Russian hybrid warfare has been prominent in security policy-related debates in recent years. The concept emerged in the military analysts’ community and spread quickly into media, public debate, and decision-makers’...
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Perspectives
A library of selected publications submitted by external Irregular Warfare authors and peer-reviewed by our Academic Chairs and Fellows.
Three Lessons from the Front: Economic Warfare in Russia / Ukraine
A country’s economy is core to its ability to provide a better life for its people, develop and fund social services, and ultimately create the means for war. Presidents Xi...
[ Read More... ]A “Post-Like-Share” Revolution: Strategic Messaging and Social Media as a Tool of Irregular Warfare
As daylight broke on January 24, 2023, more than 123 million Iranians reached for their smartphones and scrolled through their social media platforms. Checking Instagram, they began watching a video...
[ Read More... ]The Global Fragility Act and the Irregular Warfare Center: A Path for Diplomacy, Defense, and Development
Wicked problems litter the security environment. They are opaque challenges, caused by multiple factors, and constantly evolving. These problems can be conceptualized through a myriad of lenses, each of which...
[ Read More... ]Insights
A collection of Irregular Warfare content authored by the Center’s Academic Chairs and subject matter experts.
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... ]The Benefits of Wargaming and Futurism for Irregular Warfare Professionals
The key to minimizing the risk of being surprised and of suffering catastrophic failure is not to ignore risks in the hope of muddling through but rather to take uncertainty...
[ Read More... ]Blind Sided: A New Playbook for Information Operations
Last summer, a coordinated campaign by users on Facebook and Twitter targeted the Australian company Lynas. In 2021, Lynas—the largest rare earths mining and processing company outside China—finalized a deal...
[ Read More... ]Resilience and Resistance in NATO
The Irregular Warfare Annex to the United States’ National Defense Strategy prescribes the requirement to institutionalize irregular warfare (IW) as a core competency of the U.S. Department of Defense. Per...
[ 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 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...
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The IWC will publish original and thoroughly researched commentary and analyses that span the range of security topics associated with irregular warfare.
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