Today’s world is rife with flashpoints for future conflicts, and America’s baptism by fire into drone warfare, such as we’ve seen in Ukraine, may be close at hand. Tactics and technologies born in the Russo-Ukrainian war have already appeared in Myanmar, Colombia, and Mexico, as well as in Gaza, Lebanon, Iran, and Iraq.
Migration is the most destabilizing force in the world today, vastly exceeding the impact of nuclear weapons, war, poverty, oppressive governments, natural disasters and all the other causes of instability that news outlets focus on. In fact, the main destabilizing impact of the other factors is the migration they cause.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has endured almost 3,000 Iranian missile and drone strikes since February 28, 2026. This volume of kinetic activity exceeds that of any other nation in the theater, including Israel.
The combined U.S. Operation Epic Fury and Israeli Operation Roaring Lion (OEF/ORL) is the largest conventional air and naval operation in a generation, but it is also an irregular warfare (IW) showcase. The current (mid-April 2026) ceasefire provides an opportunity to take stock of what has happened so far in the IW space.
The logic seems compelling to argue that fuel shortages are in China’s future – consider three facts. First, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) imports more oil than any other nation on earth, about 11 million barrels per day (mbpd). Second, a large percentage of the world’s exported oil, more than 14 million barrels per day (mbpd), passes through the Strait of Hormuz.
Implementing new controls over the cognitive conditions of illicit markets for weapons, drugs, contraband and people would address underlying enablers of a vexing border security challenge.
The ongoing civil war in Burma (also known as Myanmar) presents a critical challenge to regional stability and an opportunity to counter the growing influence of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). While the conflict between the ruling junta and the resistance forces continues, the PRC is actively maneuvering to safeguard its economic and strategic interests. Despite claims of neutrality, Beijing’s actions reveal a clear bias toward the junta, providing crucial support while exploiting Burmese resources.
The ongoing civil war in Burma (also known as Myanmar) presents a critical challenge to regional stability and an opportunity to counter the growing influence of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). While the conflict between the ruling junta and the resistance forces continues, the PRC is actively maneuvering to safeguard its economic and strategic interests. Despite claims of neutrality, Beijing’s actions reveal a clear bias toward the junta, providing crucial support while exploiting Burmese resources.
The People’s Republic of China (PRC) is using illicit drug markets – particularly fentanyl and marijuana – to conduct irregular warfare (IW) against the United States. To counter this action, the United States must not only understand the nature of the threat but also enact a whole of society initiative to increase societal resiliency.
The People’s Republic of China (PRC) is using illicit drug markets – particularly fentanyl and marijuana – to conduct irregular warfare (IW) against the United States. To counter this action, the United States must not only understand the nature of the threat but also enact a whole of society initiative to increase societal resiliency.
Join us at this year's IW Symposium
Irregular Warfare in the Homeland: Adapting for a Secure Future
August 4-6, 2026
The Irregular Warfare Center (IWC) is hosting a 2.5-day symposium on the Defense of the Homeland. This symposium embodies the NDS's call for a clear-eyed realism that leverages all elements of national power.
