Enhancing Defense and Security: Insights from Orion Policy

Defense & Security, Africa

May 16 , 2025

Policy Brief

Reinforcing U.S. Power in the Horn of Africa: The Case for a Base in Somaliland

Jackie Ducharme

Amidst threats to U.S. interests in the Red Sea and competition for regional influence, the United States must reassess its military posture in the Horn of Africa. The Horn of Africa, which includes Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somalia, sits at the junction of global trade and strategic competition, commanding access

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Defense & Security, Europe & Central Asia

Mar 27 , 2025

Policy Brief

The Importance of Controlling Bagram Air Base to US Interests in Afghanistan and Surrounding Areas

Jackie Ducharme

Recently, the U.S. has expressed the importance of who controls the Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. In President Trump’s first cabinet meeting since returning to office, he and Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, discussed the United States’ withdrawal from Afghanistan and subsequent loss of Bagram Air Base. In the meeting,

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Africa

Nov 13 , 2024

Op-Ed

Will Turkish Contractors in West Africa Face the Same Fate as Russia’s Africa Corps?

Jacob Zenn

In recent years, Russian mercenaries in West Africa have gained considerable notoriety for, on the one hand, propping up post-coup military juntas and, on the other hand, suffering setbacks when supporting those juntas’ counter-insurgency efforts. For example, 87 Russian fighters who were part of Africa Corps (formerly known as Wagner

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Defense & Security

Oct 18 , 2024

Podcast

Kawa Hassan: The Israel-Lebanon War and Its Implications

Kawa Hassan

In this episode of Orion Talks, host Marta Furlan is joined by Kawa Hassan to discuss the Israel-Lebanon war and its implications for the region. The conversation starts with a reflection on the implications of the death of Hassan Nasrallah and other top Hezbollah leaders may have on Hezbollah as

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Defense & Security, Europe & Central Asia

Oct 14 , 2024

Op-Ed

Afghanistan’s National Resistance Front: Progression and Success

Joshua Bowes

This author interviewed Ali Maisam Nazary, head of the National Resistance Front’s Foreign Relations and Hamad Saifi, member of the NRF and former Afghanistan Army Commanding Officer, 5th Brigade of the 203rd Thunder Corps. In the three years since the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul, Afghanistan’s National Resistance Front (NRF) has

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Terrorism & Extremism

Aug 12 , 2024

Policy Brief

Cities Need to Better Protect Themselves from Attacks Like the One That Disrupted the Paris Olympics

Ismail Onat

Last week, the Paris railroad system was disrupted by planned, coordinated arson attacks. This was not unique, but it signals that major cities must be even better prepared for this “softer,” less violent, but still disruptive form of terrorism. The attacks on Paris’ railroad system occurred just hours before the

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Defense & Security

Jul 31 , 2024

Podcast

Strengthening Cyber Civil Defense: How Can ISACs Stay Vigilant to Prevent Cyberattacks?

Matt Saglam

A single breached password was used on the dark web to log in to a legacy VPN. Hackers reached servers, encrypted around 100 gigabytes of data, and asked for millions of dollars’ ransom. After five days of negotiations, the hackers were paid $4.4 million, but meanwhile, due to oil shortages

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Jul 19 , 2024

Op-Ed

The Association of Southeast Asian Nation’s Semiconductor Sector in a World of Bifurcated Supply Chains

Miquel Vila Moreno

The members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have worked to maintain a balanced approach in their relationship with China and the US. ASEAN acts increasingly as a bridge and an intermediate market between superpowers. Nevertheless, rising trade barriers, sanctions, and tensions add further complexity to the delicate

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Terrorism & Extremism

Jul 5 , 2024

Podcast

Travis Moran: Unmanned Systems and Threats to Critical Energy Infrastructure

Travis Moran

In this episode of Orion Talks, Suat Cubukcu is joined by Travis Moran, a renowned expert in electric infrastructure security. Travis provides an in-depth overview of what constitutes critical infrastructure within the realm of electric energy, highlighting essential assets beyond nuclear power plants. He sheds light on the major threats

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Defense & Security

Jun 23 , 2024

Op-Ed

Rethinking Alliances: France, Rwanda, and the Future of Regional Power Dynamics

Federico Donelli

The international order has undergone a period of transition in recent years. Regional contexts are gaining relevance and autonomy. As a result, local actors have forced global actors to reposition themselves regionally. Given this context, liberal principles and values are facing more challenges. And so are the countries that have

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Defense & Security, Africa

Jun 3 , 2024

Op-Ed

Regional Power Dynamics in the Horn of Africa: Emerging Axes of Influence

Selcan Karabektas

In February 2024, Turkey and Somalia signed a defense and economic cooperation agreement that allegedly enables Ankara to protect Somalia’s territorial waters and to construct, equip, and train the Somali navy. This accord, which once again draws attention to the troubled Horn of Africa, follows a similar agreement made in

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Defense & Security

May 22 , 2024

Webinar

NATO at Crossroads: New Threat Landscape and Challenges

Orion Policy Institute

In February of 2022, Russian forces invaded Eastern Ukraine, sparking the most intense conventional conflict in Europe since the Second World War. Three months later, historically neutral Finland and Sweden submitted letters of application to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Two years into the conflict, it's time to

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