Samuel Bendett

Washington

Adjunct Senior Fellow at Center for a New American Security (CNAS)

Analysis of military robotics, drones/UAVs, AI and Russian military weapons development. CNA, CNAS and CSIS. Opinions my own. @sambendett.bsky.social

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Articles

‘We Want Peace’: How Attacks Between Israel and Iran Could Impact People in NC

2 weeks ago | cnas.org | Adham Sahloul |Vivek Chilukuri |Samuel Bendett

Retired Lt. Gen. Jack Shanahan is an adjunct senior fellow at the Center for New American Security. Shanahan provided some context on how the two Middle East countries got here in the first place. “Israel has been concerned for a long time about Iran’s nuclear enrichment program,” Shanahan said. “They’ve been adamant that if they reach a certain point where they presumed where Iran would get a nuclear weapon in a certain amount of time.”Watch the full interview on WRAL.NEWS.
Countering AI Chip Smuggling Has Become a National Security Priority

2 weeks ago | cnas.org | Vivek Chilukuri |Samuel Bendett |Erich Grunewald |Tim Fist

Based on the available evidence, artificial intelligence (AI) chip smuggling has likely been occurring at a scale that significantly undermines U.S. attempts to restrict the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC’s) access to advanced AI. This is indicated by four lines of argument:Smuggling should be expected based on historical precedent.
How the United States Can Win the Global Tech Race

2 weeks ago | cnas.org | Samuel Bendett |Paul Scharre |Alex Zerden |Vivek Chilukuri

The Trump administration has scrapped its predecessor’s sweeping export controls for advanced artificial intelligence chips, known as the AI diffusion rule. “To win the AI race, the Biden AI diffusion rule must go,” posted David Sacks, U.S. President Donald Trump’s top AI advisor, on May 8.
‘Spider’s Web’ Warning: The U.S. Must Prioritize Drone Defense to Avoid Russia’s Fate

2 weeks ago | cnas.org | Samuel Bendett |Jim Townsend |Edward Fishman |Stacie L. Pettyjohn

With a single, coordinated attack, Ukraine has crippled at least a dozen Russian aircraft – including around 10 percent of Russia’s bomber fleet – using only small drones. This drone ambush should trigger alarm bells for the US military. Like Russia, the United States is unprepared to meet the growing threat of small commercial drones. This attack is wake-up call for US military: its counter-drone efforts are inadequate and are not keeping pace with the threat.
Trump Should Walk from Putin Negotiations

3 weeks ago | cnas.org | Edward Fishman |Samuel Bendett |Jim Townsend

June 05, 2025 Trump will walk from the Ukraine-Russia negotiations as his lack of “patience” means its “just a matter of time”, says Jim Townsend, adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security. Watch the full interview on Times Radio. Commentary Foreign Affairs June 4, 2025 Putin’s Pressure Point Trump’s handling of Russia diverges sharply from his approach to every other country....
Putin’s Pressure Point

3 weeks ago | cnas.org | Samuel Bendett |Jim Townsend |Edward Fishman

A new U.S. president enters office vowing to reach out a hand to a bitter enemy. He pledges to resolve a long-burning crisis through diplomacy, despite widespread skepticism that it’s possible. When his early efforts stall, Congress—including members of the president’s own party—loses patience and advances sweeping sanctions to break the impasse. European allies also grow frustrated and impose new penalties. This is the story of the opening months of Donald Trump’s second term on Russia.
Rational Security: The “Huffin’ and Puffin” Edition

3 weeks ago | cnas.org | Samuel Bendett |Charles 'Chuckie' Horn |Alex Zerden

This week, Scott sat down with Lawfare’s Ukraine Fellow Anastasiia Lapatina and Contributing Editors Eric Ciaramella and Alex Zerden, an adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, to talk through the week’s big national security and foreign policy news. Listen to the full episode on Lawfare.
Sharper: America’s Edge

1 month ago | cnas.org | Jim Townsend |Andrea Kendall-Taylor |Samuel Bendett

A volatile global security environment requires the United States and its allies to develop new tactics and capabilities to deal with novel global threats. On June 3, policymakers, industry leaders, and others will discuss how to face this challenge at the 2025 CNAS National Security Conference: America’s Edge. In this edition of Sharper, CNAS experts deepen the conversation about maintaining America’s edge in warfighting, economic security, technology leadership, and more.
Ukraine Is Europe’s War. Isn’t It?

1 month ago | cnas.org | Jim Townsend |Samuel Bendett |Andrea Kendall-Taylor

A new article from Andrea Kendall-Taylor in The New York Times highlights the stakes of the war in Ukraine for the United States. Despite an apparent belief by the Trump administration that this war only matters to Europe, how it ends has implications for Americans. If the United States fails to stand up to Russia now, in Ukraine, it is likely to have to do so at a significantly higher cost in the future.
Droning On: How Ukraine and Russia Have Revolutionized Drone Warfare

1 month ago | cnas.org | Paul Scharre |Samuel Bendett

In this episode of Three Questions, Paul Saunders speaks with Samuel Bendett, an adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security. Mr. Bendett is a military analyst specializing in uncrewed, robotic and autonomous military systems and artificial intelligence.