The Diplomat  |  Author

James R. Holmes

James R. Holmes is a defense analyst for The Diplomat and a professor of strategy at the U.S. Naval War College where he specializes in U.S., Chinese and Indian maritime strategy and U.S. diplomatic and military history.

He is co-author of Red Star over the Pacific, an Atlantic Monthly Best Foreign Affairs Book for 2010 and a former US Navy surface warfare officer.

The views voiced here are his alone.

Posts by James R. Holmes
Page 10 of 35
December 10, 2013

Preserving History and The Long Peace

By James R. Holmes
War and peace are too complex to attribute to generational change alone. Still, preserving history can’t hurt.
December 10, 2013

Flexible Response: The Key to Victory

By James R. Holmes
The capacity to adapt will prove crucial if the U.S. wants to compete effectively with the China and Irans of the world.

December 05, 2013

Reality Check: US Naval Primacy Is Not Guaranteed

By James R. Holmes
If the U.S. Navy wants to continue controlling the seas, it may have to fight.

December 02, 2013

China’s Hubris on the High Seas

By James R. Holmes
Despite all the hype, the PLA Navy’s achievements remain relatively modest.

November 25, 2013

Interservice Harmony and Australia’s Near Abroad

Canberra’s middle status simplifies life for Australia’s military in many ways. The US should take note.

November 23, 2013

America’s Undersea Advantage is Eroding

With the U.S. Navy’s diminishing submarines and outdated armaments, the undersea balance in Asia is changing.

November 19, 2013

Not All Conflict Is Irrational

Were states to get into a tussle over the Arctic someday, they wouldn’t necessarily be irrational.

November 16, 2013

How to Do Soft Power Right

Relief efforts don’t have to be completely altruistic, but interests shouldn’t dictate action.

November 15, 2013

Should America ‘Spread the Theater’ in Asia?

In applying a football metaphor to the Indo-Pacific the US Navy ought to ask itself some hard questions.

November 14, 2013

Chinese Soft Power: Another Typhoon Haiyan Victim

The unbelievably small amount of aid Beijing is offering Manila marks a new era of sneer diplomacy.

November 09, 2013

Does China Accept America’s Mastery of the Seas?

The Naval Diplomat took part in a conference today. Here’s what he said.

November 08, 2013

Hard Times for Offshore Balancing in Philippines

The Philippines’ wishful thinking about the South China Sea is becoming dangerous.

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