2026 – Irregular Warfare Center

Added on August 31, 2026 Insights

China’s Irregular Warfare Strategy and Actions in the Bahamas

Chinese investment across the Caribbean over the past two decades, has been framed as development assistance, commercial expansion, or participation in global infrastructure initiatives. Ports, resorts, highways, telecommunications networks, and logistics hubs funded or constructed by Chinese state-owned enterprises (SOEs) are often presented as mutually beneficial economic partnerships for small island states with limited domestic capital. This approach is very visible in the Bahamas, just 50 miles from the coast of Florida, where Chinese-backed projects have reshaped portions of the country’s economic and physical landscape.

Added on August 18, 2026 Perspectives

The Agentic Olympus: The “Gods” of AI in Irregular Cognitive Warfare

The decisive battlespace of the twenty-first century will ever more entail the cognitive domain, wherein strategic advantage is achieved through the shaping of perception, informing judgment, influencing decisions, and governing the informational architectures that define operational understanding, emotion and actions. In this milieu, artificial intelligence (AI) will increasingly function as an active participant to identify patterns beyond human perception, illuminate adversary behavior before it unfolds, synthesize operational knowledge, defend and contest digital terrain, and generate recommendations at operational tempos that exceed, and thus expand human capacity.

Added on August 12, 2026 Perspectives

War of Position and Irregular Warfare: How Information Shapes Strategic Advantage Before Combat

Chinese information warfare strategists often describe the United Front Work Department (UFWD) as a “magic weapon” for advancing national objectives without direct coercion. In 2015, Xi Jinping described UFWD as an “important instrument” for achieving the “great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.”

Added on August 11, 2026 Perspectives

The Laboratory of Terror: How Pakistan Became the World’s Frontline Against Industrialized Extremism

On the morning of December 16, 2014, six heavily armed militants scaled the walls of the Army Public School in Peshawar, Pakistan and entered a place that should have been immune from war. By the time Pakistani security forces ended the siege, 149 people had been killed, including 132 children.

Added on August 10, 2026 Perspectives

Orbital Data Centers Could Potentially Exacerbate the Risk of Escalation in Outer Space

China is engaging in tactics just short of war, unconstrained by any formal declaration of hostilities as it seeks weaknesses to exploit in the United States Farm Surveillance Program and Homeland Defense initiatives. The U.S. agricultural supply chain is under attack from global competitors seeking to degrade America’s ability to feed its populace and export products.

Added on August 10, 2026 Research Studies

Preparing Populations for Hybrid Threats against Critical Infrastructure: The European Experience

One of the most persistent security threats the United States (U.S.) faces today is a range of hostile activities short of open armed conflict. These activities occur in what is often called the “grey zone,” which blurs the distinction between traditional war and peace and includes actions such as manipulating information, deploying hostile cyber activities, and working through proxy forces to achieve various effects.

Added on August 3, 2026 Perspectives

Social Terrain: The Strategic Substrate of Irregular Competition

Added on July 29, 2026 Perspectives

Cultivating Vulnerability: The Irregular Warfare Campaign Against American Farms and America’s Economy

Added on July 23, 2026 News

National Security Officials and Maritime Leaders Convene to Combat Irregular Warfare at the Maritime & Transportation

National security and maritime leaders convened at Port Miami, Fla. on July 14-15 to discuss measures and strategies to counter irregular warfare threats targeting U.S. ports and shipping. Hosted by the Irregular Warfare Center (IWC), the workshop focused on identifying critical strategic gaps and building a cross-functional network between public and private sectors to counter and identify emerging threats like port sabotage, cyberattacks, and foreign exploitation of commercial logistics networks.