Vandenberg Flash Focus

Ep. 54 | Leveraging “The American Edge” for the Defense Industrial Base

In the last year, China’s defense industrial base produced fighter jets faster than the United States, doubled its inventory of ballistic and cruise missiles, doubled its nuclear warhead inventory, and became five to six times faster than the United States at acquiring weapons systems. While we rest comfortably on peacetime footing, China has positioned its defense industrial base to be on wartime footing. But though alarm bells are ringing, there is still some good news. This not the first time in American history our defense industrial base has lagged behind that of our adversaries, and just as we did in the past, there is a way we can close the gap. In this episode, we sit down with Vandenberg Advisory Board member Dr. Seth Jones to discuss his new book The American Edge and his recommendations for how to kick our defense industrial base into gear. The book is a thorough account of every phase of defense industrial policy from World War II up to its current state, and how we can leverage the edge that has made us a defense production powerhouse in the past.https://www.amazon.com/American-Edge-Military-Sources-Dominance/dp/0197764606(0:45) The State of our Current Defense Industrial Base(3:30) How the Chinese Defense Industrial Base Is Able to Do What It Does(5:54) The Lessons of History in Defense Investment(9:37) Keeping Up on Acquisitions(12:22) Public and Private Collaboration(15:54) The Chinese Ability to Produce Quality Weapons(18:26) Lessons from the War in Ukraine(22:01) What to Look for in the FY27 NDAA(25:41) Why The American Edge Gives us HopeYou can watch this episode as a video on YouTube.

Ep. 53 | Time to Go, Maduro

The United States has continued to pressure the Maduro regime with F-18 flyovers, the seizure of oil tankers, and new sanctions on Venezuelan entities associated with the Maduro regime, alongside continued strikes on drug boats. Simultaneously, the Venezuelan opposition has continued gaining momentum. Notably, Maria Carina Machado, the head of the Venezuelan opposition, had a miraculous exit from Venezuela to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway. Former U.S. Ambassador to Venezuela James Story joins Vandenberg Executive Director Carrie Filipetti to discuss these recent updates, what a post-Maduro Venezuela would look like, and more. Our October 24 episode with Ryan Berg: https://player.captivate.fm/episode/101b0c5e-fe2c-4f84-b5bb-861f9a392aa1/ Democratic Transition Framework for Venezuela: https://2017-2021.state.gov/democratic-transition-framework-for-venezuela/ (1:32) How Did We Get Here in Venezuela?(3:05) U.S. Interests in Venezuela(5:09) President Trump’s Decision to Sanction Colombian President Gustavo Petro(7:54) Striking Drug Boats(10:42) Seizing Oil Tankers(13:48) Trump 1.0 vs Trump 2.0 in the Western Hemisphere(16:07) Venezuela vs. Iraq, Libya, and Afghanistan(19:47) Establishing the Red Lines for Maduro’s Departure(23:12) María Corina Machado’s Departure and Return(26:08) Opportunities for the United States With a Free and Democratic Venezuela(30:20) Is This Going to Work? If So, When?You can watch this episode as a video on YouTube.

Ep. 52 | A Playbook for Winning the Cyber War

The United States faces serious cyber vulnerabilities from its principal adversaries—China, Russia, and Iran. In her report “A Playbook for Winning the Cyber War,” Emily Harding, a Vandenberg Advisory Board member and Director of the Intelligence, National Security, and Technology Program as well as Vice President of the Defense and Security Department at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, issues a stark warning: “The United States has been losing a war it did not know it was fighting—and it has been losing for the last 20 years.” How can America turn the tide, leverage its strengths, and close its cyber gaps? Emily Harding joins Vandenberg Senior Policy Director Corban Teague to discuss her groundbreaking report and outline how the United States can secure victory in the cyber domain.https://www.csis.org/programs/intelligence-national-security-and-technology-program/playbook-winning-cyber-war (1:47) Why the United States is Losing(3:50) The Capabilities of our Adversaries(8:20) Cyber Wargames(13:25) Redefining War and Retaliation(16:29) Attribution and Action(19:53) Defense as a “No Fail Mission”(22:54) Octopus Offense(26:36) Priorities for PolicymakersYou can watch this episode as a video on YouTube.

Ep. 51 | Gaza Ceasefire and Palestinian Statehood

A few weeks ago, President Trump secured the release of all 20 remaining living hostages in Gaza and reached a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. This ceasefire is a tenuous one; Hamas has refused to release the bodies of deceased hostages and has violated agreed-upon boundaries, sparking limited clashes with Israeli forces. Nonetheless, the ceasefire has paved the way for renewed discussions on Gaza’s future, the precarious status of the West Bank, and broader questions of Palestinian statehood. Elliott Abrams, Chairman of The Vandenberg Coalition and Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, joins Flash Focus to discuss the ceasefire, his landmark piece in Mosaic entitled “There Never Will Be a Palestinian State. So What’s Next?”, the outlook for Judea, Samaria, and Gaza, and more.https://ideas.tikvah.org/mosaic/essays/there-won-t-be-a-palestinian-state-in-the-west-bank-it-s-time-to-reconsider-the-j https://www.impact-se.org/ (1:18) Assessing Phase One(3:22) The (Failed) European Approach(5:18) Why Will There Never Be A Palestinian State?(8:47) A Jordanian-Palestinian Confederation(13:57) Deradicalizing Gaza(17:57) International Stabilization Force (22:13) Ending “Something for Nothing”(25:34) Gaza’s Near-Term FutureYou can watch this episode as a video on YouTube.

Ep. 50 | Strikes in the Caribbean

Right now, all eyes remain on the Caribbean, where President Trump’s buildup of military forces has raised significant questions about American intentions and objectives in Latin America. Is the United States simply conducting counternarcotics operations, or are we embarking on regime change or pressure in the region? Ryan Berg, Director of the Americas Program and Head of the Future of Venezuela Initiative at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and Vandenberg Advisory Board member, joins Vandenberg Executive Director Carrie Filipetti to discuss these recent developments and more. The Woman Who Took on a Dictator—and Won a Nobel Peace Prize“Democracy: Use It or Lose It”(1:08) Why Does Venezuela Matter for the United States?(3:13) Venezuelan Cartels(7:10) The Caribbean Buildup(10:31) President Trump’s Main Objective(12:50) Message to Mexican Cartels and Sheinbaum(16:33) Maduro’s Behavior(20:33) U.S. Personnel Covering Venezuela (24:00) Venezuelan Opposition & María Corina MachadoYou can watch this podcast as a video on YouTube.