Kari A. Bingen

Director, Aerospace Security Project and Senior Fellow, Defense and Security Department
Kari Bingen

Kari A. Bingen is the director of the Aerospace Security Project and a senior fellow in the Defense and Security Department at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). She joined CSIS from HawkEye 360, an innovative space technology company creating a new class of radio frequency (RF) data and analytics, where she was the chief strategy officer. Prior to the private sector, Kari served as the deputy undersecretary of defense for intelligence and security, overseeing the defense intelligence and security enterprises, comprising more than 120,000 personnel and an annual budget of over $54 billion. Before that, Kari served as the policy director on the House Armed Services Committee and staff lead for its Strategic Forces Subcommittee, advising members of Congress on defense policy, program, and budget matters. Prior to entering government, Kari specialized in national security space issues, working with U.S. defense and intelligence community clients, first as a space systems analyst at SRA International’s Adroit C4ISR Center, and then as a senior space policy analyst at the Aerospace Corporation. In addition to her work at CSIS, Kari is an adjunct assistant professor at Georgetown University. She is a member of the U.S. Strategic Command Strategic Advisory Group, was a commissioner on the CSIS Technology and Intelligence Task Force, and serves on a number of corporate and nonprofit advisory boards. She graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a degree in aeronautics and astronautics and was a 2002 National Reconnaissance Office technology fellow.

Programs & Projects

Areas of Expertise

Media Queries

In the News 8 of 39 results

Show More

All Kari A. Bingen Content

Filter by

1 - 10 of 83 results

The Arsenal of Freedom Tour

Please join the CSIS Defense and Security Department for a conversation on the Secretary of War’s Arsenal of Freedom tour.

Event — January 22, 2026

The Last Line of Defense

Which Military Shocks Defined 2025 — and What's Next in 2026?

Host Seth Jones sits down with Kari Bingen to look back at major defense and military shocks of 2025, including Russia’s poor performance, Operation Midnight Hammer, and China’s military parade, among others.

Podcast Episode by Seth G. Jones and Kari A. Bingen — December 17, 2025

The Last Line of Defence

If the Pentagon Wants More Speed and Scale, It Should Be a Better Customer

As the Department of War modernizes its acquisition process to optimize speed and scale, it should also think about how the Pentagon can be a better customer. Industry has to have trust that the military will stick to its budget plans.

Commentary by Clayton Swope and Kari A. Bingen — November 10, 2025

Audio Briefs

If the Pentagon Wants More Speed and Scale, It Should Be a Better Customer

An audio version of "⁠If the Pentagon Wants More Speed and Scale, It Should Be a Better Customer⁠," a new Commentary by CSIS's Clayton Swope and Kari Bingen. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs.

Podcast Episode by Clayton Swope and Kari A. Bingen — November 10, 2025

Audio Briefs