Hudson Institute Events Podcast

General David Allvin, chief of staff of the Air Force, will discuss how today’s strategic environment requires a force that is aligned and focused on the requirements and attributes that will keep the service competitive. Specifically, the Air Force needs to deliver combat-effective, agile, and adaptive airpower at scale. The complexity and speed of combat demand greater preparation, and prioritizing readiness based on mission effectiveness rather than functional competence will be essential to the Air Force’s ability to project and execute its mission rapidly and with precision. As General Allvin will discuss, the Air Force is aligning itself to be “one Air Force” to best compete, deter, and—if required—win in today’s volatile strategic landscape.Please join General Allvin and Hudson Institute Senior Fellow Timothy A. Walton for a conversation. After the panel discussion, General Allvin will take questions from the audience.

United States–Japan–South Korea relations have surpassed all expectations. On the sidelines of the November 2022 East Asia Summit in Cambodia, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, and US President Joe Biden issued the Phnom Penh Statement, in which they pledged to align “their collective efforts in pursuit of a free and open Indo-Pacific that is inclusive, resilient, and secure.” In August 2023, President Yoon and Prime Minister Kishida joined President Biden at a historic summit at Camp David. But a year after the first-ever standalone trilateral summit at the presidential retreat in Maryland, there are new questions about whether these three partners can maintain their momentum in the face of numerous global, regional, and domestic challenges.Join Hudson Institute Asia-Pacific Security Chair Patrick Cronin and an expert panel as they consider the opportunities and problems confronting the future of the three nations’ cooperation. What are the shared interests that will propel further joint efforts? What obstacles stand in the way? Will cooperation survive possible changes in leadership?

Earlier this week, Ukraine shocked the world by launching a surprise military operation into the Russian Federation. Open-source intelligence shows that the Ukrainian Armed Forces have made considerable advances in the first 72 hours of the incursion, but many details remain unknown.Join Hudson experts Luke Coffey and Can Kasapoğlu for a discussion, moderated by Dan Kochis, on what this move means for the war and how this risk could pay off for Ukraine.

On the evening of August 1, Hezbollah launched a massive rocket barrage at Israel. Is this the beginning of an all-out war between Israel and an axis comprising Iran and Hezbollah?Hezbollah’s July 27 rocket attack on the Israeli town of Majdal Shams murdered 12 children. The Israel Defense Forces responded by, among other things, killing Fuad Shukr, Hezbollah’s de facto chief of staff. Just hours after that operation, Ismail Haniyeh, the political head of Hamas, was assassinated in Tehran, where he was a guest of the new Iranian president. Iran immediately blamed Israel for the operation and vowed revenge. The likelihood of a coordinated campaign against Israel by Iran and Hezbollah, possibly in concert with other members of Iran’s “Resistance Axis,” has never been higher.Join Senior Fellow Peter Rough for a conversation with Senior Fellow Michael Doran about the significance of these events.

Energy policy has become a contentious issue in Taiwan. Amid the summer heat, occasional blackouts create public unrest. Meanwhile, Taipei continues to implement policy from the last decade to transition Taiwan’s energy production away from coal and nuclear and toward liquefied natural gas (LNG) and renewables like solar, hydroelectric, and wind power. While renewables increase Taiwan’s ability to generate electricity domestically, the island—which is roughly the size of Maryland—remains mostly dependent on imported coal, LNG, and nuclear material.Join Hudson as an expert panel discusses the current state of Taiwan’s energy transition and how the island’s energy mix might change in the next several years.

Hudson Senior Fellows Michael Doran and Luke Coffey host Ambassador Elchin Amirbayov, the representative of the president of the Republic of Azerbaijan on special assignments, to discuss the current state of United States–Azerbaijan relations and peace negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The North Korean people continue to endure immense suffering at the hands of the Kim regime. Post-COVID-19 indicators suggest that conditions inside the country are worsening. Heightened state-imposed isolation has cut off the North Korean people from critical lifelines like the use of informal markets for livelihood and sustenance, as well as from outside information. Even fewer North Koreans are making it to freedom beyond the country’s borders than before the pandemic.But the lucky few who escape are forging new lives for themselves and identifying new lines of effort to bring freedom and human rights to the North Koreans who were left behind. Join Hudson for a conversation with the new generation of North Korean refugees on the future of American and South Korean policy to address the North Korean human rights challenge.

The United States Army Space and Missile Defense Command (SMDC) develops and operates global space, missile defense, and high-altitude systems. Conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East have underscored the importance of space and missile defense capabilities, but questions remain regarding the Army’s role and preparedness in performing these missions.Please join US Army SMDC commander Lieutenant General Sean A. Gainey and Hudson Senior Fellow Timothy A. Walton for a discussion with participants on what role Army forces should play in space operations, how Army air and missile defense forces should modernize, and how SMDC can deepen its engagement in the Pacific.

Join Hudson for an event to launch Beneath the Harbor: Hong Kong’s Leading Role in Sanctions Evasion, a new report by the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation.Hong Kong was once the freest economy in the world. But it is now experiencing a rapid erosion in the rule of law, which affects how businesses operate on the island. In recent years, the city has emerged as a top sanctions violator, a money laundering hub, and a transshipment center that plays a key role in providing Russia dual-use technology for its war effort. Experts will discuss new evidence of how the Chinese Communist Party is using Hong Kong to sow instability and conflict around the world and how the United States can better counter these illicit activities.

China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea are forming a new axis of aggressors to oppose the United States and its interests. With chaos unfolding around the globe, how should the US and its allies restore deterrence, maintain global leadership, and protect the prosperity of its people?Join Chair of the Hudson Institute Japan Chair Advisory Board and former National Security Advisor LTG (Ret.) H.R. McMaster and Media Fellow Jeremy Hunt for a discussion on this topic.