Imposing Costs in the Indo-Pacific: Lessons from Operation Spider Web
In June 2025, Ukraine launched over 100 drones to strike five air bases and a number of long-range bombers deep in Russian territory. Ukraine launched the drones simultaneously using a mix of remote control and artificial intelligence (AI) targeting software to destroy several Russian strategic bombers, and covertly smuggled
Insurgent Armies and State Formation after Victory
Episode 136 of the Irregular Warfare Podcast examines the fate of victorious rebel groups after civil wars—and why some remain loyal to post-war governments while others fragment, defect, or even overthrow the regimes they helped create. Our guests begin by exploring the core puzzle: conventional wisdom suggests that
Art and Irregular Warfare: Aesthetic Resistance, Symbolic Power, and the Battles for Meaning
Editor’s Note: this article is being republished with the permission of Small Wars Journal as part of a republishing arrangement between IWI and SWJ. The original article was published on 09.29.2025 and is available here. Standing before Pablo Picasso’s Guernica in Gernika is more than observing
Why Regime Change in Iran Cannot be Imposed
“Our control of the skies guarantees us victory more than any other factor,” asserted David Ben Gurion in 1953, following a review of Israel’s armed forces. The June 2025 Israel-Iran War seems only to have reaffirmed Ben Gurion’s analysis. Less than 48 hours after the war’s
Fireside Chat: The Future of Total Defense
Rethinking Resilience & Resistance in Europe As the Russian threat persists, and European democracies navigate mounting internal and external pressures, this fireside chat asks a foundational question: Who should own the burden of national defense—governments, or society itself? Overview The Irregular Warfare Initiative brings together a panel of senior
Tainted Catch: The Role of the Distant Water Fishing Fleet in China’s Campaign to Defeat the West
Editor’s note: This article is part of IWI's Maritime Program, which explores modern challenges and opportunities in the maritime dimension at the intersection of irregular warfare and strategic competition. As the death tolls mount in kinetic conflicts around the world – in Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan, and elsewhere – the
Maximizing The Indigenous Approach: Using Secondment to Enable Our Partners and Constrain Our Adversaries
Editor’s Note: This article earned first place in the Irregular Warfare Initiative’s 2025 Writing Contest, “Irregular Allies: Strengthening Regional Partnerships through Unconventional Means.” Authors were asked: How can the United States and its partners use irregular warfare to strengthen security cooperation, build trust, and enhance resilience among Indo-
Applying the Alaska Territorial Guard Concept to Modern Indo-Pacific Irregular Warfare
Editor’s Note: This article earned second place in the Irregular Warfare Initiative’s 2025 Writing Contest, “Irregular Allies: Strengthening Regional Partnerships through Unconventional Means.” Authors were asked to explore how the United States and its partners can use irregular warfare to strengthen security cooperation, build trust, and enhance resilience
Austronesian Identity as “Networked Deterrence” in the Indo-Pacific
Editor’s Note: This article earned third place in the Irregular Warfare Initiative’s 2025 Writing Contest, “Irregular Allies: Strengthening Regional Partnerships through Unconventional Means.” Authors were asked to respond, in 800 words or less: How can the United States and its partners use irregular warfare to strengthen security cooperation,
Announcing the Winners of the IWI Summer 2025 Writing Contest
In late June, IWI announced our first writing contest that focused on a tailored, real-world scenario. We were excited to follow through on a key priority for our editorial team and the impact we hoped it would have on the community of practitioners, academics, and policymakers that comprise IWI.
Bridging the gap between irregular warfare scholars, practitioners, and policymakers.
