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.
The Future of Conflict: How Super-Empowered Populations Will Change Warfare
Though it claims to support local populations in warfare, the US military nonetheless tends toward enemy-centric operational behavior. That is, units spend most of their time focused on destroying the enemy and comparatively little on local civilian populations’ needs, behavior, and interests. This can be said of most American
Divided by a Common Language: How Europe Views Irregular Warfare
With the return of strategic competition, Irregular Warfare (IW) has become the focus of attention in defense circles around the world. Some argue that mastery in this field will decide who emerges victorious in such competition. However, IW is an elusive concept across the US government and among US allies
Gray Zone – The Alliance is the Message
Episode 79 of the Irregular Warfare Podcast explores the gray zone and how the US-Australia alliance enables irregular warfare campaigns in the Indo-Pacific theater of operations. Our guests begin by defining the gray zone and what is meant by the term influence. They then discuss examples of China’
History Rhymes: Lessons from Indo-Pacific Competition and Confrontation in the Gray Zone
“I said that I was accustomed to hear that statement [‘peaceful rise’], and that it meant, and was not infrequently stated to mean, that it would be peaceful if all Japanese demands were conceded, but that if they were refused ‘a different situation would arise.’” These undiplomatic words were spoken
Planes, Trains, Automobiles, and Bodabodas: Transportation Workers and Irregular Warfare
Movement is political. Whether it’s the movement of 190,000 Russian troops across borders in an act of war, the Maduro regime’s displacement of more than 6.1 million Venezuelan refugees across South and Central America, or the refusal of four black students to leave a Woolworth lunch
Bridging the gap between irregular warfare scholars, practitioners, and policymakers.
