Andrew S. Erickson

Robert Leslie and Chris Panella, “Chinese Fishing Boats Have Been Making Some Unusual Moves Lately in the East China Sea, Satellite Images and Shipping Data Show,” Business Insider, 30 January 2026.

“The scale, geometry, coordination, and rapid assembly and dispersal of these formations are simply irreconcilable with normal fishing behavior,” Andrew S. Erickson, a professor at the US […]

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Chris Buckley, Agnes Chang and Amy Chang Chien, “Thousands of Chinese Fishing Boats Quietly Form Vast Sea Barriers,” New York Times, 16 January 2026.
My overall thoughts:

The vessels’ highly systematic formation cannot be explained by fishing.
Trawlers would not risk competing for fish or snarling their lines in relatively close quarters.
This blockade-line-type formation seems much more likely to be an […]

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Gordon Arthur, “Pentagon Outlines the Growing Threat Posed by the PLA,” Asian Military Review, 9 January 2026.

Dr. Andrew Erickson, Professor of Strategy at the US Naval War College, noted one important revelation in the 2025 Pentagon report. It surrounds confirmation that China has fielded the conventional DF-27 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). The DF-27 features both […]

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Bill Gertz, “PLA: War Games Practice for a Taiwan Takeover,” The Washington Times, 31 December 2025.
Disclaimer: The perspectives expressed here are those of the author alone, based solely on open sources. They do not represent the views, policies, or positions of the Naval War College, the Department of the Navy, or any other organization of the […]

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Hollie McKay, “Beijing’s Rare Disclosure on DF-5B Missile Signals Shift in Nuclear Messaging,” The Cipher Brief, 30 June 2025.

“While the original DF-5 missile, developed during the Cold War, was outfitted with a single warhead, the DF-5B’s multi-warhead capacity—alongside its purported accuracy within 500 meters—represents a significant leap in China’s second-strike capability and nuclear survivability.”
“Andrew Erickson, […]

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Jamie Seidel, “Stunning Footage Reveals China’s Secret New Stealth Bomber,” News.com.au, 12 January 2025.

… … “These apparent combat aircraft demonstrators are part of a larger PRC defence modernisation – the post-war era’s most dramatic,” notes Professor Andrew Erickson of the US Naval War College’s China Maritime Studies Institute (CMSI).
“The scope and scale of China’s military […]

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Honored to have CMSI’s new book featured by Phelim Kine in Politico’s China Watcher!

“One Book, Three Questions”
The Book: Chinese Amphibious Warfare: Prospects for a Cross-Strait Invasion (a compilation of expert analyses of how a Chinese invasion of Taiwan might unfold)
The Editors: Andrew Erickson is a professor of strategy at the Naval War College’s China Maritime Studies Institute; […]

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Brad Dress, “Navy Pushes to Catch up to China’s Superiority at Sea,” The Hill, 30 September 2024.

… … … China is likely prepar[ing] for what could be one of the more likely scenarios playing out in a Taiwan event: a Chinese blockade….
Andrew Erickson, a professor of strategy at the U.S. Naval War College’s China Maritime […]

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China Adds Hundreds of Satellites for Use in War; Russia Building Nuke to Destroy Enemies’ Assets
Russian space nuke could damage all nations’ satellites, Space Force warns
By Bill Gertz – The Washington Times – Tuesday, September 17, 2024

China’s military is rapidly building up space capabilities, including more than 970 recently deployed satellites that would support attacks on U.S. aircraft carriers, expeditionary forces […]

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Growing Chinese Threat Makes Taiwan World’s Most Dangerous Flashpoint, Defense Analysts Warn
Stronger U.S. deterrence urged; for key ally, ‘situation could scarcely more urgent’
By Bill Gertz – The Washington Times

The growing threat of a Chinese military attack makes Taiwan one of the most dangerous global flash points for years to come, according to a think tank report.
The report details military […]

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Jonathan Chin, “U.S. Must Not Lose Taiwan, Experts Warn,” Taipei Times, 18 February 2024, 1.

Home
Front Page

Sun, Feb 18, 2024 page 1
US must not lose Taiwan, experts warn
‘A DISASTER’: A successful Chinese attack on Taiwan would undermine the credibility of US security guarantees and could result in a global depression, three experts wrote 
By Jonathan Chin / Staff […]

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Honored to be cited regarding China’s “little blue men”/Maritime Militia. Importantly, tremendous credit is due to my CMSI colleagues. Among his many contributions, Conor Kennedy has pioneered pathbreaking research enabling U.S. Navy/Government understanding of this PRC Third Sea Force. Click here to read a compilation of his cutting-edge publications. And Ryan Martinson has contributed key […]

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Ellen Nakashima and Cate Cadell, “China Secretly Building PLA Naval Facility in Cambodia, Western Officials Say,” Washington Post, 6 June 2022. 
China is secretly building a naval facility in Cambodia for the exclusive use of its military, with both countries denying that is the case and taking extraordinary measures to conceal the operation, Western officials said.
The military […]

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“A Powerful Chinese Navy Is Ready to Flex Its Muscles,” ANI News, 3 January 2022.
Hong Kong, January 3 (ANI): Last year was a phenomenal one for China’s navy – the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) – with approximately 170,000 tonnes’ worth of new  ships commissioned in 2021. … … …
With all these new vessels, … the […]

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Honored to speak with the hosts CDR Salamander and EagleOne, and all participating in our discussion! 
We spoke live at 5 P.M. (EDT) on 24 October 2021 for Midrats Episode 606: China’s Dangerous Decade with Andrew Erickson…

Click here to listen to the 66-minute podcast!
Andrew S. Erickson, “China’s Dangerous Decade with Andrew Erickson,” Midrats Podcast Episode 606, […]

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Andrew S. Erickson, “China’s South China Sea Approach: Maritime Gray Zone Operations,” presentation for “Threat Assessment of the PRC South China Sea Policy,” East-West Center webinar with Indonesian Journalists via Zoom, 8 June 2021.

Honored to participate in this great event organized by Vice President and Washington Office Director Dr. Satu Limaye and his East-West Center […]

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Jacqueline Deal, “China Could Soon Outgun the U.S.,” Politico China Watcher, 27 May 2021.

Welcome, China Watchers. This week’s guest host is Jacqueline Deal, senior fellow of the Foreign Policy Research Institute, co-founder of the American Academy for Strategic Education and president of LTSG, a defense consultancy. She’s been tracking China’s military buildup for two decades and has testified frequently before the congressional U.S.-China Economic […]

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Brad Lendon, “Beijing Has a Navy it Doesn’t Even Admit Exists, Experts Say. And it’s Swarming Parts of the South China Sea,” CNN, 12 April 2021.
… … … Despite Chinese government denials, there is little ambiguity in Western circles about what the Pentagon calls the People’s Armed Forces Maritime Militia (PAFMM). …
Some experts have taken to […]

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Aie Balagtas See and Zachary Haver, “Manila Protests Presence of Hundreds of Chinese Ships in Contested Waters,” Radio Free Asia, 22 March 2021.

… … … According to Philippine National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr., the 220 Chinese ships were seen moored at the “large boomerang shaped shallow coral reef” [Whitsun Reef] on March 7 – […]

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