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PODCAST

Irregular Warfare Podcast

Irregular Warfare Initiative

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.

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All Episodes

50:23

Unrestricted Innovation: The Supply Chain Battlefield

Irregular Warfare Podcast ·

2025/10/31

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 originally invented in the United States and what this means for economic security and irregular warfare.Our guests begin by analyzing the "anatomy of a drone" to reveal how China leveraged consumer electronics manufacturing to dominate military supply chains. They then examine the

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53:53

South America in Competition Conference: Bonus Episode 1

Irregular Warfare Podcast ·

2025/10/24

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 America in Competition Conference brought together over 250 researchers, practitioners, and members of industry for two days at the Carahsoft Headquarters in the DC area. The first day included panel discussions on irregular warfare challenges in the South America region. The second

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60:33

Future of War Part II: On Their Own

Irregular Warfare Podcast ·

2025/10/17

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 conflicts may unfold. Our conversation centers on Cole’s short story On Their Own, which imagines U.S. Army Special Operations Forces advising a newly formed Thai commando unit amid Chinese-backed proxies, pervasive surveillance, organized crime, and accelerating technological change. The

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54:38

Insurgent Armies and State Formation after Victory

Irregular Warfare Podcast ·

2025/10/03

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 they helped create.Our guests begin by exploring the core puzzle: conventional wisdom suggests that decisive victory produces stability, yet evidence shows that in more than half of cases, post-war militaries face crises within a decade. They then explain how wartime pressures shape

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49:37

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

Irregular Warfare Podcast ·

2025/09/19

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 conflicts may unfold.Our conversation centers on Cole’s short story Safe Harbor II, which envisions Marine Raiders operating in a near-future environment saturated with proxy terrorism, relentless information warfare, and AI-enabled surveillance. The story highlights how SOF teams will

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46:23

The Boiling Moat: Urgent Steps to Defend Taiwan

Irregular Warfare Podcast ·

2025/09/05

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 deterrence is faltering globally, from the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and how those events inform Chinese perceptions of American resolve. They then discuss the stakes of a Taiwan contingency—economic, ideological, and strategic—highlighting the

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38:36

Winning Without Fighting: Economic Power and...

Irregular Warfare Podcast ·

2025/08/22

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 previous discussion, our guests examine America's strategic blind spots in treating economics and information as support tools rather than primary domains of competition. They discuss the integration challenges across U.S. government agencies, highlighting how autocratic adversaries

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37:52

Winning Without Fighting: Strategic Culture and Gray...

Irregular Warfare Podcast ·

2025/08/08

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 conceptualize irregular warfare differently and how cultural biases affect competition below the threshold of armed conflict.Our guests discuss why irregular warfare must be central to American grand strategy in an age of crisis and competition. Dr. Susan Bryant shares insights from her book

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37:52

Winning Without Fighting: Strategic Culture and Gray...

Irregular Warfare Podcast ·

2025/08/08

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 conceptualize irregular warfare differently and how cultural biases affect competition below the threshold of armed conflict. Our guests discuss why irregular warfare must be central to American grand strategy in an age of crisis and competition. Dr. Susan Bryant shares insights from her book

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54:55

Security Hybridization: U.S., China, and the Future...

Irregular Warfare Podcast ·

2025/07/10

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 of China. While the U.S. tends to emphasize regional defense, interoperability, and support for the global commons, China focuses on internal security, law enforcement training, and regime protection.Our guests examine how this dual-track approach is reshaping global security

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55:06

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

Irregular Warfare Podcast ·

2025/06/25

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 by examining why Ukrainian defense planners opted for this unprecedented strike operation and how it was designed to disrupt Russian strategic depth. They then unpack the technical, operational, and strategic considerations that enabled the operation, including the role of commercial

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43:31

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

Irregular Warfare Podcast ·

2025/06/13

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. Conley and Dr Kerry Chávez join the Irregular Warfare Podcast to unpack strategy, technology, and talent development at the sharp edge of irregular warfare.Our guests begin by outlining AFSOC’s new strategic guidance—“Raise Air Commandos, Win Tonight’s Fight, and Sustain Relevance

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01:03:12

Five Years of IWI: From Podcast to Platform

Irregular Warfare Podcast ·

2025/05/30

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) nonprofit organization with over 70 volunteers worldwide. They share the origin story of IWI, trace its evolution from podcast to comprehensive platform including written content and fellowship programs, and discuss the strategic vision for the next five years—including new initiatives

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54:24

The Inheritance: America's Military After Two Decades...

Irregular Warfare Podcast ·

2025/04/22

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 Iraq and Afghanistan.Our guests begin by examining how the U.S. military has historically navigated post-war transitions, particularly following protracted irregular conflicts. They then evaluate the consequences of the post-9/11 wars on the military institution, the broader national

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39:12

Plausible Deniability: Proxy Actors and the Hybrid...

Irregular Warfare Podcast ·

2025/04/04

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 approaches to achieve strategic objectives below the threshold of conventional war.Our guests begin by exploring the conceptual foundations of proxy warfare and how it has evolved from historical conflicts to modern battlefields in Ukraine, Syria, and beyond. They then discuss the integration

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59:56

Ukraine's Hidden Front: The Strategic Impact of...

Irregular Warfare Podcast ·

2025/03/14

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 and evaluate their strategic importance in the war against Russia.Our guests begin by describing how Ukrainian resistance and irregular warfare activities developed through different phases of the war, from initial guerrilla tactics during the invasion to the sophisticated long-range

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58:45

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

Irregular Warfare Podcast ·

2025/02/13

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 how SOF has evolved through distinct eras since World War II and examine how emerging technologies and domains will shape special operations in the 2030s and beyond.Our guests begin by exploring the utility of storytelling and "useful fiction" in military education and planning. They

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47:38

Training for Victory: Lessons for Security Force...

Irregular Warfare Podcast ·

2025/01/28

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 broader context of Washington’s national security strategy. They then analyze the variables that impact the success of security assistance, including the importance of language proficiency, advisor-to-force ratios, and the role of combat advising in shaping outcomes. Finally, they offer

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51:37

Theory vs. Practice: What is Irregular War?

Irregular Warfare Podcast ·

2025/01/10

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 War and its implications for the U.S. in future conflicts throughout the globe. Our guests define and discuss the various terminology commonly used amongst the irregular warfare community as the foundation for introducing the concept of the “dysfunctional sovereign.” They then debate

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45:49

Below the Threshold: China's Strategy of Armed Coercion

Irregular Warfare Podcast ·

2024/12/27

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 advance its territorial claims in disputed areas. They then discuss how psychological warfare, lawfare, and maritime operations intersect in the Indo-Pacific region, highlighting China's sophisticated approach to coercion below the threshold of armed conflict. Finally, our guests offer

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