Articles
Our articles cut through the noise on irregular warfare to connect strategic theory to operational reality and translate complexity into insight for practitioners and policymakers. No time to read? Check out our podcast, "Insider: Short of War," which transforms our articles into concise, engaging audio pieces you can listen to anywhere. Available directly in most of our articles and on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major platforms.
Terrorists on the Rampage
The following is derived from “The Logic of Rampage Terrorism,” recently published in Studies in Conflict and Terrorism. The authors would like to thank Daniel Lebowitz, Jacob Ware, attendees of the 2023 U.S. Military Academy at West Point Security Seminar, and reviewers from Studies in Conflict and Terrorism for
Don’t Call it a Comeback: The Islamic State in an Age of Strategic Competition
The deadly assault by four alleged ISIS-affiliated gunmen at a Moscow concert on March 22nd returned international attention to the threats of global terrorist organizations. Taking the lives of at least 137 civilians, the shooting marked Russia’s worst terrorist attack in decades. ISIS-K—the Islamic State-Khorasan—
A Sea Change? U.S.-Philippine Irregular Statecraft in the South China Sea
“Stop calling it the South China Sea. It’s the West Philippine Sea – calling it the South China Sea only empowers Beijing to claim the whole region.” - Philippines Navy Commander, April 2023 interview by Jahara Matisek The South China Sea has long been a source of strained relations between Beijing
From Peril to Partnership: A Q&A with Author Paul Angelo
United States security assistance is a critical foreign policy tool—irregular warfare in action at the intersection of diplomacy and defense. Paul J. Angelo’s recent work, From Peril to Partnership: US Security Assistance and the Bid to Stabilize Colombia and Mexico, provides a valuable look at US security assistance
China’s Gray Zone Air Power
Editor’s note: This article is part of Project Air Power, which explores and advocates for the totality of air, aviation, and space power in the irregular, hybrid, and gray-zone environments. We invite you to contribute to the discussion, explore the difficult questions, and help influence the future of
Russian Electronic Warfare: From History to Modern Battlefield
Every April 15, the Russian Federation celebrates Electronic Warfare Specialist Day, marking the first combat use of electronic warfare. On this day in 1904, during the Japanese shelling of the Russian Fleet at Port Arthur, the battleship Pobeda and a coastal radio post jammed Japanese radio communications, preventing over 60
Building upon McRaven’s Foundation: Operational and Strategic Principles of Special Air Operations
Editor’s note: This article is part of Project Air Power, which explores and advocates for the totality of air, aviation, and space power in the irregular, hybrid, and gray-zone environments. We invite you to contribute to the discussion, explore the difficult questions, and help influence the future of
The Fusing of Race and Religion in the Christchurch Terrorist Attacks
When conducting a post-mortem examination of a significant white supremacist terrorist movement or incident, motivation is often at the forefront of the minds of scholars, analysts, and those directly impacted by the events. On the one hand, in some attacks, such as the mass shootings at an El Paso,
Winning the Operational Air Campaign, But Losing the Information War: The Israeli Air Force’s X Narratives
Editor’s note: This article is part of Project Air Power, which explores and advocates for the totality of air, aviation, and space power in the irregular, hybrid, and gray-zone environments. We invite you to contribute to the discussion, explore the difficult questions, and help influence the future of
How the US Army Can Close Its Dangerous—and Growing—Small Drone Gap
This Irregular Warfare Initiative article was originally posted through our partner organization, the Modern War Institute at West Point. In July, Ukrainian soldiers took to social media to voice complaints about training they received from US Army personnel in Germany. Chief among their criticisms was the seeming ignorance of commercial
Bridging the gap between irregular warfare scholars, practitioners, and policymakers.