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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
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May 20, 2014

US Conventional Power and Nuclear Asia

By James R. Holmes
To stop allies in Asia from going nuclear, the U.S. needs to shore up its conventional military power.
May 15, 2014

SSBNs and Strategic Stability in the Second Nuclear Age

By James R. Holmes
New ballistic missile submarine fleets could destabilize the nuclear order.

May 13, 2014

The Perils of Island Warfare

By James R. Holmes
It’s a lot easier to take an island than it is to hold on to it.

May 10, 2014

China Abandons Small-Stick Diplomacy?

By James R. Holmes
The latest scrap between Vietnam and China in the South China Sea saw Chinese naval vessels deployed.

May 05, 2014

How Not to Prepare for War

By James R. Holmes
In conducting drills, militaries needs to fight the temptation to rig the rules in their own favor.
May 03, 2014

Why America Can’t Contain China

By James R. Holmes
Despite Beijing’s concerns, the U.S. couldn’t contain China even if it wanted to.

April 29, 2014

Assessing UNSCR 1540: Ten Years On

By James R. Holmes
UN Security Council Resolution 1540 just celebrated its 10th birthday. So far, it has a mixed record.
April 28, 2014

The Limits of Pacific Maritime Law

By James R. Holmes
The new Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea will not bring peace in our time.

April 22, 2014

Why Taiwan Wants Submarines

By James R. Holmes
There is good strategic logic to Taiwan’s decision to build diesel subs. Execution is a different story.

April 16, 2014

The Religious Origins of Western Strategy

By James R. Holmes
The West’s uneasiness with misdirection might be rooted in Christianity.

April 16, 2014

The Geopolitics of the Black Sea

By James R. Holmes
America has the Caribbean, China has the South China Sea, and Russia has the Black Sea.
April 12, 2014

Measuring Naval Power: Bigger Ain’t Always Better

By James R. Holmes
Aggregate tonnage alone doesn’t win naval battles in the modern era, and suggesting otherwise is dangerous.

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