Will the Drone War Come Home? Ukraine and the Weaponization of Commercial Drones
Benjamin Fogel and Andro Mathewson Hours after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began in February, Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense appealed for civilian drone owners to donate or fly their commercially bought drones to help defend Kyiv. Donations poured in and consumer unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) took to the skies
The End of the War on Drugs? Re-imagining the US-Colombia Relationship
by Erin K. McFee On June 19, Colombia elected Gustavo Petro as its president. The election of the former mayor of Bogotá and ex-M-19 guerrilla fighter represents a historic break from a nearly uninterrupted two-hundred-year run of government by white mestizo elites. If implemented, the three
The End of the War on Drugs? Reimagining the US-Colombia Relationship
This Irregular Warfare Initiative article was originally posted through our partner organization, the Modern War Institute at West Point. On June 19, Colombia elected Gustavo Petro as its president. The election of the former mayor of Bogotá and ex-M-19 guerrilla fighter represents a historic break from a nearly
The Bin Laden Papers: The Inner Workings of Al Qaeda's Leadership
Laura Jones and Jeff Phaneuf Episode 59 of the Irregular Warfare Podcast dives into the internal workings and communications of al-Qaeda and uses that insight to draw lessons for counterterrorism strategies. From the 2011 raid that killed Osama bin Laden to the recent strike against Ayman al-Zawahiri, targeting
The Rise and Fall of Village Stability Operations in Afghanistan: Lessons for Future Irregular Warfare Campaigns
Sam Wilkins In 2009, as American interest focused once again on Afghanistan, seasoned special operations forces (SOF) commanders conceived a plan they believed could transform the floundering war effort. Fueled by frustration with the status quo, the difficulty of holding terrain after clearing operations, and a belief that “there has
The Rise And Fall Of Village Stability Operations In Afghanistan: Lessons For Future Irregular Warfare Campaigns
This Irregular Warfare Initiative article was originally posted through our partner organization, the Modern War Institute at West Point. In 2009, as American interest focused once again on Afghanistan, seasoned special operations forces (SOF) commanders conceived a plan they believed could transform the floundering war effort. Fueled by frustration with
Any Time Any Place? Why Cutting the Air Force’s Irregular Warfare Capabilities Is a Mistake
In Jean Larteguy’s 1960 novel The Centurions, Colonel Raspéguy—the fictional commander of French paratroopers during the 1954 Battle at Dien Bien Phu and again during France’s war in Algeria—reflects on the repeated failures of regular armies throughout history to effectively counter well-organized guerrilla forces. Success
Spies, Lies and Algorithms: US Intelligence in a Changing World
Shawna Sinnott and Laura Jones Episode 58 of the Irregular Warfare Podcast focuses on the US intelligence community and its role in supporting the spectrum of national security missions, from the heavy counterterrorism focus of the post-9/11 era to today’s environment of strategic competition. Our guests begin
The Changing Face of Insurgency
This Irregular Warfare Initiative article was originally posted through our partner organization, the Modern War Institute at West Point. David Ucko, The Insurgent’s Dilemma: A Struggle to Prevail (Hurst, 2022) When imagining counterinsurgency, I think about flying a helicopter full of US Navy SEALs and their Iraqi commando counterparts
Worthless Coin: Why the West Should Keep Studying Counterinsurgency
Christian Tripodi and Matthew Wiger The US Army has lost interest in counterinsurgency training. Over the past year, the withdrawal from Afghanistan appears to have drawn a line under COIN’s modern incarnation, while escalation in eastern Europe has focused policymakers’ minds on the possibility of major combat operations against
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