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.
Close the Davidson Window: A Strategy of Distributed Deterrence for Taiwan
Editor's note: The "Short of War" Podcast discussing this article is AI-generated. The United States does not need to predict the year China will invade Taiwan. It needs a strategy that convinces Beijing an invasion would fail, regardless of the timeline. Developing one is fundamentally
A Time for Cool Heads and Firm Resolve
Editor's Note: This article reflects the views of its author, a Ukrainian Member of Parliament. Given his unique position and perspective, we believe his views offer a valuable contribution to ongoing discussions about the conflict and merit consideration by our readers. Editor's note: The "Short
Are US Security Partnerships Poisoned Chalices? Implications for US Strategy
Editor's note: The "Short of War" Podcast discussing this article is AI-generated. Recent US and Saudi airstrikes against Iranian proxies in Iraq raise the prospect that another US security partner may soon be enmeshed in a proxy war. What was common during the Cold War,
Q&A with Member of Parliament and Royal Marine Colonel (Ret.) Al Carns – the UK’s Leading Proponent of Military Modernization
Editor’s Note: This article is presented in a question-and-answer format, with the Irregular Warfare Initiative’s Maritime Program’s Christopher D. Booth interviewing Member of Parliament (MP) Colonel Alistair ‘Al’ Carns. This piece has been edited for clarity and readability, as spoken language differs from how text
Beyond Kinetic Dominance: “Cognitive Coherence” in Irregular Warfare
Editor's note: The "Short of War" Podcast discussing this article is AI-generated. In August 2021, Afghan National Security Forces collapsed in a mere eleven days following the withdrawal of the United States military. Two decades of training and advising ended without resistance before a materially
Defense Industrial Mobilization Needs More Than Startups and Drones
Editor's note: The "Short of War" Podcast discussing this article is AI-generated. The wars of the 2020s have generated a powerful narrative about the future of defense industrial policy. Cheap drones, agile startups, venture-backed innovation, and commercial technology adapted for military use now dominate
To Disrupt Russia’s Shadow War, Follow the Money
Editor's note: The "Short of War" Podcast discussing this article is AI-generated. Just before eight o’clock on a September evening in 2021, two men opened a conversation on Telegram about how to kidnap a Russian fugitive. One, Orlin Roussev, was a Bulgarian information technology
Ukraine’s Drone Diplomacy: Turning Battlefield Expertise into Strategic Leverage
Editor's note: The "Short of War" Podcast discussing this article is AI-generated. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, much of the international narrative centered around the extensive aid flowing towards Kyiv from Europe and the United States: the air defense systems, artillery, financial
25th Anniversary of 9/11 Attacks
Editor's note: The "Short of War" Podcast discussing this article is AI-generated. On the 25th anniversary of 9/11, the central question is deceptively simple: Is al-Qaeda—and the Salafi-Jihadi terrorist movement it spawned—still a threat we need to worry about? Every
Before Rogers' Rangers: Legitimacy, Partnership, and the Limits of External Sponsorship
Editor's note: The "Short of War" Podcast discussing this article is AI-generated. In June 1752, a war party of roughly two hundred and fifty Odawa, Ojibwe, and Potawatomi tribal warriors led by the French-Canadian Charles de Langlade descended on the town of Pickawillany. This
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