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.
Secret Cyber Wars: Why States Are Increasingly Turning to Economic Espionage and How Cyber Proxies Play a Key Role
Editor’s note: This article is part of Project Proxies and Partners, which explores the promises and pitfalls of security cooperation in war, at peace, and in between. We invite you to contribute to the discussion, explore the difficult questions, and help influence the future of proxies and partners. Please
Israel, Iran, and the Failure of Irregular (and Conventional) Warfare in Gaza
On April 1, 2024, an Israeli attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus killed several Iranian military advisors, including a senior revolutionary guards commander. The world awaited Iran’s response and feared the worst. About two weeks later on April 13, Iran launched a barrage of missiles, rockets, and drones
From the Shadows to the Social Sphere: Ukraine’s Strategy of Engagement
Conventional wisdom suggests intelligence services should maintain a discreet profile to avoid drawing undue attention to the secretive nature of their work. However, 'Intelligence Laboratory Express,' a Russian journal focused on intelligence studies, recently spotlighted Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) as an exception. It portrayed HUR as
The Failure of Israel’s “Strategy” in Gaza Continues
Despite decades of demonstrated failure of military operations to achieve Israeli security, Israel continues to prioritize use of its military in its conflict with the Palestinians rather than pursue political processes—such as negotiations, mediation, conciliation, or concessions—that have a chance to achieve peace. The Palestinians’ lack of self-
Four Years of Growth and Impact: The Irregular Warfare Initiative
Editor's Note: Today marks four years since the launch of the Irregular Warfare Podcast. What started as a small project by three military graduate students has grown into the Irregular Warfare Initiative, an influential platform for scholars and practitioners to share ideas on topics ranging from information warfare
Multi-Dimensional Modeling for Irregular Warfare
In a recent wargame designed to simulate a major invasion in the Indo-Pacific region, organizers deliberately removed the civilian population from the battlefield. This surprising decision was made to focus exclusively on large-scale combat operations (LSCO), allowing for a direct, seemingly unobstructed contest between the American-made M1
Harnessing GRAT for Irregular Warfare in Great Power Competition
In a recent Irregular Warfare Initiative podcast, Dr. Jake Shapiro and Dr. Frances Brown highlighted the critical role of irregular warfare (IW) in great power competition. They emphasized the risk of neglecting IW, noting that from 1975 to 1991, irregular conflicts comprised 87 percent of all armed conflicts, with great
Arctic Defense: The US Needs Polar Special Operations Forces Aligned with the 5 SOF Truths
In 1935, General (Retired) William “Billy” Mitchell testified before a secret hearing of the House Military Affairs Committee. During that closed-door testimony, General Mitchell stated, “I believe that in the future, whoever holds Alaska will hold the world. I think it is the most important strategic place in the
Harnessing Insurgent and Narco-Criminal Drone Tactics for Special 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 irregular, hybrid, and gray-zone environments. We invite you to contribute to the discussion, explore the difficult questions, and help influence the future of air
Proxy Wars from a Global Perspective: Non-State Actors and Armed Conflicts (Book Review)
Proxy Wars from a Global Perspective: Non-State Actors and Armed Conflict needs to be on the bookshelves at all military academies and special warfare centers across the world. The book advances the idea that definitions and understandings of proxy warfare from a bipolar era fail to explain the application
Bridging the gap between irregular warfare scholars, practitioners, and policymakers.
