The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) is an American advocacy think tank founded in 2007 by military historian Kimberly Kagan and headquartered in Washington, D.C. It provides analysis of modern armed conflicts and foreign affairs.

In its analysis of the Ban Keun airfield in Laos, ISW said the facility was not yet equipped to support major Chinese combat operations, but that its location could provide the Chinese air force with alternate routes to disputed areas of the South China Sea and strategic air routes around Vietnam.