Perspectives.

Perspectives

A library of selected publications submitted by external Irregular Warfare authors and peer-reviewed by our Academic Chairs and Fellows.

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...

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Beyond Proxy Warfare: The Iraq Model of Institutionalized Irregular Competition

For much of the last two decades, irregular warfare in the Middle East has been viewed primarily through the lens of insurgencies, terrorism, and armed proxy conflicts. Yet Iraq’s evolving political and security landscape suggests that irregular warfare has become far more sophisticated than traditional models assume. The modern battlefield is no longer confined to remote terrain or clandestine militant...

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The Algorithm and the Bomb: How AI Is Reshaping Nuclear Risk Across a Multipolar World

Shortly after midnight on September 26, 1983, Lieutenant Colonel Stanislav Petrov sat at his console at the Serpukhov-15 command center outside Moscow and watched his early warning system report that the United States had launched five intercontinental ballistic missiles. The screen flashed "launch." The siren howled. The automated alert registered at the system's highest confidence level.

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The Human Bombs: The Untold Industrial History of Suicide Bombing

On March 13, 1881, a young man named Ignaty Grinevitsky stood outside the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg and watched his accomplice throw a small bomb at the convoy of Tsar Alexander II. The Tsar stepped out of his carriage, unhurt. Grinevitsky rushed forward and dropped a second bomb at Tsar’s feet. Both men died.

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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.

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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