| Vipin Narang | |
| Birth Place: | Jamestown, New York, U.S. |
| Office: | Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy |
| Term Start: | May 20, 2024 |
| President: | Joe Biden |
| Predecessor: | John F. Plumb |
| Status: | Acting |
| Office2: | Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy |
| Term Start2: | March 29, 2022 |
| President2: | Joe Biden |
| Predecessor2: | Gregory H. Pejic |
Vipin Narang is an American political scientist who served as the Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy until August 2024, a portfolio that includes space and missile defense policy as well as nuclear deterrence and countering weapons of mass destruction policy.[1] He is a Professor of Political Science at MIT. He is known for his research on nuclear weapons, conflict and proliferation.[2] [3] [4] [5] His research has shown that there are different nuclear weapons postures. These postures have implications for the likelihood of conflict between nuclear states, as well as bargaining outcomes in disputes.[6] [7] [8] [9]
He has a BS and MS in Chemical Engineering from Stanford University, as well as a M.Phil in International Relations from University of Oxford as a Marshall Scholar and a PhD. from Harvard University. He was born in the San Francisco Bay Area to parents of Indian descent.