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.
Japan’s Strategic Challenges: Historical Lessons and the Imperative for Comprehensive War Understanding
Editor’s Note: This article was submitted as part of the Irregular Warfare Initiative’s 2025 Writing Contest, in which authors were invited to explore how the United States and its partners can use irregular warfare to strengthen security cooperation, build trust, and enhance resilience among Indo-Pacific nations. This article
IWI Fellow on CIMSEC’s Sea Control Podcast: Outsourcing Security at Sea
Irregular Warfare Initiative Fellow Pieter Zhao was featured on the Sea Control podcast from the Center for International Maritime Security (CIMSEC), discussing his article “Outsourcing Security at Sea—The Return of Private Maritime-Security Companies and Their Role in Twenty-First-Century Maritime Security.” The episode examines the expanding role of private maritime-security
Pirates or Proxies? The Uskoks of Senj and Their Lessons for Irregular Warfare
The Uskoks were Christian refugees who transformed into maritime raiders operating on behalf of the Habsburg Empire, though often only loosely controlled by it. While they certainly were pirates in the classic sense, they were also strategic actors in an early modern proxy conflict between the Habsburgs and the Ottoman
How Much Would it Cost to Buy Away Foreign Influence in Moldova?
We’ve talked about Moldova before. And while the country may be of limited strategic importance to the United States, it’s value as a testing ground for offensive economic security measures may be unparalleled. Recent droughts have exacerbated Moldova’s susceptibility to foreign influence, given Moldova’s reliance on
Strategic Disruption from Orbit: Space-Based Capabilities for Irregular Warfare in the Indo-Pacific
Editor’s Note: This article was submitted for the Irregular Warfare Initiative’s 2025 Writing Contest, which invited authors to examine how the United States and its partners can employ irregular warfare to strengthen security cooperation and resilience across the Indo-Pacific. We have edited this piece following its selection. It
Gray Zone Clarity: Building Irregular Maritime Intelligence through Civilian-Linked Networks
Editor’s Note: This article was submitted as part of the Irregular Warfare Initiative’s 2025 Writing Contest, in which authors were invited to explore how the United States and its partners can use irregular warfare to strengthen security cooperation, build trust, and enhance resilience among Indo-Pacific nations. This article
Holiday Reading and Charitable Giving Guide from the IWI Maritime Program
For the upcoming Holiday Season – and just in time for Black Friday - the staff of IWI's Maritime Program, along with select authors and experts - are providing the following reading recommendations as gift ideas. Our team is highlighting texts that they find to hold valuable insights on
Systems Thinking: Explaining Security Force Assistance in Complex Adaptive Systems
Editor’s Note: this article is being republished with the permission of Small Wars Journal as part of a republishing arrangement between IWI and SWJ. The original article was published on 10.20.2025 and is available here. Abstract This article explores how concepts central to systems thinking better explain
Resource as a Weapon: Climate Conflict and Ethnic Tensions in Northern Cameroon
In Northern Cameroon, where the temperature scorches the land and cattle outnumber people, it’s not bullets that are destroying livelihoods—it’s the lack of resources. Resource scarcity in Cameroon is more than just a climate issue; it is a direct catalyst for intercommunal conflict, displacement, and socio-political instability.
Bridging the gap between irregular warfare scholars, practitioners, and policymakers.