Elbridge Colby
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Elbridge Colby is co-founder and principal of The Marathon Initiative, a policy initiative focused on developing strategies to prepare the United States for an era of sustained great power competition. He is the author of The Strategy of Denial: American Defense in an Age of Great Power Conflict (Yale University Press), which The Wall Street Journal selected as one of the top ten books of 2021.
Previously, Colby was from 2018-2019 the Director of the Defense Program at the Center for a New American Security, where he led the Center’s work on defense issues.
Before that, he served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy and Force Development from 2017-2018. In that role, he served as the lead official in the development and rollout of the Department’s preeminent strategic planning guidance, the 2018 National Defense Strategy (NDS). The NDS shifted the Department of Defense’s focus to the challenges to U.S. military superiority and interests posed by China in particular followed by Russia, prioritizing restoring the Joint Force’s warfighting edge against these major power competitors. He also served as the primary Defense Department representative in the development of the 2017 National Security Strategy.
Prior to this, Colby was from 2014 to 2017 the Robert M. Gates Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security. From 2010 to 2013 he was principal analyst and division lead for global strategic affairs at CNA. Earlier in his career he served for over five years in the U.S. Government working on a range of strategic forces, arms control, WMD, and intelligence reform matters, including service with the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq in 2003 and with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence during its stand-up in 2005-2006. Colby has also served on the staff of a number of government commissions, including the 2014 National Defense Panel, the 2008-2009 Strategic Posture Commission, and the 2004-2005 President’s WMD Commission.
Colby’s work has appeared in outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, Foreign Affairs, The Washington Post, The New York Times, Foreign Policy, and The National Interest as well as in international outlets such as Asahi Shimbun, Yomiuri Shimbun, Nikkei Asia, The Hindustan Times, The Australian, Süddeutsche Zeitung, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Internationale Politik, Die Zeit, Le Figaro, The Spectator, Survival, La Stampa, The Taipei Times, Hankook Ilbo, The New Straits Times, and The Manila Standard. He is also the author of many book chapters, reports, and articles on defense and foreign policy issues. He has testified a number of times before Congress and the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission. Colby is a recipient of the Distinguished and Exceptional Public Service Awards from the Department of Defense and of the Superior and Meritorious Honor Awards from the Department of State. A member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the International Institute of Strategic Studies, Colby is a graduate of Harvard College and Yale Law School.
For inquiries, please click below:
The Strategy of Denial: American Defense in an Age of Great Power Conflict
by Elbridge Colby
Elbridge A. Colby was the lead architect of the 2018 National Defense Strategy, the most significant revision of U.S. defense strategy in a generation. Here he lays out how America’s defense must change to address China’s growing power and ambition. Based firmly in the realist tradition but deeply engaged in current policy, this book offers a clear framework for what America’s goals in confronting China must be, how its military strategy must change, and how it must prioritize these goals over its lesser interests.
Work
How to keep the peace in the Indo-Pacific
U.S. needs nimbler Asia posture to blunt China’s punch: study
Zeitenwende? Deutsche Verteidigungspolitik in einer Epoche der Großmachtkonflikte
Podcast: Does Biden have a geopolitical plan?
Nikkei Asia Webinar – Asia’s flashpoints: regional security threats and solutions
U.S. and China likely to trade blows at Asian security meeting
Create a NATO for the Pacific, U.S. senator proposes
Ukraine’s Tactics Are Showing Smaller Countries How to Fight Back
Dust Off That Dirty Word Detente and Engage With China
80 Years On, It’s Unclear the U.S. Would Win a New Battle of Midway
All for One: U.S. enlists its Asian allies in defense of Taiwan
‘Strategic confusion’ hurts Taiwan
Still Top Gun? What Tom Cruise’s new movie tells us about American power
Top Republicans dismiss partisan differences
Former Trump official criticized Biden’s comments about Taiwan
Washington Journal: Elbridge Colby and Mark Cancian on America’s Role in Supporting Ukraine
Biden Commits US Military To Defend Taiwan | Breaking Points with Krystal and Saagar
Joe Biden auf Mutmachermission
US to boost Pacific spending to counter China, but no ‘real number’ yet
Asia Pacific: A US Defense Strategy | Sea-Air-Space 2022
Bridge Colby Brings Us the Latest on Ukraine
War in Ukraine casts shadow on land forces symposium in Hawaii
AUSA LANPAC Symposium – Keynote Presentation: Elbridge Colby
AUSA LANPAC Symposium – Panel Discussion: Strategic Environment – Preparedness to Meet Future Challenges
Japan should quickly spend more on defense: former Pentagon official
The Taboo Against Great Power War Is Gone
There Are Two Endgames in Ukraine. Both Carry Big Risks.
Bastion Institute Chicago: Panel
U.S. Presses Taiwan to Buy Weapons More Suited to Win Against China
New World Order: What the War in Ukraine Means For American Grand Strategy
Elbridge Colby on American Grand Strategy and Great Power Conflict
The Strategy of Denial: American Defense in an Age of Great Power Conflict Book Discussion
U.S. Defense Strategy – It’s Not Just About Money
Elbridge Colby | The Future of Conservative Foreign Policy Ep. 7
Biden’s All-Hat National Defense
Bridge Colby Denies China Taiwan
Finnish Institute of International Affairs: What is America’s Best Defence Strategy?
미 전직 고위관리 “북한이 중국 통제 원치 않는 한 미북협상 가능성” (Former senior US official says US-North Korea negotiations are possible as long as North Korea does not want to control China)
Asan Webinar: “The Future of US Defense Strategy in East Asia and What It Means for South Korea”
The Nixon Seminar: Elbridge Colby
As Ukraine war drags on, Pentagon makes long-term plans for Europe
Russia is Acute Threat, China is Priority Threat, Speakers Say
Cambridge Centre for Geopolitics: The Strategy of Denial by Elbridge A. Colby
Washington Post: Early 202 – April 1, 2022
More Spending Alone Won’t Fix the Pentagon’s Biggest Problem
Putin Stokes Nuclear Fears With Atomic Weapons Warnings
Existuje větší hrozba než Rusko, máme jiné priority, říká autor obranné doktríny USA. Evropě vyslal vzkaz Zdroj
Former Trump Pentagon Official Elbridge Colby Talks Ukraine
The Realignment 218: Elbridge Colby: Is Taiwan Next?
Ukraine’s resistance offers a useful lesson to Taiwan
Next President must prioritize strong alliances amid China’s maritime claims, say experts
Strategy of Denial with Elbridge Colby
Jesse Watters Primetime: Elbridge Colby on China and Russia
America’s focus on ‘moral posturing’ is jeopardizing what’s best for the country: Elbridge Colby
The consequences of electing China’s candidate
‘New prexy needs int’l support in WPS dispute’
Tucker Carlson: Elbridge Colby on the Role of the Dollar
The Strategy of Denial: American Defense in an Age of Great Power Conflict, with Elbridge Colby
Guerre en Ukraine : la Chine à l’heure du choix
‘Hannity’ on Kamala Harris’ electric car push
‘The Ingraham Angle’ on Russia cutting off Ukraine’s sea access
Bull in a China Shop
How Germany’s historic shift on military spending could affect Japan’s defense plans
How the US-Russia relationship has changed
Proceedings Podcast Ep. 258: Bridge Colby on the Strategy of Denial
Opinion: Putin has a huge advantage in the kind of nuclear weapon he would be most likely to use
US focus on Ukraine stokes worries about Joe Biden’s commitment to Taiwan
American Strategy For A New Era: Interview with Elbridge Colby
Conservative Conversations with ISI: Episode 35—Elbridge Colby on Creating a Conservative Foreign Policy
Colby: Renaissance Macro Research
Taiwan Security Review, Episode 4: United States-Taiwan Defense Cooperation with Elbridge Colby
‘The Ingraham Angle’ on China’s role in Russian invasion into Ukraine
US focus on Ukraine stokes worries about Joe Biden’s commitment to Taiwan
‘Surprised but not shocked’: Elbridge Colby dissects the geopolitical implications of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
Japan should follow Germany’s lead on Ukraine
Hub Dialogues: Episode #17: Dialogue with Elbridge Colby
‘The Next Revolution’ — Elbridge Colby: Critics worry Russian aggression in Ukraine could embolden Chinese aggression toward Taiwan
The U.S. Must Support Ukraine, But China Must Be Our Priority
Comment from Alfons Mais, Chief of the Germany Army
Ukraine war: Does China see an opportunity in the US-Russia rift?
Elbridge Colby on Jesse Watters Primetime
Former DOD official Elbridge Colby discusses escalating tensions between China and Taiwan
Ukraine war: Does China see an opportunity in the US-Russia rift?
Opinion | The Isolationists Are Wrong: The Pax Americana Is Worth Defending
Hawk v. hawk: can we take on China and Russia at the same time?
US-Sicherheitsexperte: “Putin geht ein enormes Risiko ein”
Russian invasion of Ukraine raises questions over US global power, says former Pentagon Deputy Assistant
Worry More About Taiwan Than Ukraine, America Is Warned
CBC: Sanction and strategy
Colby: Ukraine and China, Tucker Carlson
America will not defend Ukraine, for fear of China
CBC: Significant Sanctions?
The Strategy of Denial: American Defense in an Age of Great Power Conflict
Deutschland vor
February 19: Between the Lines with Tom Switzer
Balance of Power: Ukraine A Distraction From China? (Radio)
「米軍増派は誤り」 元米国防次官補代理語る ウクライナ危機の深層 (“U.S. military increase is wrong,” said former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense in the depths of the Ukrainian crisis.)
The Navy’s Messaging Choke Point
PACFLEET CO Paparo: U.S., Japan Joint Naval Operations Key to Pacific Security
Elbridge A. Colby at WEST 2022
On Ukraine Crisis, Biden Seeks to Show His Mettle
National Security Daily (Feb 16 2022)
Opening Statement of Elbridge A. Colby to the Standing Committee on National Defense, House of Commons of Canada
Ukraine Is a Distraction From Taiwan
‘The Strategy of Denial’ by author/former Assistant secretary of Defense Elbridge Colby
US Defense Strategy Amid China’s Quest for Power
US and India – China: The Great Power Rivalry
A Book Talk with Elbridge Colby on “The Strategy of Denial”
Elbridge A. Colby: “Un errore inviare i soldati in Europa, Biden doveva concentrarsi sulla Cina”
Abschied vom Reich des Bösen
Colby: ‘Facts speak for themselves’: China-Russia relationship an ‘indictment’ on US
Stand Easy (Canada): The Strategy of Denial: Mr. Elbridge Colby
“The Strategy of Denial”. Giovedì 10/02 LIVE su Formiche Expert: Elbridge Colby
5 keys for U.S. deterrence to work in Ukraine — and Taiwan
The Strategy of Denial: American Defense in an Era of Great Power Conflict. Talking with Elbridge Colby.
DEFAERO Andy Marshall Strategy Series w/ Bridge Colby
The Strategy of Denial: American Defense in an Age of Great Power Conflict
China is the greatest rival America has ever faced: Colby
169 – The Strategy Of Denial With Eldridge Colby | Velina Tchakarova | Velina’s Talk
Ukraine: Will tensions with Russia dilute the US focus on Indo-Pacific, China?
Colin Dueck: How Does Great Power Competition End?
China warns of risk of military conflict with US over Taiwan
Pentagon defends its preparation for Ukraine crisis, details military forces that could deploy
Global Strategy Forum: The Strategy Of Denial
Ucraina? Ci pensi l’Europa, gli Usa puntano l’Asia. Intervista a Elbridge Colby
‘The Ingraham Angle’ on Russia-Ukraine conflict
Tucker Carlson: How US conflict with Russia benefits China
Building a ‘strategy of denial’ to thwart China
Europe can’t expect America to ride to its rescue against Putin
Taking on the China Challenge: A Conversation with Elbridge Colby
Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) introduces the S.T.A.N.D with Taiwan Act – January 20, 2022
Sullivan Introduces Crippling Taiwan-Invasion Sanctions Bill, Citing National Review
Channel 4 News: President Biden ‘minor incursion’ Ukraine gaffe ‘major problem’, says former Trump defence chief
Strategy and Future: Interview with Elbridge Colby
Former Trump DOD Strategist: Strategy of Denial against CCP
China: Strategy of Denial
CIMSEC: The Global Operating Model’s Contact and Blunt Layers
Interview: Providing for America’s Defense
A Coalition Will Blunt Beijing’s Ambition
China is on the move, the West no longer knows which foot to step on
Elbridge A. Colby: The case for a military confrontation with China
Authors Debate: Should US Defend Taiwan Or Not? —Breaking Points with Krystal and Saagar
Building a Defense Strategy to Confront China with Elbridge Colby
History Ago Go: Elbridge Colby & The Strategy of Denial
Ruthless Podcast: Disasters, Inflation & Biden
Colby: “US Defence Strategy and Alliances in the Indo-Pacific Elbridge Colby” from Alliances, Nuclear Weapons and Escalation: Managing Deterrence in the 21st Century
Diplomatic Courier’s Best Books of 2021
Elbridge Colby & The Strategy of Denial
Former Senior Defense Official Weighs in on America’s Strategy Crisis
Elbridge Colby: Jim Bohannon Show
One for the Books: What our Politicians Read This Year
Who Read What: Political Figures Share Their Favorite Books of 2021
U.S.-China Ties: The Geopolitical Test of the 21st Century
Colby: Biden Administration Underestimating China Threat
Reagan National Defense Forum: Pacing the Threat in the Pacific: How Should the New National Defense Strategy Contend with China?
The United States Should Defend Taiwan
WSJ: The 10 Best Books of 2021
‘Canada should be worried’: Elbridge Colby offers a realist perspective on the rise of China
Lee Chun-geun’s International Politics Episode 221-2 | America’s War Strategies against China: Elbridge Colby’s Strategy of Denial
Elbridge Colby Joins Krystal Nation (Canada)
Baltimore Council on Foreign Affairs: Elbridge Colby
West Wing Reports: Infrastructure Week, A Censured Congressman, and Trouble with China
The Strategy of Denial: American Defense in an Age of Great Power Conflict Book Discussion
After Hegemony
The U.S. Military and the Coming Great-Power Challenge
Elbridge Colby on ‘The Strategy of Denial’
President Biden and Xi Jinping Hold Virtual Summit
Is Our Strategy Denial?: Debate and Discussion with Matt Pottinger and Bridge Colby
Denying China’s Quest for Regional — and Global — Hegemony
Le livre éco de la semaine en VO: Et si les Etats-Unis et la Chine entraient en guerre? (Book of the Week: What if the United States and China go to war?)
How America Can Defend Taiwan
Asia Must Examine Costs of Involvement if China Invades Taiwan
How does China’s military stack up against America’s?
Providence Magazine Conference: “The United States and China”
California Rebel Base: Ep. 49: How China Is Planning Global Dominance feat. Elbridge Colby
Brookings: What is a ‘strategy of denial’ and does it make sense for America?
Review: Give war a chance — the new global balance of power
Military Leaders Concerned Over Hypersonic Missiles
Exclusive: Former Defense Official Elbridge Colby Warns China Could Invade Taiwan in Two Years
The Rise and Fall of the China Question
Washington looks to Japan’s defense budget hike after election
The John Batchelor Show: The Strategy of Denial
As the U.S. and China continue to posture, the key will be Taiwan
Analysis: Pentagon has a Pacific posture predicament
The Fight for Taiwan Could Come Soon
Jen Psaki went off the deep end on this: Elbridge Colby
Hold the Line with Buck Sexton: Elbridge Colby
Horns of a Dilemma: A Strategy of Denial
Future US Defense Strategy in East Asia
Podcast: China: Competitor or Enemy
Hot Wash: China and the Strategy of Denial with Elbridge Colby
Elbridge Colby Strategizes About Defending Taiwan
Former Trump Defense official gets real about China’s increasing threat to the US on ‘Tucker Carlson Today’
Virtual Event | A Book Talk with Elbridge A. Colby
Polarization At Home and the Fight Abroad: Part 2 of Wisdom of Crowds with Elbridge Colby.
Wisdom of Crowds | Episode 72: Fighting China for All The Right Reasons
The Evolving Military Balance in the Taiwan Strait
Mounting tensions between U.S., China raise new fears of threat to Taiwan
We Should Arm Taiwan to the Teeth
China is Threatening the Island of Taiwan with Nuclear Bombers — How Worried Should We Be?
The Collapse of Kamala Harris, Plus: Rising to the China Challenge
How do Westminster and Washington justify AUKUS?
The Strategy of Denial: American Defense in an Age of Great Power Conflict Book Discussion
KBLA 1580: Tavis Smiley Interviews Elbridge Colby
China and US must cooperate to stop Pacific Islands from sinking, urges Micronesia president
Elbridge Colby: The Strategy of Denial | AHS Virtual Book Talk
Yale’s Jackson Institute for Global Affairs | A Path Forward for U.S. Defense Strategy
‘The Next Revolution’ – Elbridge Colby: China is After World Domination
Top Defense Expert Warns China ‘Likely To Go For An Invasion’ Of Taiwan, Reveals What U.S. Must Do
Column: A new military alliance, a summit meeting: The U.S.-China face-off is looking like the Cold War
Why Colby’s strategy of denial is aggression packaged as ‘management’
Grounded with Jim Banks – Elbridge Colby
Senator Marco Rubio: How to Use America’s New Peace Dividend
Australia’s Submarines Make Waves in Asia Long Before They Go to Sea
Former U.S. Defense Official on the AUUKUS Pact
‘The Strategy of Denial’ Review: Taiwan as Pawn
The Best Defense Strategy for America? Elbridge Colby on The Strategy of Denial
The new anti-China alliance: Indo-Pacific Relations | Peter Varghese | Elbridge Colby | Tom Switzer
How to stop worrying and prevent Chinese hegemony
Former U.S. National Defense Official Proposes “Denial Strategy” to Contain Beijing
The Strategy of Denial
Biden Announces Defense Deal With Australia in a Bid to Counter China
Rethinking U.S. Defense Strategy, With Elbridge A. Colby
American Defense in an Era of Great Power Conflict
Getting a Game Plan for the Guardian of America’s Global Interests
What Comes After the 9/11 Era?
Defending the Next American Century
Deutschland am Scheidepunkt – eine aktive Verteidigungs- und Bündnispolitik ist überfällig (Germany at the crossroads – an active defense and alliance policy is overdue)
Elbridge Colby & The True Purpose Of The American Government
Will the Next American War Be With China?
The China Threat and US Defense Strategies
How the U.S. Learned to Stop Worrying About the Pacific and Love the ‘Indo-Pacific’
Deter China’s military invasion of Taiwan
Pacific deterrence budget creates rift between Biden and Congress
Japan must disavow pacifism and embrace collective defense
Building a Force That Wins: Recommendations for the 2022 National Defense Strategy
Pentagon considering permanent naval task force to counter China in the Pacific
Elbridge Colby and Max Bergmann on President Biden’s First Overseas Trip
Asia Times Webinar: “What might start a Pacific War, and who would win it?”
Pentagon to Speed Up Efforts to Counter China
Intelligence Squared Debates: Taiwan is Indefensible
Virtual Event | US and Japan National Security and Defense Strategies
Asia is US Priority: Europe Has to be Ready to Defend Itself Alone
Interests, Not Values, Should Guide America’s China Strategy
China and Russia Turn Deeper Ties into a Military Challenge for Biden
Taiwan contingency directly connected to Japan’s sovereignty—former Pentagon official
Biden Backs Taiwan, but Some Call for a Clearer Warning to China
The Challenge from China: Where We Are Now and Where Things Are Heading
Let’s Avoid the ‘Crusades’ and Focus on China
The Taiwan Flashpoint in US-China Relations
The State of (Deterrence By) Denial
Biden’s Global, Muscular Liberalism is an Indefensible Foreign Policy in 2021
Japan Must Urgently Increase Defense Spending
Future Balance of Power Haunts US as China Bulks Up
The New Transatlantic Security Agenda
For the Philippines, sticking with America is a better, safe play
US Concerned at Chinese Law Allowing Coast Guard Use of Arms
We Must Prepare for Military Threats from North Korea And China
Joe Biden creates Pentagon task force on China
Pentagon launches new task force to examine China threat
America Can Defend Taiwan
US risks enraging China by easing limits on Taiwan relations
State Dept. Moves to Ease Restrictions on Meeting With Taiwan Officials
NYSE begins delisting China’s three largest state-run telecoms groups
How NATO Manages the “Bear” and the “Dragon”
Flareup feared in South China Sea due to power vacuum in U.S.
Sources of Chinese Conduct: A Debate
Two Possible Futures An outlook on EU-US relations
Questions swirl over Austin’s limited experience
Preparing for a new government’ in earnest…What are the challenges facing the Korean Peninsula?
Taiwan Roundtable: Cross-Strait Relations in Pandemic Times
Digital construction of the wall: is the world dividing into two economic spheres?
Should U.S. Foreign Policy Focus on Great-Power Competition?
Korean Policy Forum “U.S.-Korea Relations in the Era of U.S.-China Strategic Rivalry” – Part 2
Korean Policy Forum “U.S.-Korea Relations in the Era of U.S.-China Strategic Rivalry” – Part 1
Defending Taiwan is growing costlier and deadlier
Online Event: Tenth Annual South China Sea Conference, Session Four
Panel: Pace of Navy Freedom of Navigation Operations Stressing Force
Why The Pentagon Should Focus On Taiwan
China, Foreign Affairs, and the Anti-Ideology Delusion
A View from the United States: Unwilling to Let “the End of History” Go
A New Bargain
How to Trim the Defense Budget Without Harming U.S. Security
Expert Panel Tells Lawmakers U.S. Needs to Do More to Counter Chinese Pacific Expansion
“Korean neutrality between the US and China… What really energized China”
“Neutrality between the US and China is on the side of China” … US former official warns of Korean tightrope
Full Committee Hearing: “The Role of Allies and Partners in U.S. Military Strategy and Operations”
Former senior US official “If Korea takes neutrality between the US and China, it will be interpreted as being energized by China”
GTI 2020 Annual Symposium: US-Taiwan Relations: Building the Foundation for a Global Partnership
Elbridge Colby on China’s Expanding Military Influence
The Ideology Delusion America’s Competition With China Is Not About Doctrine
Europe belongs on Washington’s Side
US declassifies Taiwan security assurances
China’s war games raise fears for Taiwan’s security
Will Trumpism Change Republican Foreign Policy Permanently?
U.S. Tries to Bolster Taiwan’s Status, Short of Recognizing Sovereignty
On V-J Day, U.S. Pushes for a Stronger Japanese Military
Trump Looks to Arms Sales to Deepen Ties With India
US urged to exploit cracks in Russia-China relationship
Liberalization or Balance?: The China Strategy Endgame
Is China the Enemy?: A Virtual Civil Dialogue
As Virus Toll Preoccupies U.S., Rivals Test Limits of American Power
Containing China Will Be Complicated
China-Russia alliance on horizon as nuclear arms treaties crumble
Americans Demand a Rethinking of the ‘Forever War’
The Age of Great-Power Competition
US killing of Iranian general must not blind it to greater threat from China
INTERVIEW/ U.S. needs ‘denial defense’ to thwart Chinese action in Taiwan
U.S. Tests Missile After Withdrawing From 1987 Treaty
Panel 3, “Defense Transformation or Evolution”?
A Republican Foreign Policy
AIT Presents: 3 Questions with Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of DOD Elbridge A. Colby
How the United States Could Lose a Great Power War
Don’t Let Iran Distract From China
The Threat and the Strategy – Panel at Air, Space, and Cyber Conference
The Return of Strategic Competition: How to Execute and Sustain the National Security Strategy
INF Treaty Defenders Raise the Risk of Nuclear War
Delivered Statement for the Record to the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission
US Eyes Southeast Asia Ties to Check China’s Ambitions
EU & Foreign Policy Defense Forum 2019
America’s New Defense Strategy
How to win America’s Next War
US helps those who help themselves
Germany needs to invest more in defense
The Indo-Pacific After INF
Great Power Escalation
Take India’s Side, America
Is the Pentagon Truly Committed to the National Defense Strategy?
Testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee
Testimony Before the Senate Armed Service Committee
The National Defense Strategy Commission Report: Debating the Key Issues
Strategies, Tactics, and Tools
Do Nuclear Weapons Matter?
A New Nuclear Strategy for an Era of Great Power Competition
The INF Treaty hamstrings the U.S. Trump is right to leave it.
If You Want Peace, Prepare for Nuclear War: A Strategy for the New Great-Power Rivalry
The Pentagon must modernize before it’s too late
European Energy Security: U.S. Interests and Coercive Russian Diplomacy, Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security Cooperation
Additional Articles
- “Eine Landnahme durch Moskau verhindern” (“Respond to INF Collapse with Blunt Layer, Not Repeat of Euromissiles”), Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, April 3, 2019 (with Walter Slocombe). https://fazarchiv.faz.net/document/FAZ__FD1201904035676752?offset=&all=
- “Nuclear Weapons Aren’t Just For the Worst Case Scenario,” Foreign Policy (online), August 4, 2016. https://foreignpolicy.com/2016/08/04/nuclear-weapons-arent-just-worst-case-scenario-first-use-china-obama-trump/
- “The Future of Alliance,” The National Interest, July/August 2016 (with Jim Thomas). https://nationalinterest.org/feature/dont-scrap-americas-alliances-fix-them-16788
- “Avoiding Becoming a Paper Tiger: Presence in a Warfighting Defense Strategy,” Joint Forces Quarterly, July 2016 (with Jonathan Solomon). https://ndupress.ndu.edu/Media/News/Article/793233/avoiding-becoming-a-paper-tiger-presence-in-a-warfighting-defense-strategy/
- “U.S. ‘Ambiguity’ on Taiwan is Dangerous,” The Wall Street Journal, May 23, 2016 (with Walter Slocombe). https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-ambiguity-on-taiwan-is-dangerous-1464022837#:~:text=Thus%2C%20sooner%20or%20later%2C%20China,strength%20becomes%20more%20evenly%20balanced.
- “Facing Russia: Conventional Defense and Deterrence in Europe,” Survival, December 2015/January 2016 (with Jonathan Solomon). https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00396338.2015.1116146
- “Preparing for Limited War,” The National Interest, November/December 2015. https://nationalinterest.org/feature/america-must-prepare-limited-war-14104
- “Terrible But Justified,” Global Asia, September 26, 2015. https://www.globalasia.org/v10no3/debate/terrible-but-justified_elbridge-colby
- “Changing Tides in South China Sea,” The Wall Street Journal (Asia), August 26, 2015 (with Evan Montgomery). https://www.wsj.com/articles/changing-tides-in-south-china-sea-1440523898
- “Step Up to Step Down: The United States, NATO, and Dissuading Russian Aggression,” Foreign Affairs (online), August 13, 2015. https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/poland/2015-08-13/step-stand-down
- “NATO Needs a Nuclear Strategy Update,” The Wall Street Journal (Europe), May 27, 2015. https://www.wsj.com/articles/nato-needs-a-nuclear-strategy-update-1432751143
- “Asia Goes Nuclear,” The National Interest, January/February 2015. https://nationalinterest.org/feature/welcome-china-americas-nuclear-nightmare-11891
- “America Must Not Neglect Its Nukes,” The New York Times, November 25, 2014. https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/26/opinion/america-musnt-neglect-its-nukes.html
- “Smart Hawks,” National Review (online), November 20, 2014 (with Eric Sayers). https://www.nationalreview.com/2014/11/smart-hawks-elbridge-colby-eric-sayers/
- “Realism Returns,” National Review (cover story), November 17, 2014. https://www.nationalreview.com/magazine/2014/11/17/realism-returns/
- “Have We Hit Peak America: The Sources of U.S. Power and the Path to National Renaissance,” Foreign Policy (cover story), July/August 2014 (with Paul Lettow). https://foreignpolicy.com/2014/07/03/have-we-hit-peak-america/
- “The Real Trouble with Russia,” Foreign Affairs (online), April 7, 2014. https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/united-states/2014-04-07/real-trouble-russia
- “We’re Losing Our Military Edge Over China. Here’s How to Get It Back.” The National Interest (online), March 27, 2014 (with Congressman Randy Forbes). https://nationalinterest.org/commentary/were-losing-our-military-edge-over-china-heres-how-get-it-ba-10134
- “Choose Geopolitics Over Nonproliferation,” The National Interest (online), February 28, 2014. https://nationalinterest.org/commentary/choose-geopolitics-over-nonproliferation-9969
- “Pushing Back on China: A Rational Approach,” ASPI Strategist, February 13, 2014. https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/pushing-back-on-china-a-rational-approach/
- “It’s Not About Trust,” Foreign Policy (online), January 30, 2014. https://foreignpolicy.com/2014/01/30/its-not-about-trust/
- “Roiling the Waters,” Foreign Policy, January 2014 (with Ely Ratner). https://foreignpolicy.com/2014/01/21/roiling-the-waters/
- “Why We Must Spy on Our Allies,” The National Interest (online), December 4, 2013. https://nationalinterest.org/commentary/why-we-must-spy-our-allies-9493
- “Can We Save Taiwan?” The National Interest (online), October 2013. https://nationalinterest.org/commentary/can-we-save-taiwan-9257
- “Don’t Sweat AirSea Battle” and “The War Over the War With China,” The National Interest (online), July 31 and August 15, 2013 (debate with T.X. Hammes). https://nationalinterest.org/commentary/dont-sweat-airsea-battle-8804 and https://nationalinterest.org/commentary/the-war-over-war-china-8896
- “Why Not to Attack Iran,” The National Interest (online), January 11, 2012 (with Austin Long). https://nationalinterest.org/commentary/why-not-attack-iran-6352
- “Keeping the Peace,” First Things, January 2011. https://www.firstthings.com/article/2011/01/keeping-the-peace
- “Hey AEI, Here’s How Real Conservatives Should Think About Defense Spending,” Foreign Policy (online), September 30, 2010. https://foreignpolicy.com/2010/09/30/hey-aei-heres-how-real-conservatives-should-think-about-defense-spending/
- “Evaluate World Engagement on Interest, Fairness,” The Washington Times, December 2008. https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/nov/2/colby-on-solutions-evaluate-world-engagement-on-in/
- “Nuclear Abolition: A Dangerous Illusion,” Orbis, Summer 2008. https://www.fpri.org/article/2008/07/nuclear-abolition-dangerous-illusion/
- “Expanded Deterrence,” Policy Review, June 2008. https://www.hoover.org/research/expanded-deterrence
- “Why We Need to Get Osama,” The Washington Times, February 2008. https://www.rand.org/blog/2008/02/why-we-need-to-nail-osama.html
- “Making Intelligence Smart,” Policy Review, August 2007. https://www.hoover.org/research/making-intelligence-smart
- “Restoring Deterrence,” Orbis, Summer 2007. https://www.theatlantic.com/past/docs/images/issues/200707u/Restoring%20Deterrence.pdf
Testimony
- Testified before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, September 22, 2016, on “Diplomacy and Security in the South China Sea: After the Tribunal.” Available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcKtSTiD51M.
- Testified before the House Armed Services Committee, Subcommittee on Strategic Forces, November 3, 2015, on “Future Options for the U.S. Nuclear Deterrent: Views from Project Atom.” Available at https://www.cnas.org/press/in-the-news/video-elbridge-colby-before-hasc-on-future-options-for-the-u-s-nuclear-deterrent.
- Testified before the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, April 1, 2015, on “Understanding and Dealing with China’s Growing Military Power: Recommendations for U.S. Defense Posture and Policy.” Prepared statement available at https://www.uscc.gov/.
Media Commentary
- https://www.ft.com/content/b59bd581-a9f8-4415-9be6-4dff722e87a9
- “U.S. Needs ‘Denial Defense’ to Thwart Chinese Action in Taiwan,” Asahi Shimbun, December 27, 2019 (interview). http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201912270044.html
- https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-tests-missile-after-withdrawing-from-1987-treaty.
Studies
- “The Role of Nuclear Weapons in the U.S.-Russian Relationship,” Carnegie Endowment for International Peace White Paper, February 26, 2016. https://carnegieendowment.org/2016/02/26/role-of-nuclear-weapons-in-u.s.-russian-relationship-pub-62901
- From Sanctuary to Battlefield: A Framework for a U.S. Defense and Deterrence Strategy for Space. CNAS, January 2016. https://www.cnas.org/publications/reports/from-sanctuary-to-battlefield-a-framework-for-a-us-defense-and-deterrence-strategy-for-space
- “Russia’s Evolving Nuclear Doctrine and its Implications,” Fondation pour la Recherche Strategique, January 2016. https://www.frstrategie.org/.
- “Countering Russian Nuclear Strategy in Central Europe,” in Frontline Allies: War and Change in Central Europe. Center for European Analysis, November 2015, 87-101. (chapter author)
- Solving Long Division: The Geopolitical Implications of Korean Unification. CNAS, December 2015. (co-author)
- “A Nuclear Strategy and Posture for 2030” in Project Atom: A Competitive Strategies Approach to Defining U.S. Nuclear Strategy and Posture for 2025-2050. CSIS, May 2015. (author of chapter on future nuclear strategy and posture in CSIS competitive nuclear strategy study) https://www.csis.org/
- More Willing and Able: Charting China’s International Security Activism. CNAS, May 2015. (co-author)
- Nuclear Weapons in the Third Offset Strategy. CNAS, January 2015. https://www.cnas.org/publications/reports/nuclear-weapons-in-the-third-offset-strategy-avoiding-a-nuclear-blind-spot-in-the-pentagons-new-initiative
- Tailored Coercion: Competition and Risk in Maritime Asia. CNAS, March 2014. (co-author)
- The Israeli “Nuclear Alert” of 1973: Deterrence and Signaling in Crisis. CNA, April 2013. (co-author) https://www.cna.org/CNA_files/PDF/DRM-2013-U-004480-Final.pdf
- Nuclear Weapons and U.S.-China Relations: A Way Forward. CSIS, March 2013. (lead co-author) https://www.csis.org/.
- Grand Strategy: Contending Contemporary Analyst Views and Implications for the U.S. Navy. CNA, November 2011.
- Fighting a Nuclear-Armed Regional Opponent: Is Victory Possible? CSBA for DOD/Office of Net Assessments, December 2007. (co-author)
Book Chapters
- “A World Order Critique of Nuclear Abolition,” in Global Nuclear Disarmament: Strategic, Political, and Regional Perspectives. N. Hynek and M. Smetana, Eds., Routledge, 2016.
- “The Need for Limited Nuclear Options,” in Challenges in U.S. National Security Policy. D. Ochmanek and M. Sulmeyer, Eds., RAND Corporation, 2014. https://www.rand.org/pubs/corporate_pubs/CP765.html
- “The United States and Discriminate Nuclear Options in the Cold War,” in On Limited Nuclear War in the 21st Century. J. Larsen and K. Kartchner, Eds. Stanford University Press, 2014.
- “Defining Strategic Stability: Reconciling Stability and Deterrence,” in Strategic Stability: Contending Interpretations. E. Colby and M. Gerson., Eds. Strategic Studies Institute, 2013. (Also volume co-editor.) https://publications.armywarcollege.edu/pubs/2216.pdf
- “Why Nuclear Deterrence is Still Relevant” in Deterrence: Rising Powers, Rogue Regimes, and Terrorism in the Twenty-First Century. A. Lowther Ed., Palgrave MacMillan, 2012. https://www.airuniversity.af.edu/
- “U.S. Nuclear Weapons Policy and Policymaking: The Asian Experience,” in Nuclear Weapons and NATO. J. McCausland et al, Eds., Strategic Studies Institute, 2012. https://www.jstor.org/stable/resrep12088.7?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents
- “U.S.-Central European Relations After the ‘Pivot,’” in Navigating Uncertainty: U.S.-Central European Relations, Center for European Policy Analysis, 2012.
- Chapters on the U.S. nuclear force, U.S. alliances, deterring WMD terrorism, and ways to address the challenge of a nuclear Iran in In the Eyes of the Experts: Analysis and Comments on America’s Strategic Posture. Bolz, Ed., U.S. Institute of Peace, 2009. (Compendium of memoranda drafted for the Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States.) https://www.usip.org/
Select video panel appearances and interviews
- “U.S. Defense and Deterrence Strategy for Space,” July 14, 2016, Air Force Association Space Series, available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3X_1XBuMl4.
- “Military Innovation,” CNAS, December 14, 2015, available at https://www.c-span.org/video/?401990-5/discussion-military-innovation.
- “Stimson Debate on Nuclear Weapons and International Stability, November 12, 2015, available at https://www.cnas.org/press/in-the-news/video-stimson-debate-nuclear-weapons-and-international-stability.
- “A Resurgent Russia and its Implications for the U.S. and NATO,” with MG William Chambers, USAF, Ret., Air Force Association Breakfast Series.
- “Report Release: Project Atom,” CSIS, June 22, 2015, available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzndHOO0qBU.
- “Conventional and Nuclear Weapons in Future U.S. Security Strategy,” Carnegie Endowment for International Peace podcast, March 3, 2015, available at http://carnegieendowment.org/2015/03/03/conventional-and-nuclear-weapons-in-future-u.s.-security-strategy-pub-59244.
- “The Future of Deterrence in Asia and its Implications for U.S. Force Structure,” Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, January 5, 2015, available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMi9ofpiOao.
- “Asia Goes Nuclear,” interview with The National Interest, December 18, 2014, available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuQyM_hSiGM.
- “ISIS, AirSea Battle, and the Pivot,” interview with The National Interest, October 19, 2014, available at http://nationalinterest.org/feature/isis-air-sea-battle-the-pivot-11495.
- “Panel 2: Deterrence Symposium,” U.S. Strategic Command Deterrence Symposium, August 19, 2014, available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6mjw4kfMMs.
- “Beyond AirSea Battle: The Debate Over U.S. Military Strategy in Asia,” IISS, July 21, 2014, available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIDB2Q_r-Nc.
- “Strategic Issues in the Western Pacific,” with MG William Chambers, USAF, Ret., June 3, 2014, Air Force Association Breakfast Series.
- “America’s International Leadership,” CFTNI, April 9, 2014, available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHbe9r10KqY.
- “Contemporary Nuclear Strategy,” War on the Rocks podcast, February 17, 2014, available at http://warontherocks.com/2014/02/podcast-contemporary-nuclear-strategy/.
- “PONI Live Debate: Triad Modernization,” CSIS, January 29, 2014, available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwNkdlZSFf4.
- “The End of Overkill?” Cato Institute debate, December 26, 2013, available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_zcj9cv6Og.
- “Strategic Stability: The Solution, the Problem, or the Cause of Confusion?” Carnegie Endowment for International Peace panel, March 14, 2013, available at http://carnegieendowment.org/2013/03/14/strategic-stability-solution-problem-or-cause-of-confusion-event-3984.
- “Arms Control 2.0 in Obama 2.0,” Carnegie Endowment for International Peace panel, January 23, 2013, available at http://carnegieendowment.org/2013/01/23/arms-control-2.0-in-obama-2.0-event-3923.
- Time to Attack Iran?” FPI, March 9, 2012, available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKMzztollxY.