Eric Lies is a fellow at The Alliance Futures Initiative, focusing on the intersection of military affairs, security strategy, and alliance systems. Eric utilizes structured analytics, systems analysis, and multi-disciplinary techniques throughout his research and has previously written on Indo-Pacific deterrence, greyzone competition, and the AUKUS partnership.
Research
He has published widely in places such as War on the Rocks, The National Interest, and The Strategist, and has given comments to both Newsweek and Foreign Policy.
Naval Career
Eric's professional foundation was built during a distinguished thirteen-year career in the United States Navy. He held several high-stakes leadership positions, including Head of Department for the Navy Data Center in Yokosuka, Japan, and as a certified Naval Nuclear Engineer and Assistant Head of Propulsion for the USS CARL VINSON.
During his service, he was deployed around the world — serving in the Arabian Gulf and the South China Sea, and stationed in Yokosuka, Japan.
Education
Eric earned a Master's in International Service from American University, where he was awarded the Louis Goodman Award for academic and scholarly excellence. He received his Bachelor of Science with Merit in International Relations and a Spanish minor from the United States Naval Academy.
Recent Work
The Armyfication of the Navy
CIMSEC
Decades of force projection and constrained operating patterns have eroded the mobility and concealment that make naval power distinct.
Ukrainian Outcomes, Chinese Lessons
Ukraine Red Team Report
Three scenarios for how the Russia–Ukraine war ends — and what each teaches China about Taiwan.
Quoted on the Pentagon's AUKUS review
Foreign Policy
“Colby has been on the record questioning AUKUS, but that doesn't mean the deal is dead.”
Quoted on Australia, China, and US tariffs in the Pacific
Newsweek
On Australia walking a fine line with allies in a contested Indo-Pacific.
Mogami class offers strong technical advantages in Australia's frigate competition
The Strategist
Can Influencers Save US Shipbuilding?
The National Interest
Why America Needs AUKUS
The National Interest
Whole-of-nation readiness demands whole-of-nation exercises
The Strategist
Boosting Australian space sector would also boost economy, defence
The Strategist
Shaping a nuclear-powered culture within the Royal Australian Navy
The Strategist
Australian and US navies must better use their undersea surveillance systems to warn of looming threats
The Strategist