Amidst the focus on Russia’s military engagements in Ukraine over the past year, not enough attention has been given to the cyber resilience needs of other countries on the periphery...
[ Read More... ]Publications.
Perspectives
A library of selected publications submitted by external Irregular Warfare authors and peer-reviewed by our Academic Chairs and Fellows.
Memes vs. Missiles? Cognitive Access Denial and the North Korea Problem
North Korea’s mafia state is a persistent threat to the U.S. homeland that, if left unaddressed, will metastasize and ultimately drain resources from confronting the pacing threat of China. Recent...
[ Read More... ]The Growing Use of Scamming Techniques and Social Media on the Battlefield
As warfare evolves from sticks and stones to nuclear armaments and beyond, digital tools like scamming and social media offer novel and significant impacts on the battlefield. New digital tactics,...
[ Read More... ]Influenced by Disinformation: What the U.S. Can Do to Counter Disinformation Operations
In February and March of 2022, as Russian troops crossed into Ukraine, Russian misinformation concurrently crossed over social media platforms to support them. Russia attempted to promote the idea that...
[ Read More... ]Insights
A collection of Irregular Warfare content authored by the Center’s Academic Chairs and subject matter experts.
The Evolution of Intelligence Operations in Support of Irregular Warfare
Irregular warfare (IW), deeply interwoven with cultural, political, and sociological factors, has historically relied on the agility and adaptability of intelligence operations. As the fabric of warfare has evolved from...
[ Read More... ]The Art of Partisan Warfare Is Not Dead: How old Russian military theories can give new insight into resistance to occupation in Ukraine
For both Ukrainians and Russians, the concept of partisan warfare is not new. Both countries have long histories of using irregular warfare to resist foreign invaders. As far back as...
[ Read More... ]The Fall from Grace of Russian SOF: The Danger of Forgetting Lessons Learned
As part of its ongoing efforts to help scholars and practitioners understand Russia’s approach to irregular warfare (IW), the Irregular Warfare Center (IWC) translated a 33-page Russian special operations journal...
[ Read More... ]Simple Sabotage 2.0: the Threat of Pro-Russian Civil Resistance in Ukraine
Resistance is an asymmetric tool that can be used by an underdog to fight against an oppressor or a foreign military occupation. However, the Russo-Ukrainian War has demonstrated that this...
[ Read More... ]Research Reports
In-depth, long-form peer reviewed reports on Irregular Warfare topics.
Utopia or Oblivion?
This report is part of a broader project on wargaming and futurism that included the design and execution of a futurism-focused wargame, Utopia or Oblivion?, that was cohosted by the...
[ Read More... ]The Conceptualization of Irregular Warfare in Europe
This report is the first in a series of volumes in which the Irregular Warfare Center (IWC) explores the commonalities and differences of the conceptualization of irregular warfare across U.S....
[ Read More... ]Blind Sided: A Reconceptualization of the Role of Emerging Technologies in Shaping Information Operations in the Gray Zone
In June 2022, Facebook and Twitter accounts suddenly focused their wrath on Australian company Lynas. The previous year, Lynas—the largest rare earths mining and processing company outside China—had inked a...
[ Read More... ]Book Reviews
The New Rules of War: Victory in the Age of Durable Disorder
In The New Rules of War: Victory in the Age of Durable Disorder Sean McFate takes readers on a compelling journey through the evolving landscape of modern warfare, dissecting the...
[ Read More... ]The Defender’s Dilemma: Identifying and Deterring Gray-Zone Aggression
Elisabeth Braw’s central thesis in The Defender's Dilemma: Identifying and Deterring Gray-Zone Aggression is that gray-zone aggression has become an increasingly more pervasive and complex challenge for nations than traditional...
[ Read More... ]Opinion Essays
Building a Bigger Tent: Women and Irregular Conflict
In December 2022 this Center introduced ourselves with an essay that outlined our intent to create a big tent by “entering into partnerships and resource agreements with academic institutions.” Your...
[ Read More... ]DOD’s Irregular Warfare Center: Building Partnerships by Opening Up the Tent
In the three short months since the Irregular Warfare Center (IWC) “opened its doors,” to begin addressing the implications of “struggle among state and non-state actors for legitimacy and influence...
[ Read More... ]Publication Disclaimer
The views expressed in these articles are those solely of the authors and do not reflect the policy or views of the Irregular Warfare Center, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.
Publications
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Publication Disclaimer
Per 5 CFR § 3601.108 - the views presented are those of the speaker or author and do not necessarily represent the views of DoD or its components