the serial number 61162 had been spotted the day before. The J-20 is the first and only fifth-generation fighter that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force operates. Judging from this serial

  • CMSI report on Chinese Special Operations in a Large-Scale Island Landing

    This is a report from our "Big Brothers" at the China Maritime Studies Institute (CMSI) focused on PLA SOF.      PLA special operations forces (SOF) would likely play important supporting roles in an amphibious assault on Taiwan. Their capabilities and training are geared towards several missions

  • CASI Webinar on China and Cyber

    CASI hosted a webinar focused on Cyber issues related to the PRC.  We were joined by: Naomi Wilson, Vice president of policy for Asia at the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) Prof SHEN Yi, Associate Professor of the Department of International Politics, School of International

  • In Their Own Words: 2020 Science of Military Strategy

          The “In Their Own Words” series is dedicated to translations of Chinese documents in order to help non-Mandarin speaking audiences access and understand Chinese thinking. In the “In Their Own Words” series, CASI aims to provide Chinese texts that illustrate thoughtful, clearly articulated,