War on the Rocks
Ryan Evans
300 episodes
Discussions over drinks with security, defense, and foreign policy insiders and experts. The original War on the Rocks podcast series.
Episodes page 1 of 6
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Brothers in Arms, Partners in Healing: A Story about a Breakthrough in Treating Post-Traumatic Stress
After losing fellow marines in Iraq, Jeff Lindquist struggled with post-traumatic stress that was steadily destroying his life. Years later, an innovative technology helped him reclaim it. This is the story of Jeff and…
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A Body Blow? The War on Iran and U.S. Military Readiness
The war against Iran is putting new strains on U.S. military readiness by consuming munitions and missile defense interceptors, as well as through extended deployments, sustained operational demands, and the diversion…
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The Marine Corps' Plan for the Future of Ground Combat
The Marine Corps just released its plan to fight against adversaries on land and Ryan had the two architects of the plan, Ground Combat Element 2040, on the show to talk about it. They discuss drones, resilience,…
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Command and Politics in the War Between Moscow and Kyiv
Our intrepid team covers a lot of ground in this episode: the increasing fluidity of the battlefield, drones and air defense, the biting Black Sea campaign, the causes and aftermath of the firing of Ukraine's popular…
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Inside Iran's Wartime Regime
Afshon Ostovar, one of the leading experts on Iran and the host of the members-only podcast The Iran Reckoning, is joined by War on the Rocks membership editor Kerry Anderson for a state-of-play conversation on the…
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A Life in Army Special Operations, from Desert Storm to the Next War
Lt. Gen. (ret.) Francis Beaudette, former commanding general of the U.S. Army Special Operations Command, joins Ryan to discuss how his family history, service, and books shaped his path into and time in the Army.…
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How Ukraine Put Russia on the Backfoot
Ukraine's expanding use of drones at all ranges has changed the war's momentum. This episode examines how Kyiv is reaching deeper into Russian territory, disrupting operations and logistics as well as energy…
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How a Team of Marines Built the Corps' FPV Drone Training Program from a Cold Start
Last fall, the U.S. Marine Corps had virtually no first-person view attack drones. That's changed quickly. This episode is about how a team of marines at Weapons Training Battalion at Quantico went from a cold start to…
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Is Time on China's Side? Beijing's Taiwan Calculus and the Balance of Power
When is the risk of war the highest? And what should the United States be doing about it? One of the most important but underappreciated questions in international politics is how states think about the future balance…
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What Would Relations with Post-War Russia Look Like?
Rose Gottemoeller joined Ryan in Washington. They discussed how the West might think about relations with Russia once the war with Ukraine ends, as well as nuclear diplomacy and other critical issues. Gottemoeller was…
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What Does SOUTHCOM's New Autonomous Warfare Command Herald?
Gen. Frank Donovan, commander of U.S. Southern Command, sat down with Ryan to discuss the vision behind the command's new Autonomous Warfare Command and what it signals for the future of military operations in the…
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What a Post-Orbán Hungary Means for Hungarians and Europe
Hungary has turned the page. After 16 years of rule by Viktor Orbán, opposition leader Péter Magyar has emerged as the winner by a landslide. Ryan is joined by Sándor Ésik, the lawyer and writer behind the Hungarian…
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Why Do Many Western Defense Tech Firms Struggle in Ukraine?
Michael Kofman joined Ryan at a live event earlier this year to discuss the performance of American defense technology in Ukraine and why it often falls short. They examine the challenges of fielding and iterating…
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Update from the Battlefield: Drones, Distance, and Diminishing Returns for Russia
Michael Kofman joins Ryan to unpack the current state of the Russo-Ukrainian War after his recent trip to the front. They examine how drone warfare has transformed the battlefield into a dispersed contest over a vast…
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Reopening the Strait of Hormuz & Saving Downed Pilots
Two retired U.S. admirals with deep experience at sea and in the air joined Ryan to discuss the military challenge of reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Adm. (ret.) Jamie Foggo and Vice Adm. (ret.) John "Fozzie" Miller…
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What It Was Like to Be Under Incoming Fire from the War on Terror to Today
On this special, crossover episode of our members-only armed services podcasts, some of our hosts sat down to discuss their experiences with indirect fire and bombardment. With the ongoing conflict in the Middle East,…
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The Arsenal Beneath the Arsenal
What does it take to rebuild the foundation of American military power? Michael Cadenazzi, assistant secretary of defense for industrial base policy, joined Ryan at a live event a few weeks back for a fascinating…
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Power, Paranoia, and the People's Liberation Army
China's top military leadership has been shaken by a new round of purges at the highest level, raising urgent questions about loyalty, corruption, and combat readiness. What do these removals, and especially the purge…
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The Marines That Led the Evacuation of Afghanistan, Four Years Later
On this special, free episode of Marine Pulse, Ian Brown sat down with two Marines who recount their mission at Hamid Karzai International Airport on the day of the suicide bombing attack at the Abbey gate during the…
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How We Arrived at this Iranian Moment and What Happens Next
The Iranian regime has crushed the latest wave of protests through brute force, but the regime's survival comes at a cost. It now confronts a volatile mix of domestic opposition, weakened regional proxies, and years of…
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Airpower, Advice, and D.C. Favorites with David Deptula
Lt. Gen. (ret) David Deptula sat down with Patrick McSpadden in the War on the Rocks studio for a wide-ranging conversation. Deptula highlights the Air Force's current challenges and addresses what it will take to fix…
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The Reckoning of the Ayatollahs: Understanding Iran's Burgeoning Uprising
Ryan had an hour-long conversation with Afshon Ostovar, a leading expert on the Iranian regime and its brutal security services. Afshon breaks down everything you need to know to understand the protest movement taking…
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No End in Sight? The Russo-Ukrainian War at the End of 2025
As the year comes to a close, Dara Massicot and Mike Kofman talk with Ryan about the state of play from diplomacy to the battlefield.
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The First Royal Marine to Become First Sea Lord
Gen. Sir Gwyn Jenkins visited Washington a few weeks ago and was kind enough to invite Ryan to the British Embassy for a nice chat about the U.S.-U.K. alliance, the threat landscape, his vision for delivering seapower,…
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Gen. Brunson on Holding the Line on the Korean Peninsula
Gen. Xavier T. Brunson is a busy man. As the senior U.S. military leader on the Korean Peninsula, he has three jobs, commanding U.N. Command, South Korean-U.S. Combined Forces Command and U.S. Forces Korea. What all…
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Getting Faster, Stronger, Ready: Sweden's Defense Minister on Reform and Resolve
Since joining NATO in 2024, Sweden has taken on a more prominent role in European security. Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson joined Ryan in Washington to discuss how Sweden is supporting Ukraine, rebuilding its own…
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The Last Stand Dilemma in Ukraine
When should Ukraine commit more forces to a perhaps desperate stand to hold ground it will likely lose? And when is it the difficult but correct choice to preserve the force and pull back to the next defensive line?…
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Is Strategy Possible Now? Ever?
The American president has a ... different approach to strategy than his predecessors. To make sense of the extent American strategy can work and is working at the moment, Ryan was joined by Frank Hoffman, Justin Logan…
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A Conversation with Former Chairman, Gen. CQ Brown, Jr.
Gen. (ret.) CQ Brown, Jr. may have been removed from his post as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, but he isn't finished serving. He joined Ryan at War on the Rocks HQ to talk about how America can realize the…
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Congressman Himes on Venezuela, Latin America & a Disordered World
As ranking member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut has deep insights into national security. And he is concerned. He joined Ryan to share his thoughts on strikes on…
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How the Army Wants to Counter Drones
Army Chief Technology Officer Alex Miller joined Ryan at a live event to talk about what countering improvised explosive devices taught him about defeating drones, what the Army is learning from the southern border…
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Holding Ground: Ukraine, Russia, and the Politics of Persistence
Michael Kofman and Dara Massicot join Ryan to discuss the state of the front, how Ukraine and Russia are staying in the fight, the possible provision of Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles, contingencies expected and…
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Is Europe Stepping Up on Defense?
Well, is it? From defense innovation, to scaling capabilities, to budgets, the answers aren't easy. Ryan was joined by General Sir Richard Barrons of the United Kingdom and Peter Michael Nielsen of Denmark to sort…
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Cogs of War: Moving at the Speed of War with Horacio Rozanski of Booz Allen
The future fight won't be won by those with the biggest budgets, most polished strategies, or largest armies. It will be won by those who can translate breakthrough technology into usable capability at speed and scale.…
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From Alaska to the White House to the Battlefields of Ukraine
In the wake of summits in Alaska and Washington, the war in Ukraine has become as much about competing diplomatic positions as it is about hard realities on the front. Ryan sat down with Dara Massicot and Mike Kofman…
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The Chip That Crossed the Line? NVIDIA, China, and the Great Power Tech Race
We're diving into a major development at the intersection of tech, trade, and national security: the U.S. government's decision to allow NVIDIA's H20 chips back into the Chinese market. Brad Carson (former defense…
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Forging Minds for Future Wars
In a time of rapid change and global danger, how should the warriors of the future be educated? Ryan sat down with Vice Adm. Peter Garvin, president of the National Defense University, to tackle this question — one…
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Drones, Discord, and the Shifting Front in Ukraine
Fresh from his latest research trip to Ukraine's battlefields, Michael Kofman joins Ryan for an insightful discussion on the shifting dynamics at the front, the role of drones in Ukraine's defensive strategy, and the…
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Strategy in Contention: Debating America's Global Priorities
Does the United States need a new playbook — or just fewer plays? In this charged episode, big ideas collide over how to sequence American power across the Middle East, Europe, and the Indo-Pacific. Ryan is joined by…
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How Ukraine is Adapting, Enduring, and Striking Back
Mike Kofman and Ryan brought out the mics to discuss the pressing issues in the war between Ukraine and Russia. They focused on drones, the state of the front, manpower, Putin's approach to Washington, and the…
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Gen. Donahue on Deterring Russia in Europe
Gen. Christopher Todd Donahue, who leads U.S. Army Europe and Africa as well as Allied Land Command, joined Ryan for a discussion at WOTR HQ. For the first five minutes, they chat about his Army story, his time in the…
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Introducing "The Iran Reckoning with Afshon Ostovar"
War on the Rocks is launching a new show called "The Iran Reckoning with Afshon Ostovar." It's a members-only show but this first episode is free for all. Join us as renowned Iran scholar Afshon Ostovar takes you…
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How to Think About the Future of War
Gen. Jim Rainey, the commander of Army Futures Command, joins Ryan to share how emerging technologies are set to transform the way America's soldiers will fight and win. He also shares some key insights about the Army…
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Making Professional Military Education More Agile in the Air Force
Lt. Gen. Andrea Tullos joined Ryan at WOTR HQ to talk about her experience and insights into professional military education, both for the joint force and especially the Air Force. She shares what Air University, which…
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The Israeli-Iranian War: How We Got Here & What It Means
Israel's strikes against Iran's military and nuclear infrastructure, as well as its key military and security leadership, shocked the world. How did we arrive here? What did the Israeli strikes accomplish? What options…
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Moving Fast and Breaking Things
"Innovation adoption is a contact sport." As the chief technology officer of the Department of the Navy, Justin Fanelli is one of the leaders responsible for ensuring warfighters have access to bleeding-edge solutions.…
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How America's Special Operators are Preparing for a High-Tech Future
Down in Tampa on the sidelines of SOF Week, Ryan spoke with Lt. Gen. Frank Donovan, vice commander of Special Operations Command, in front of a live audience about how America's special operators are leading the way on…
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The Risks of the Latest India-Pakistan Crisis
We are sharing a free episode of Thinking the Unthinkable with you all due to fast-moving events between India and Pakistan. This episode features host Ankit Panda and guest Sameer Lalwani discussing the risks involved…
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The Army's Upcoming Transformation, with Secretary Driscoll and Gen. George
Ryan popped across the Potomac to the Pentagon to speak with Secretary of the Army Daniel Driscoll and Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George about the ambitious Army Transformation Initiative. Following a directive…
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Will Russia's War on Ukraine Keep Resisting Trump's Diplomacy?
Michael Kofman and Dara Massicot join Ryan to unpack how the Trump administration's ambitious peace efforts have collided with reality. They dive into how strategic calculations, politics, military conditions, and…
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