JULY 29, 2021 – Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, Jr. recently signed the charter for the Air Force’s China Aerospace Studies Institute, signaling the service’s intent to focus education, awareness and understanding more heavily on China’s growing military threat.
CASI conducts research on Chinese aerospace, to include air-, space-, cyber- and missile-related fields, directly enabling the warfighter’s understanding of Chinese aerospace and strategic thinking.
“By studying ‘everything that flies’ in China, we can better understand decision making, limitations, opportunities and challenges in competition,” Brown articulates in the charter. “CASI serves as the Department of Air Force’s premiere center for the study of China and its aerospace capabilities.”
The institute educates the force about Chinese aerospace and engages with communities of interest, including joint and allied partners, defense-related think tanks, academic constituents and other government organizations, as well as the PLA and PRC as applicable.
“Strategic competition with China is the organizing principle for our strategy, plans and systems. Our current initiatives—accelerate change or lose, joint all-domain operations and agile combat employment—are all about being prepared to confront Chinese aggression,” said Dr. Brendan Mulvaney, CASI director. “A foundational understanding of China is a necessary first step to achieve the cross-domain integration and innovation that will be decisive in future conflicts.”
The institute has offices at Air University, Maxwell AFB, and at National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
“The work and research CASI provides is, and will be, crucial to improving our understanding of China’s air, space, and missile Forces,” Brown writes. “Ultimately, CASI’s role is to sharpen our competitive mindset.”
CASI is publishing a series of educational videos on China, starting with the inaugural “Competition with China: Laying the Foundation.”
“The video series will provide a comprehensive menu of lessons for Airmen, Guardians and warfighters at all levels to develop a deep understanding of our strategic competition with China,” Mulvaney said.
To watch the video or learn more about CASI, visit their website here.
Mission
The mission of Air University’s China Aerospace Studies Institute (CASI) is to advance understanding of the capabilities, development, operating concepts, strategy, doctrine, personnel, organization, and limitations of China’s aerospace forces, which include: the PLA Air Force (PLAAF); PLA Naval Aviation (PLAN Aviation); PLA Army Aviation; PLA Rocket Force (PLARF); the Strategic Support Force (PLASSF), primarily space and cyber; the civilian and commercial infrastructure that supports the above.
CASI supports the Secretary, Chiefs of Staff, and other senior leaders for the Air and Space Forces. CASI provides expert research and analysis supporting decision and policy makers in the Department of Defense and across the U.S. government. CASI can support the full range of units and organizations across the USAF, USSF, and the DoD. CASI accomplishes its mission through conducting the following activities:
- CASI primarily conducts open-source native-language research supporting its five main topic areas.
- CASI conducts conferences, workshops, roundtables, subject matter expert panels, and senior leader discussions to further its mission. CASI personnel attend such events, government, academic, and public, in support of its research and outreach efforts.
- CASI publishes research findings and papers, journal articles, monographs, and edited volumes for both public and government-only distribution as appropriate.
- CASI establishes and maintains institutional relationships with organizations and institutions in the PLA, the PRC writ large, and with partners and allies involved in the region.
- CASI maintains the ability to support senior leaders and policy decision makers across the full spectrum of topics and projects at all levels, related to Chinese aerospace.
CASI supports the U.S. Defense Department and the China research community writ-large by providing high quality, unclassified research on Chinese aerospace developments in the context of U.S. strategic imperatives in the Asia-Pacific region. Primarily focused on China’s Military Air, Space, and Missile Forces, CASI capitalizes on publicly available native language resources to gain insights as to how the Chinese speak to and among one another on these topics.
CASI aims to fill a niche in the China research community by providing high quality, unclassified research on Chinese aerospace developments in the context of U.S. strategic imperatives in the Asia-Pacific region.
Air University Public Affairs