Power Grids and Plumbing: The Link Between Irregular Warfare and National Critical Functions
Zachary Kallenborn On December 5, 2022, unknown shooters attacked two power substations in Moore County, North Carolina. Over 30,000 people lost power for days. Today, responding to power loss means far more than just lighting candles and winding up the hand-crank flashlight. In an increasingly cashless society, no power
China’s Focus on the Brain Gives it an Edge in Cognitive Warfare
Janna Mantua In 2016, US diplomats and CIA officers in Cuba abruptly began reporting symptoms of dizziness, nausea, and cognitive difficulties. Individuals suffering from this ailment – termed “Anomalous Health Incidents” by the US government, but more commonly known as “Havana Syndrome” – believed they had been victims of a coordinated attack.
200 Years After the Monroe Doctrine, US Influence in Latin America Is in Peril
Daniel Vrablic In 1823, the United States published its first dictum regarding Latin America: The Monroe Doctrine declared the entire region off limits for “future colonization by any European Powers.” Augmented by the Roosevelt Corollary, this assertive foreign policy set up two centuries’ worth of US dominance over the Western
"The Wise Man Will Be Master of the Stars:" The Use of Twitter by the Ukrainian Military Intelligence Service
Peter Schrijver Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 is the largest conventional land war in Europe since the end of World War II. Russia's goals: to overthrow and replace Ukraine's elected government through territorial conquest and by subjugating the entire country's populace
The Lessons of Afghanistan: Why Countering Someone Else’s Insurgency Is So Hard
The withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021 marked the confirmation in the minds of many not only of the end of the United States’ longest war, but also that of counterinsurgency as a relevant and useful facet of modern military thought. “Once dynamic and desired…counterinsurgency was by then toxic
Securing the Cyber Domain: Exploring Cyber Policy in the Department of Defense
Episode 81 of the Irregular Warfare Podcast is our third installment of the IWI Project on Cyber where we look at how the Department of Defense handles Cyber policy and strategy. Our guests take a holistic look at the nation's different Cyber Policies and Strategy and how they
Snakes, Stamps, and Javelins: How Ukrainian Information and Influence Operations Brought the Fight to Russia
Daniel Grobarcik On the cusp of a springtime counteroffensive, Ukraine has defied expectations in its defense against Russia’s invasion. From predictions of an imminent Ukrainian collapse on the eve of invasion to a Ukrainian army that is now set to receive Abrams tanks, foreign aid has bolstered Ukrainian forces
Gray Hulls and Gray Zones
Introducing Project Maritime: Exploring Underlying Conflict Multipliers in the Modern Maritime Dimension Lisa McKinnon Munde Editor's Note: The Irregular Warfare Initiative proudly announces Project Maritime. This special project explores modern challenges and opportunities in the maritime dimension at the intersection of irregular warfare and strategic competition. With a
We’re WEIRD and Our Adversaries Know It: Psychological Biases Leave the United States Vulnerable to Cognitive Domain Operations
The US Department of Defense originated the concept of a cognitive warfare domain, but the United States is already well behind on defending against others’ cognitive operations and campaigns—let alone effectively countering them or conducting offensive activities. To succeed in the cognitive domain, one must understand the psychological weaknesses,
The Merits—And Pitfalls—Of Fighting “By, With, And Through” A Partner Force
This week’s episode of the Irregular Warfare Podcast examines the US military’s “by, with and through” approach while working alongside Iraqi security forces in Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR). Our guests begin by examining the geopolitical trends that led to America’s reengagement in Iraq in the mid-2010s. They
Bridging the gap between irregular warfare scholars, practitioners, and policymakers.
