Perspectives – Irregular Warfare Center

Added on September 17, 2026 Perspectives

The Blind Spot in Defense: Inside Counterterrorism’s Black Box

On July 10 2026, a Cambridge University researcher published a report that mapped the use of frontier artificial intelligence (AI) models, including ChatGPT, Claude, Grok, DeepSeek, Gemini and Meta AI, by terrorist groups in Western Africa. Based on the post-hoc testimonies by the demobilized members of the Boko Haram faction, the terrorist organization [with the assistance of Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS)] employed iterative prompting to obtain incremental assistance on innovating improvised explosive devices (IEDs), improving surveillance, building weaponized drones and assisting with troubleshooting.

Added on September 14, 2026 Perspectives

Can Europe Defend Itself?

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 18, 2026 Perspectives

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

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 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 14, 2026 Perspectives

The Hollowing Arsenal: How Artificial Intelligence Erodes the Foundations of Irregular Warfare

For centuries, irregular warfare has derived its power from a simple truth: populations matter. Whether a state seeks to coerce an adversary, support a resistance movement, or undermine the legitimacy of a rival government, every strategy ultimately depends on the human beings who staff armies, run factories, cultivate loyalty, and choose whom to obey.

Added on July 8, 2026 Perspectives

The Houthis and the Evolution of State-Enabled Irregular Warfare: Lessons from the Red Sea for Future Strategic Military Engagement

The renewed Houthi threats against maritime traffic in the Red Sea and the resumption of missile attacks towards Israel in early June 2026, even if they were a one-off attempt since the November ceasefire, reemphasise concerns about regional security and the safety of global commerce posed by an insurgent group utilizing typical irregular warfare tactics. Yet the most important lesson emerging from these developments extends well beyond Yemen, the Red Sea, and the Middle East.