“CSBA experts’ insight is sought after, well-respected and trusted”

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Congressional Forum

For over a decade, CSBA has been informing the military strategy and defense budget discourse on Capitol Hill.  

Our experts are committed to contributing to a better and smarter policy by providing a nonpartisan informed opinion, and sharing hard facts discovered through research.  Because of access to exclusive defense information sources, personal first-hand knowledge of defense issues gained through decades of military service, and extensive networks at the highest levels of strategic and military decision makers’ circles in the U.S. and around the world, CSBA experts’ insight is sought after, well-respected and trusted.   

Our congressional programs include Congressional Forum series; off-the-record briefings for individual Members of Congress; backgrounder briefings with congressional staff working on defense, homeland security, and intelligence issues; and committee testimonies.  For more information on CSBA in-house expertise,  please refer to our staff directory.  

RECENT EVENTS:

On May 20, 2009, the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments hosted congressional conference on Directed Energy Systems. Congressman Michael Turner, the Ranking Member of the Strategic Forces Subcommittee and a member of the Readiness Subcommittee of the Armed Services Committee sponsored the event.

CSBA President Andrew Krepinevich and Senior Fellows Tom Ehrhard and Barry Watts discussed the findings of their recent study Near-Term Prospects for Battlefield Directed-Energy Weapons (download report). They identified the most compelling near-term stimuli for laser systems, explored planning scenarios and operational concepts, and assessed the prospects for fielding operational laser weapons within ten years. (presentation slides)

Following the presentation, an expert panel from the U.S. military services weighed in with their perspectives on the issue. Panelists included Mark Bucknam, Director for Plans, OSD Policy; David Stoudt, Distinguished Engineer for Directed Energy (ST), NAVSEA Technical Warrant for Directed Energy and Electric Weapon Systems, Naval Surface Warfare Center; James Haig (presentation slides), Deputy Director, Office of S&T Integration, USMC; and Rodney L. Robertson (presentation slides), Director, Technical Center, Research, Development, and Acquisition USA Space and Missile Defense Command (SMDC).