Podcasts · Government

Irregular Warfare Podcast

Irregular Warfare Initiative

169 episodes

The Irregular Warfare Podcast explores an important component of war throughout history. Small wars, drone strikes, special operations forces, counterterrorism, proxies—this podcast covers the full range of topics related to irregular war and features in-depth conversations with guests from the military, academia, and the policy community. The podcast is a collaboration between the Modern War Institute at West Point and Princeton University’s Empirical Studies of Conflict Project.

Episodes page 1 of 4

  1. What's Cyber Good For?

    · 49 min · Episode 167

    Episode #167 of the Irregular Warfare Podcast grapples with the role cyberspace should play in the broader coercion toolkit. The conversation considers why cyber has remained a go-to tool for shaping adversary behavior…

  2. The Airpower We Need for Irregular Warfare

    · 47 min · Episode 166

    Summary Why does providing aircraft so often fall short of building an effective air force? Retired Lieutenant General Anthony Rock, Michael Horowitz, and Tobias Switzer join Kyle Atwell to examine the gap between…

  3. War at Arm’s Length: Can Military Assistance Work?

    · 55 min · Episode 165

    U.S. military assistance often has a bad reputation, but it isn’t doomed to failure. This episode examines why security assistance succeeds with some partners and falls short with others, and what it takes to turn…

  4. Hidden Costs of Precision

    · 51 min · Episode 164

    Episode 164 of the Irregular Warfare Podcast grapples with the hidden costs of precision warfare, looking at how drone strikes affect civilian populations well beyond their immediate lethal footprint. Anchored in a…

  5. The Future of War Part IV: Special Operations on a Global Battlefield

    · 1 h 12 min · Episode 163

    This episode of the Irregular Warfare Podcast concludes our four-part Future of War series, pairing author and futurist August Cole with senior special operations leaders to explore how tomorrow’s conflicts may unfold.…

  6. From Subversion to Resistance: Lessons from Russia’s War in Ukraine

    · 1 h 00 min · Episode 162

    Today’s episode examines how Russian agents and local militants exploited ambiguity, weak state capacity, and fragmented local authority to transform unrest in the Donbas into an armed insurgency in 2014. At its core,…

  7. Five Years After the Withdrawal: Insights from the Afghanistan War Commission

    · 1 h 02 min · Episode 161

    Ahead of the fifth anniversary of the American withdrawal from Afghanistan this August, Dr. Colin Jackson and Colonel (Ret.) E.J. Degen join us to discuss initial insights from the Afghanistan War Commission’s work.…

  8. Innovation Under Fire: What WWII’s Commandos Teach Us About War and the Future of Special Operations

    · 51 min · Episode 160

    Description Episode 160 examines the origins of Britain’s World War II commandos and the enduring role of special operations forces from Churchill’s era to today. Summary This episode explores the creation of…

  9. From NATO to the Gulf: Allies, Access, and the Hidden Architecture of American Power

    · 57 min · Episode 159

    Description Episode 159 examines the relationship between alliances, military access, and U.S. global power projection. Summary This episode explores an often overlooked benefit of alliances: wartime access. Dr.…

  10. The Wars Nuclear Weapons Don't Prevent

    · 53 min · Episode 158

    Nuclear weapons may make direct war between major powers less likely, but they do not end competition. Instead, they push states toward indirect forms of conflict: proxy warfare, security force assistance, covert…

  11. Setting Out to Win: Why America Needs to Get Serious About Irregular Warfare

    · 56 min · Episode 157

    This episode examines why the United States has failed at irregular warfare and what it would take to reverse that trajectory—not merely to deter, but to actually win. Summary While irregular warfare is on the rise…

  12. Iran, Ukraine, and the Future of Naval Warfare

    · 48 min · Episode 157

    Description Episode 156 examines what the U.S.-Iran War and Russia-Ukraine War reveal about how weaker states and irregular actors contest navies, maritime commerce, and global energy flows. Summary This…

  13. Hellscape Taiwan: Drones, Deterrence, and the Future of Asymmetric Defense

    · 53 min · Episode 156

    This week’s episode of the Irregular Warfare Podcast examines how Taiwan could deter—or potentially defeat—a Chinese invasion by transforming the Taiwan Strait into an “unmanned hellscape.” Anchored in the recent CNAS…

  14. The Counterinsurgency Dilemma: Foreign Fighter Influence on Insurgencies in Afghanistan and Somalia

    · 50 min · Episode 155

    Episode 154 of the Irregular Warfare Podcast examines a core puzzle in intrastate conflict: how a small number of foreign fighters can exert outsized influence on insurgencies. Anchored in Professor Tricia Bacon’s The…

  15. Where the Lion Can’t Reach: Unconventional Warfare in Major War

    · 52 min · Episode 154

    Description Episode 153 examines the role of unconventional warfare and special operations forces in conventional major war. Summary This conversation explores how unconventional warfare can support, shape, and…

  16. What the Hell is Irregular Warfare Anyway?

    · 1 h 01 min · Episode 153

    Episode 152 of the Irregular Warfare Podcast grapples with the many definitions of irregular warfare used across the community of interest. In this episode, our guests discuss why the concept of irregular warfare has…

  17. Chokepoints: American Power in the Age of Economic Warfare

    · 58 min · Episode 152

    Episode 151 of the Irregular Warfare Podcast explores how the United States wields power not only through military force, but through dollars, sanctions, export controls, and supply chains. Anchored in Eddie Fishman’s…

  18. From Orbit to Objective: Space and the Future of Conflict

    · 51 min · Episode 151

    Space is no longer a silent backdrop to conflict—it is a contested domain that enables, shapes, and increasingly defines how wars are fought. In this episode, Ben Jebb and Charlie McGillis sit down with Dr. James Kiras…

  19. Iran, Revolution, and the Logic of Proxy Warfare

    · 39 min · Episode 150

    Episode 150 of the Irregular Warfare Podcast examines the historical and strategic forces that shaped modern Iran and explores how the Islamic Republic uses irregular warfare to advance its interests in the Middle…

  20. The Strategic Logic of Large Militant Alliance Networks

    · 56 min · Episode 149

    Episode 148 of the Irregular Warfare Podcast explores why militant groups form alliances, and what the content of those alliances can tell us about their organizational capacity. Drawing on an article Professor Chris…

  21. Preserving the American Edge: Revitalizing the Defense Industrial Base

    · 1 h 01 min · Episode 148

    Episode 147 of the Irregular Warfare Podcast examines the past, present, and future of America’s defense industrial base—and why its strength may determine the outcome of the next era of great power competition.…

  22. Competitive Intervention, Proxy War, and Military Assistance: Anderson, Eyre, and Kuhlman

    · 55 min · Episode 146

    Description: Episode 146 examines the impact of external military assistance on civil wars. Summary This conversation delves into the complexities of competitive intervention in civil wars, exploring the types of…

  23. Foreign Fighters in Ukraine and Beyond

    · 43 min · Episode 145

    Episode 145 examines the role of foreign fighters in war. Our guests begin by highlighting the long history of foreign fighters in conflict, from the early United States and the Spanish Civil War of the 1930s to…

  24. The Future of War Part III: Strategic Sabotage in an Era of Great-Power

    · 1 h 01 min · Episode 147

    Episode 144 of the Irregular Warfare Podcast continues the Future of War series with a sharp focus on strategic sabotage, indirect action, and deterrence below the threshold of armed conflict. The episode centers on…

  25. Ukraine's Hidden Front: The Strategic Impact of Resistance Operations

    · 1 h 00 min · Episode 146

    As we close out the year, we're re-releasing our most popular episode of 2025: Ukraine's Hidden Front--The Strategic Impact of Resistance Operations. In this episode, we explore the cost and benefits of Ukrainian…

  26. What Determines Success in Guerrilla Warfare?

    · 44 min · Episode 145

    Episode 143 examines what enables certain guerrilla and insurgent forces to develop genuine military effectiveness on the battlefield. Our guests discuss why ideological cohesion, social ties, and material resources…

  27. Codifying Irregular Warfare—Inside the Pentagon’s new DoD Instruction 3000.07

    · 48 min · Episode 144

    Episode 142 of the Irregular Warfare Podcast features Dr. Jonathan Schroden, Mick Crnkovich, and Dave Maxwell for a deep dive into the Pentagon’s new irregular warfare policy instruction—DoD Instruction 3000.07—and…

  28. Is Resistance Working in Ukraine?

    · 52 min · Episode 143

    Episode 141 examines what the role of resistance operations are in the context of the broader war in Ukraine. Our guests begin by discussing whether resistance in occupied Ukraine has been effective. They argue that…

  29. South America in Competition Conference: Bonus Episode 2

    · 47 min · Episode 142

    Episode 140 is a bonus episode built out of conversations held with panelists from the 2025 Irregular Warfare Initiative and Special Operations Association of America South America in Competition Conference. The South…

  30. Unrestricted Innovation: The Supply Chain Battlefield

    · 50 min · Episode 141

    Episode 139 examines how supply chains have become instruments of strategic competition and the implications for U.S. defense capabilities. Our guests discuss how China gained control over critical drone components…

  31. South America in Competition Conference: Bonus Episode 1

    · 54 min · Episode 140

    Episode 138 is a bonus episode built out of conversations held with panelists from the 2025 Irregular Warfare Initiative and Special Operations Association of America South America in Competition Conference. The South…

  32. Future of War Part II: On Their Own

    · 1 h 01 min · Episode 139

    Episode 137 of the Irregular Warfare Podcast continues our four-part series on the future of war, pairing renowned author and futurist August Cole with senior special operations leaders to explore how tomorrow’s…

  33. Insurgent Armies and State Formation after Victory

    · 55 min · Episode 138

    Episode 136 of the Irregular Warfare Podcast examines the fate of victorious rebel groups after civil wars—and why some remain loyal to post-war governments while others fragment, defect, or even overthrow the regimes…

  34. Future of War Part I: Raiders at the Edge of Tomorrow

    · 50 min · Episode 137

    Episode 135 of the Irregular Warfare Podcast kicks off a four-part series on the future of war, pairing renowned author and futurist August Cole with senior special operations leaders to explore how tomorrow’s…

  35. The Boiling Moat: Urgent Steps to Defend Taiwan

    · 46 min · Episode 136

    Episode 134 of the Irregular Warfare Podcast explores the rising risks of conflict over Taiwan and how the United States and its allies can strengthen deterrence against Beijing. Our guests begin by assessing why…

  36. Winning Without Fighting: Economic Power and Information Warfare (Part 2)

    · 39 min · Episode 135

    Episode 133 is the second installment in our two-part series exploring how the United States can leverage non-kinetic instruments of power to compete effectively without resorting to military force. Building on our…

  37. Winning Without Fighting: Strategic Culture and Gray Zone Competition (Part 1)

    · 38 min · Episode 134

    Episode 132 of the Irregular Warfare Podcast explores how strategic culture shapes approaches to irregular warfare and competition in the gray zone. This is part one of a two-part series examining why nations…

  38. Winning Without Fighting: Strategic Culture and Gray Zone Competition (Part 1)

    · 38 min · Episode 133

    Episode 132 of the Irregular Warfare Podcast explores how strategic culture shapes approaches to irregular warfare and competition in the gray zone. This is part one of a two-part series examining why nations…

  39. Security Hybridization: U.S., China, and the Future of Global Security Assistance

    · 55 min · Episode 131

    Episode 131 of the Irregular Warfare Podcast explores the growing phenomenon of "security hybridization," where countries receive simultaneous security assistance from both the United States and the People’s Republic…

  40. Operation Spider’s Web and the Future of Asymmetric Warfare

    · 55 min · Episode 130

    Episode 130 of the Irregular Warfare Podcast takes listeners inside Operation Spider’s Web—Ukraine’s bold campaign of long-range drone strikes targeting Russian military and industrial infrastructure. Our guests begin…

  41. Agile, Adaptable, AFSOC: Building Edge in Contested Skies

    · 44 min · Episode 129

    Episode 129 examines how Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) is recalibrating for great-power competition while still answering today’s crisis-response and counter-VEO demands. Lieutenant General Michael E.…

  42. Five Years of IWI: From Podcast to Platform

    · 1 h 03 min · Episode 128

    Episode 128 marks a special milestone as the Irregular Warfare Podcast celebrates its five-year anniversary. Our guests reflect on the journey from a simple podcast idea in a graduate school classroom to a 501(c)(3)…

  43. The Inheritance: America's Military After Two Decades of War

    · 54 min · Episode 127

    Episode 127 of the Irregular Warfare Podcast explores the lasting impact of the Global War on Terrorism and what the United States has inherited—militarily, politically, and socially—after twenty years of conflict in…

  44. Plausible Deniability: Proxy Actors and the Hybrid Threat Ecosystem

    · 39 min · Episode 126

    Episode 126 examines the evolution of proxy warfare and hybrid threats in the current security environment. Our guests explore how states increasingly delegate conflict to non-state actors and leverage hybrid…

  45. Ukraine's Hidden Front: The Strategic Impact of Resistance Operations

    · 1 h 00 min · Episode 125

    Episode 125 examines the impact of Ukraine's irregular warfare and resistance operations on its broader strategic objectives. Our guests discuss how Ukrainian resistance activities have evolved throughout the conflict…

  46. The Fourth Age: The SOCOM Commander's Vision for the Future

    · 59 min · Episode 124

    Episode 124 explores the evolution and future of Special Operations Forces (SOF) through the lens of "The Fourth Age," a work of fictional intelligence examining future SOF capabilities and missions. Our guests discuss…

  47. Training for Victory: Lessons for Security Force Assistance

    · 48 min · Episode 123

    Episode 123 explores the critical role of security force assistance (SFA) and identifies the key factors that influence the effectiveness of building foreign armies. Our guests start by situating SFA within the…

  48. Theory vs. Practice: What is Irregular War?

    · 52 min · Episode 122

    Episode 122 examines a unique theory on Irregular War that challenges both historical and contemporary frameworks on the topic. The guests conduct an in-depth discussion and debate over the complexities of Irregular…

  49. Below the Threshold: China's Strategy of Armed Coercion

    · 46 min · Episode 121

    Episode 121 explores China's use of armed coercion and its implications for irregular warfare with James Siebens and Jimmy Wang. Our guests begin by examining how China employs both military and paramilitary forces to…

  50. Culture, Access, Influence: The FAO Advantage in Irregular Warfare

    · 56 min · Episode 120

    Episode 120 explores the critical role of Foreign Area Officers (FAOs) in irregular warfare and strategic competition with Mike Burgoyne and Jim Marckwardt. Our guests examine the foundational aspects of the FAO…

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