Mark Cancian Journalist Profile

Articles

Trump Restructures the Pentagon Budget: Two Views

1 week ago | csis.org | Mark Cancian |Melissa G. Dalton

In February, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth directed the military services and defense agencies to identify 8 percent, or about $50 billion, in annual cuts that could be reinvested in higher-priority activities. Who would be the winners and losers? CSIS experts Mark Cancian and Melissa Dalton took distinctly different approaches to this task in an exercise organized by the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) in partnership with CSIS.
Elon and Vivek, we need to talk about how to make DOGE successful

Dec 13, 2024 | breakingdefense.com | Mark Cancian

Dear Elon and Vivek,I know that many people want your ear right now. Your new commission, DOGE (very clever logo, BTW), has essentially carte blanche to propose reforms. Your teasers about major changes in the making are receiving a lot of attention. Here’s the challenge: History is littered with the wreckage of such commissions. Failure and irrelevance are the norm.
Offering policy advice for the next administration? Be realistic.

Oct 17, 2024 | breakingdefense.com | Mark Cancian

Election season is upon us, which means think tanks are beginning the quadrennial ritual of providing unsolicited advice to a new administration in the form of “transition papers.” Scholars typically write these papers on a single topic within their area of expertise (“Bringing Peace to Gaza”), which the institution collects into volumes. The work benefits everyone in the ecosystem.
How Israel degraded Hezbollah for years to come, in 8 days

Sep 24, 2024 | breakingdefense.com | Mark Cancian

Over the last eight days, Israel has launched an extraordinary two-part campaign against Hezbollah, its longtime nemesis located in Lebanon. In the first part, Israel took out thousands of its opponents in two highly targeted attacks with minimal collateral damage, perhaps the greatest counterinsurgency stroke in history. The second part, currently unfolding, is a series of highly successful air attacks against Hezbollah leadership and facilities — precise, but with considerable collateral damage.
Por qué el liderazgo de McLaren en el Constructors Championship es bueno para la F1

Sep 19, 2024 | forbes.com.ec | Mark Cancian

Mark Cancian Red Bull, que había dominado el año pasado, enfrenta su peor crisis en años, mientras Max Verstappen y Sergio Pérez no logran alcanzar el podio en las últimas carreras. El viento de cambio que soplaba en la Fórmula 1 durante los últimos cuatro meses aumentó su intensidad en Azerbaiyán el domingo. La espectacular victoria de Oscar Piastri por las calles de Bakú permitió a McLaren superar a Red Bull en el Constructors Championship.
Por qué el liderazgo de McLaren en el Constructors Championship es bueno para la F1

Sep 19, 2024 | forbesargentina.com | Mark Cancian

Mark Cancian Red Bull, que había dominado el año pasado, enfrenta su peor crisis en años, mientras Max Verstappen y Sergio Pérez no logran alcanzar el podio en las últimas carreras. El viento de cambio que soplaba en la Fórmula 1 durante los últimos cuatro meses aumentó su intensidad en Azerbaiyán el domingo. La espectacular victoria de Oscar Piastri por las calles de Bakú permitió a McLaren superar a Red Bull en el Constructors Championship.
Will U.S. Military Aid to Ukraine Bring Victory?

Jul 30, 2024 | csis.org | Mark Cancian

Ukraine has faded from the news, but the war hasn’t stopped and continues to inflict thousands of casualties even as it burns through billions of dollars of military aid. The good news is that U.S. aid to Ukraine is sustainable. The $61 billion aid package approved by Congress in April will last at least through January and possibly into the summer. The bad news is that limits on U.S. inventories and production have constrained what can be sent every month.
Is the precision revolution in warfare fading away?

Jul 2, 2024 | breakingdefense.com | Mark Cancian

Precision munitions have given the United States a decisive combat edge for 50 years. From Desert Storm to the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan, “one bomb, one kill” has become the expectation. As the United States passed this capability to Ukraine for its struggle with Russia, HIMARS with GMLRS, Excalibur 155 mm artillery shells, Ground-Launched Small-Diameter Bombs, and JDAMs have had an immense impact on the battlefield.
Major trends and takeaways from the Defense Department’s Unfunded Priority Lists

Apr 19, 2024 | breakingdefense.com | Mark Cancian

Over the last month, Breaking Defense has published a series of reports on the unfunded priority lists from the military services and combatant commands. In a new analysis, Mark Cancian and Chris Park analyze the lists as a group, highlighting common themes and the reasons behind the requests.
Air Supplies to Gaza: Commendable Political Theater but No Long-Term Solution

Mar 7, 2024 | csis.org | Mark Cancian

The United States recently airdropped thousands of packaged meals to relieve suffering in Gaza―38,000 on March 1 and 36,800 on March 4. It is an important gesture that will help a few Gazans and signal to the others that they are not forgotten. However, to feed the entire population, the United States and its allies would need to increase these daily deliveries by a factor of 90. That's not remotely practical.