Insider: Short of War

Finland and Sweden's accession to NATO, prompted by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, has significantly bolstered the Alliance's capabilities, adding 15 million people and doubling the NATO-Russia land border to 1,584 miles. This development enhances irregular warfare (IW) opportunities, both defensively and offensively, by leveraging the Nordics' strong militaries, societal resilience, and geographic...

American Samoa is a strategic hub in the South Pacific, yet its importance is often overlooked in U.S. defense planning. This episode explores how Pago Pago Harbor’s unique geography, rising Chinese influence, illegal fishing, and illicit trafficking intersect with America’s maritime security challenges. Drawing on history, regional geopolitics, and current infrastructure gaps, the episode makes t...

U.S. security force assistance is trapped in a “Schrödinger’s Cat” paradox: the very metrics used to measure partner military success distort reality and create the illusion of effectiveness. By relying on easily quantifiable indicators—troop numbers trained, equipment delivered, units certified—the U.S. incentivizes performative behavior by both advisors and partner forces, producing polished rep...

This episode explores how NATO’s updated Security Force Assistance doctrine reflects lessons from Iraq, Afghanistan, Ukraine, and the Sahel. It examines shifts from counterinsurgency to great-power competition, the growing role of multi-actor SFA environments, training outside the host nation, improved assessment tools, and the integration of human security and international law. Listeners will ga...

This podcast episode explores the Northern Ireland peace process through a close reading of Eamonn O’Kane’s The Northern Ireland Peace Process: From Armed Conflict to Brexit. Tracing events from the Good Friday Agreement through decommissioning, power-sharing, and Brexit, the episode examines how a violent conflict was transformed into a long, fragile political process. It highlights key decisions...

This episode examines cognitive warfare in the Indo-Pacific and how the United States and its partners can counter PRC influence by shaping narratives, empowering local voices, and leveraging technology. Through real-world examples and a proposed cognitive warfare framework, the conversation explores how information, perception, and digital tools can deter aggression and uphold international norms...

In this wide-ranging conversation, Karl Marlantes—Marine infantry officer, Navy Cross recipient, and author of Matterhorn—reflects on the Vietnam War and the enduring lessons America has failed to absorb. Drawing on combat experience, literature, and decades of reflection, Marlantes discusses leadership under pressure, moral injury, civil wars, warrior identity, postwar reintegration, and how mode...

The future of the AH-64 Apache is under intense debate as the U.S. Army balances manned attack helicopters with rapidly advancing unmanned systems. This episode examines the evolution of attack aviation, the rise of drone swarms, manned-unmanned teaming, and whether the Apache can adapt to remain relevant in modern and future conflicts. Drawing on lessons from Ukraine, Israel, and decades of Army...

In this episode, Dino Garner explores how critical minerals and irregular warfare intersect in the gray zone. Moving beyond mining myths, the discussion reveals how China’s dominance of mineral processing and refining has become a strategic weapon—one that threatens Western defense supply chains, deterrence, and sovereignty. From rare earths to magnesium, this audio version walks through the indus...

In this episode, we explore how the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) operates at the intersection of economics and national security. From solar farms and hotels to dating apps and food supply chains, the discussion examines how foreign ownership of U.S. assets can create strategic vulnerabilities. Drawing on real-world cases involving China, critical infrastructure, an...

In this episode, we examine the real-world effectiveness of offensive cyber operations in modern warfare. Using the Russia-Ukraine, Israel-Hamas, and Israel-Iran conflicts as case studies, the discussion explores how cyberattacks were timed alongside kinetic operations, the role of hacktivists, and why cyber activity has failed to produce decisive battlefield effects. The episode also highlights k...

In this episode, we explore how Russian maritime sabotage has evolved from a niche component of special operations into a broader, scalable form of irregular warfare. Drawing on developments within GUGI, the GRU Spetsnaz, and Russia’s expanding use of uncrewed systems, this audio version examines the shifting threat landscape, the vulnerabilities of undersea infrastructure, and what this transform...

Japan stands at a strategic crossroads. This episode examines how Japan’s postwar pacifism, historical memory, and aversion to war as strategy affect its ability to compete in an era defined by irregular warfare and great-power rivalry. Tracing Japan’s experience from World War II to today, the discussion explores why strategic literacy matters—and what reforms could better position Japan as a cap...

In this episode, we explore the dramatic rise of the Uskoks of Senj—refugees turned maritime raiders—and how they became one of history’s earliest and most revealing examples of proxy warfare. Drawing parallels between their 17th-century operations and modern irregular warfare doctrine, this episode examines their underground networks, guerrilla tactics, and volatile partnership with the Habsburgs...

This episode covers a deep-dive exploration of how space-based capabilities for irregular warfare can transform security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. The podcast examines how satellites, AI-enabled analysis, and commercial space data expose gray-zone activity, enhance maritime surveillance, strengthen partner resilience, and shape narrative competition. Listeners will hear how space tools—from...

This episode explores how civilian-linked maritime intelligence can shift the balance in gray zone competition. It explains why local observers, when connected to regional analytic hubs, can generate faster attribution, reduce ambiguity, and strengthen partner decision cycles. Through examples from the Pacific Fusion Centre to the 2024 Second Thomas Shoal crisis, the episode examines how community...

In this episode, we examine the evolving role of USSOF cyber operations. From lessons in Ukraine to integrating technology and industry partnerships, learn how Special Operations can enhance strategic outcomes and maintain relevance in modern conflict.

In this episode, we explore Taiwan’s 2025 National Defense Report and its powerful shift toward national resistance, cognitive resilience, and irregular deterrence. Learn how Taiwan confronts PRC gray zone harassment, cognitive warfare, and narrative manipulation while strengthening societal resilience, military readiness, and whole-of-nation defense. This full-length reading presents a detailed,...

This episode explores how Russian sabotage in Europe has evolved into a defining feature of the continent’s security landscape. Drawing on recent incidents—from attacks on undersea cables to arson targeting political figures—the narrative examines why sabotage offers Moscow a low-risk, high-reward strategy. We break down misleading trends, the gig-economy model of recruiting saboteurs, vulnerabili...

In this episode, we explore insights from the 2025 Partnership for Peace Consortium workshop on proxies in hybrid operations. Hear how experts from 12 countries examine Russia’s evolving proxy strategies, regional case studies, and emerging hybrid threats. The discussion outlines a four-pillar framework for understanding and countering proxy activity and highlights the launch of a new collaborativ...

This episode examines the Pentagon’s new irregular warfare instruction—what it says, why it was issued, and how it could reshape U.S. military strategy. We break down the updated definition of irregular warfare, explore its expanded scope across domains like cyber and space, and analyze the practical implications for the services, policymakers, and future conflict.

In this episode, IWI's Chris Booth reviews The Mad and the Brave by Colin Freeman—a vivid account of Ukraine’s Foreign Legion. Discover how foreign volunteers shaped the war, the leadership missteps that limited their impact, and what their experiences reveal about modern irregular warfare.

In this episode, we explore how Cultural Property Protection can serve as a powerful tool of irregular warfare in the Indo-Pacific—strengthening regional resilience, countering illicit trafficking, and building trust through shared heritage and preservation.

In this episode, we explore how the Kosovo Liberation Army used propaganda, martyrdom, and media manipulation to shape Western narratives during the Kosovo conflict. Learn how perception management, strategic timing, and emotional storytelling influenced NATO’s decision to intervene and redefined modern warfare’s psychological front.

In this episode, we explore how Shakespeare’s Henry VI, Julius Caesar, Richard III, and Coriolanus offer surprising insights into the psychology and strategy of irregular warfare. From narrative control to the weaponization of public sentiment, Shakespeare’s dramas reveal how legitimacy, loyalty, and perception shape modern conflict more than firepower ever could.