Thomas G. Mahnken
Professor of Practice
Co-Director, Master of Arts in Strategy, Cybersecurity, and Intelligence
About
Thomas G. Mahnken is Professor of Practice and Co-Director of the Master of Arts in Strategy, Cybersecurity, and Intelligence at SAIS. Between 1997 and 2016, he served as a Professor of Strategy at the US Naval War College.Prof. Mahnken served as a member of the Congressionally-mandated National Defense Strategy Commission and as a member of the Board of Visitors of Marine Corps University. His previous government career includes service as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Policy Planning from 2006–2009, where he helped craft the 2006 Quadrennial Defense Review and 2008 National Defense Strategy. He served on the staff of the 2014 National Defense Panel, 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review Independent Panel, and the Commission on the Intelligence Capabilities of the United States Regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction. He served in the Defense Department’s Office of Net Assessment and as a member of the Gulf War Air Power Survey. He served for 24 years as an officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve, to include tours in Iraq and Kosovo.
He holds a MA and PhD in international affairs from Johns Hopkins SAIS and BA degrees in history and international relations (with highest honors) from the University of Southern California.
In 2009 he was awarded the Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service and in 2016 the Department of the Navy Superior Civilian Service Medal.
He holds a MA and PhD in international affairs from Johns Hopkins SAIS and BA degrees in history and international relations (with highest honors) from the University of Southern California.
In 2009 he was awarded the Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service and in 2016 the Department of the Navy Superior Civilian Service Medal.
- Learning the Lessons of Modern War (Stanford University Press, 2020)
- Net Assessment and Military Strategy: Retrospective and Prospective Essays (Cambria Press, 2020)
- The Gathering Pacific Storm: Emerging U.S.-China Strategic Competition in Defense Technological and Industrial Development (Cambria Press, 2018)
- Arms Races in International Politics from the Nineteenth to the Twenty-First Century (Oxford University Press, 2016)
- Strategy in Asia: The Past, Present and Future of Regional Security (Stanford University Press, 2014)
- Competitive Strategies for the 21st Century: Theory, History, and Practice (Stanford University Press, 2012)
- Technology and the American Way of War Since 1945 (Columbia University Press, 2008)
- Uncovering Ways of War: U.S. Intelligence and Foreign Military Innovation, 1918–1941 (Cornell University Press, 2002)
In the News
Selective disclosure: How to inject strategy into U.S. capability development.
Thomas Mahnken wrote for War on The Rocks, 01/27
Bring U.S. operational training and experimentation into the 21st century.
Thomas Mahnken wrote in Military Times, 11/23
Amid devastated economy, job mentorship crucial for veterans, report finds.
Thomas Mahnken quoted on Military.com, 9/3
The U.S. sea-based nuclear deterrent in a new era.
Thomas G. Mahnken wrote in RealClearDefense, 6/11
Six ways the U.S. can maximize its strategic benefit from defense spending
Thomas G. Mahnken wrote in Defense News, 4/24
Assessing the changing nuclear balance
Thomas G. Mahnken and Jacob Cohn wrote for SAIS Review of International Affairs, 4/17
Preparing for a dark future: Biological warfare in the 21st century
Thomas G. Mahnken wrote in RealClearDefense, 4/16
Deterrence by detection: A new approach to preventing opportunistic aggression.
Thomas G. Mahnken wrote in RealClearDefense, 3/25
Antiques road show: The real state of the U.S. military.
Thomas G. Mahnken wrote in The Atlantic, 7/27
Countering missiles with missiles: U.S. military posture after the INF treaty.
Thomas G. Mahnken wrote in War on the Rocks, 7/16
Hearing on “A ‘World-Class’ Military: Assessing China’s Global Military Ambitions”.
Thomas G. Mahnken testified before the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, 6/20