CSIS
Washington DC think tank specialising in defence, security, and geopolitical policy analysis.
Last refreshed: 5 April 2026
Why is a Washington think tank shaping how the Pentagon responds to Iran's drone campaign?
Latest on CSIS
- What is CSIS?
- The Center for Strategic and International Studies is a bipartisan Washington think tank founded in 1962, focused on defence, security, and Foreign Policy.Source: drones-industry-defence
- What did CSIS find about Iran's drone campaign?
- On 3 April 2026 CSIS recorded 4,446 drones and 1,725 missiles launched by Iran since 28 February. It found 71% of strikes were drone-based and recommended cheap interceptors over Patriot missiles.Source: drones-industry-defence
- Is CSIS influential in US defence policy?
- Yes. CSIS researchers testify in Congress, contribute to Pentagon strategy documents, and regularly move between think tank and government roles.Source: drones-industry-defence
Background
The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) is one of Washington's most influential defence and Foreign Policy think tanks, founded in 1962. It published its first detailed analysis of Iran's Gulf drone campaign on 3 April 2026, recording 4,446 drones and 1,725 missiles launched since 28 February. The report found 71% of strikes were drone-based and recommended adopting Ukraine's cheap-interceptor approach.
CSIS is bipartisan by policy but consistently shapes US defence procurement thinking. Its researchers testify in Congress, contribute to Pentagon strategy documents, and regularly move between government positions and the think tank. The annual defence budget analysis is a benchmark document for allies and policymakers assessing US military priorities.
The 2026 Gulf report illustrated CSIS's role as a live-conflict data aggregator. Its cost-asymmetry framing (a Shahed costs $20,000-$50,000; a Patriot intercept costs 80-200 times more) directly shaped Congressional and allied discussions on affordable-mass counter-drone procurement in the weeks that followed.
