Audio: Strategic Surprise

The New Defense Approaches Project hosted a panel discussion on strategic surprise. Surprise is inevitable; perhaps even more so in a political and bureaucratic system designed to guard against decisive, far-reaching actions.  And while the future cannot be known, policymakers must make some assumptions about its course in order to guide their actions and allocate resources. CSIS recently conducted some research for the Office of the Secretary of Defense on areas of potential surprise.  This panel was aimed at broadening the discussion of how elements of the U.S. government and other entities think (or should think) about strategic surprise, and particular areas where U.S. national security interests may be vulnerable to such surprises.