The National Institute for Deterrence Studies
195 episodes listed below
Deterrence theory, applied to current threats.
The NIDS View is a weekly national security conversation centered on deterrence policy. It connects recent strategic problems, including drone incursions, missile defense, nuclear signaling, and energy resilience, to the practical question of what keeps adversaries from acting.
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The NIDS View is a weekly deterrence policy program for people who want national security news translated into strategic consequences. It is measured, but not bloodless. The show tends to begin with a current issue, then works outward into what that issue means for U.S. deterrence, alliance credibility, escalation dynamics, and the practical burdens placed on military planners. Recent topics give the shape of the program. Drone incursions near nuclear deterrent infrastructure become a discussion about surveillance, sabotage, criminal actors, and the awkward economics of defending expensive facilities from cheap systems. Air power and missile defense in the Indo-Pacific turn into a problem of sorting ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones under pressure. Energy security is treated as part of resilience, not just infrastructure. Iran's nuclear threshold, France's nuclear calculus, China's nuclear testing claims, North Korea's rocket systems, and the 2026 U.S. Annual Threat Assessment all appear as pieces of a larger deterrence map. The show is strongest when it slows down and separates capability from intent, cost from consequence, and denial from retaliation. It likes formulas. It also likes examples. Jim Petroski and Curtis McGiffin bring a familiar working rhythm to many episodes, mixing professional seriousness with small jokes, self-corrections, and the occasional aside about ratings or hockey. That looseness helps the technical material breathe. The arguments remain centered on policy. Listeners should expect nuclear strategy, military technology, homeland defense, missile threats, unmanned systems, and strategic stability, usually framed through what an adversary might believe is possible or futile. The program is not a general news roundup. It is a recurring exercise in deterrence thinking, aimed at the gap between headlines and operational reality.
Made for: For national security professionals, defense students, policy watchers, and serious civilians who want current events connected to deterrence logic. It especially suits listeners comfortable with nuclear strategy, military systems, and long-form analytic conversation.
What sets it apart: The show stands out by treating each headline as a strategic planning case, not a topic to react to quickly. Its practitioner tone links theory to base defense, missile allocation, energy resilience, alliance pressure, and escalation risk.
The NIDS View is meant to give listeners inside access to the thoughts and ideas of the member-practitioners of NIDS including our Fellows, Analysts, and Interns. For each episode we pick a current deterrence topic and have a cordial, exciting and sometimes funny discussion. Each episode is a stand-alone topical and is expected to increase awareness of deterrence thinking, expand the next generation of deterrence professionals, and prepare the workforce whose mission is to ensure peace, security, and stability.
Based on 5 episodes we listened to · September 2026
The NIDS View makes deterrence policy tangible by tracing strategic claims through infrastructure, weapon systems, resource constraints, and operational risk.
The NIDS View turns deterrence from an abstract doctrine into a practical test: what must keep working under pressure, what an adversary might exploit, and which defenses remain credible.
Missile defense meets power-grid resilience, and suddenly your threat model needs a bigger whiteboard.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A practical look at how drones and missiles are reshaping deterrence in the Indo-Pacific.
The discussion takes deterrence in the Indo-Pacific seriously, with air power, drones, and missile defense handled in a practical, unsentimental way. Jim Petroski and Dr.
A sober look at drone incursions and the expensive defense choices they force.
The piece treats drone incursions as a security issue with real operational consequences, not a fence-line annoyance. Jim Petroski and Curtis McGiffin move through proxies and agents acting for a state adversary, saboteurs, insider-enabled launches near perimeters, and criminal…
Missiles, energy, and resilience are treated as one deterrence problem.
March 2026 news is treated as a practical test of deterrence: missile capability, energy resilience, and whether pressure can be made futile. Jim Petrosky and Curtis McGiffin keep the focus on what actually shifts strategic behavior, moving from second-strike survivability to…
A grounded discussion of energy resilience, infrastructure, and deterrence that keeps one eye on policy and the other on practical limits.
Jim Petroski and Curtis McGiffin use this episode to frame energy resilience as a national security question, not just a sustainability slogan. With Dr.
A listener-led nuclear strategy discussion that weighs deterrence, prosperity, and the costs of the nuclear enterprise.
The episode starts from a listener question and uses it to take a hard look at whether the United States leaned too heavily on nuclear weapons.
Fast arguments for a dangerous world.
Naval power, argued from the machinery up.
The seam between people in uniform and everyone else.
Jim Petroski hosts Dr.
Jim Petroski and Curtis McGiffin focus on drone activity near nuclear bases and the deterrence problem it creates.
Jim Petrosky and Curtis McGiffin open with their familiar NIDS banter.
This episode analyzes the 2026 U.S.
This episode analyzes Iran's nuclear threshold status and its implications for deterrence strategies, focusing on the 2026 air war scenario and global stability.
This episode analyzes France's newly announced nuclear buildup under President Macron, which includes expanding its nuclear arsenal and allowing temporary deployment of nuclear-armed aircraft to European allies as a response to security pressures and uncertainties about U.S.
A think tank podcast discussing deterrence theory and its application to current events, with hosts reflecting on recent sports achievements as a segue into broader national morale.
Hosts discuss current deterrence topics, focusing on national security and nuclear modernization, with a specific article tying together recent comments by President Trump.
A discussion on the strategic importance of Greenland and missile defenses from a deterrence perspective.
This episode explores the environmental and ethical challenges of lithium mining for clean energy and electric vehicles, featuring an interview with Dr.
Hosts discuss key national security headlines and their implications for U.S.
This episode features a conversation with retired Air Force colonel Rob Maness, a senior fellow at the National Institute for Deterrent Studies, discussing his expertise in national security, military leadership, and strategic analysis.
The hosts discuss the impact of artificial intelligence on national deterrence strategy.
The hosts discuss the implications of Nicolas Maduro's capture on deterrence theory and international security.
The episode discusses a proposed nuclear posture review and deterrence strategy.
A discussion on the National Institute for Determined Studies' proposed nuclear posture review for 2026 and beyond.
The episode discusses the completion of the W88 Alt 370 warhead and its implications for U.S.
The episode analyzes the 2025 National Security Strategy and a proposed nuclear posture review, focusing on deterrence and education for peace.
The hosts discuss a news article about China building a low-cost hypersonic glide vehicle using concrete, exploring its implications for deterrence.
The hosts discuss recent deterrence-related news and personal holiday plans in a monthly news review episode.
The hosts open a Thanksgiving special with Dr.
Hosts Jim Petroski and Curtis McGiffin introduce a new monthly news roundup segment covering key developments in defense, resilience, nuclear energy, and strategic communications as they relate to deterrence.
Hosts discuss resilience and survivability in deterrence, referencing Russian aggression and a recent seminar on tactical nuclear weapons.
Hosts discuss Vladimir Putin's offer to ratify the New START Treaty and its implications for deterrence and world peace.
This episode features an interview with Dr.
This episode examines how government shutdowns affect national security and deterrence strategies, featuring insights from former Congressman Chris Stewart.
Hosts discuss the new Survivable Airborne Operations Center (SAOC) from operational and technical perspectives.
The hosts discuss China's 80th anniversary victory parade and its implications for deterrence and international relations.
The hosts open with a listener's question from John in Maryland.
A roundtable discussion on a Foreign Affairs article about the conventional balance of terror and the need for a new triad to restore deterrence.
Hosts discuss a science-related topic based on an article, shifting from their usual focus on strategic issues.
The hosts discuss an article arguing that U.S.-China tensions are not a new Cold War, analyzing the differences from the U.S.-Soviet Cold War.