Research

As a defense policy researcher, I prioritize work that aims to reduce the risks of war and encourage more effective U.S. and allied defense and foreign policy decisions. My research methodology is reading a lot, writing a little, and asking smart people (and now LLMs) to review my work.

Current Projects

• “Effective Use of the Private Sector in Japan’s Defense,” led by Jeffrey Hornung & Michael Simpson

• “Investment Roadmap to Mitigate Organic Industrial Base Single Points of Failure,” led by Jim Leftwich & Katherine Guthrie

Publications

• “U.S. Nuclear Modernization Execution Challenges: Assessing Costs, Implications, and Options” (PE-A3901-1), RAND, March 2026, co-author with Kingston Reif. [Public link forthcoming]

• “Future Homeport Availability: Assessing U.S. Pier Space Capacity and Requirements to Support Strategic Laydown and Dispersal” (DRR-A3927-1), RAND, February 2026, co-author with Bradley Martin, Ajdin Beslagic, David Gill, and Thomas Tartaglia. [Public link forthcoming]

• “Rethinking Homeland Air and Missile Defense: Posture, Unit Design, and Joint Force Burden Sharing” (PR-A3687-1), RAND, February 2026, co-author with Sean Zeigler, Angela O'Mahoney, Duncan Long, Frank Lugo, David Orletsky, Marvin Polk, and Geoffrey McGovern. [U.S. Government & RAND only]

• “Assessing the Applicability of Aerial and Maritime Refueling Development to Space” (RR-A3305-1), RAND, January 2026, co-author with Bruce McClintock, Kelly Piazza, David Glickstein, Benjamin Vowell, Mack Rodgers, and Isabella Whitney. [Public link forthcoming]

• “Golden Horizon: A Golden Dome for America Tabletop Exercise” (PE-A3929-1), RAND, December 2025, co-author with Bryan Rooney, Colin Levaunt, Katherine Trauger, and David Shlapak. [U.S. Government & RAND only]

• “Career Advice for Policy Researchers,” EA Forum, October 26, 2025.

• “In Brief: How the One Big Beautiful Bill Act Will Shape Key Defense Priorities,” War on the Rocks, July 22, 2025, co-contributor with Heather Williams, Katherine Kuzminski, Steven Wills, and Sam Wilson. [WOTR members paywall]

• “Five Priorities to Advance NATO’s Space Mission,” Defense News, June 23, 2015, co-authored with Anca Agachi and Bruce McClintock.

• “In Brief: Steps Toward Golden Dome,” War on the Rocks, June 17, 2025, co-contributor with Kari Bingen, Stephanie Stapleton, and Michael O’Hanlon. [WOTR members paywall]

• “Three Questions with Shaan Shaikh,” Tufts University Career Center, October 29, 2024.

• “Should you pursue an MA degree in International Relations?” EA Forum, October 20, 2024.

• “Three Visions for NATO Air and Missile Defense,” War on the Rocks, August 12, 2024.

• “The Iran-Israel Air Conflict, One Week In,” CSIS Critical Questions, April 19, 2024.

• “Countering Small Uncrewed Aerial Systems: Air Defense by and for the Joint Force,” CSIS Report, November 14, 2023, co-authored with Tom Karako and Michelle McLoughlin.

• “China’s Hypersonic Future,” Law & Liberty, December 9, 2021.

• “The Air and Missile War in Nagorno-Karabakh: Lessons for the Future of Strike and Defense,” CSIS Critical Questions, December 8, 2020, co-authored with Wes Rumbaugh.

• “Around the Table with Shaan Shaikh,” CNAS Make Room Newsletter, July 27, 2021.

• “Missiles for Peace: A Path to a Durable Cease-fire in Yemen,” Al Arabiya, June 17, 2020, co-authored with Ian Williams.

• “Lessons from Yemen’s Missile War,” Defense One, June 11, 2020, co-authored with Ian Williams.

• “The Missile War in Yemen,” CSIS Report, June 9, 2020, co-authored with Ian Williams.

• “Iranian Missiles in Iraq,” CSIS Briefs, December 11, 2019.

• “Hezbollah’s Missiles and Rockets,” CSIS Briefs, July 2018, co-authored with Ian Williams.