Irregular Warfare Initiative

03/08/2025

The second edition of IW Weekly is live. This week’s issue brings a curated mix of essential reading, thought-provoking podcasts, events, and resources for practitioners and researchers following the evolving character of irregular war. Read it here: https://mailchi.mp/irregularwarfare/irregular-warfare-weekly-18077161

07/07/2025

The Irregular Warfare Initiative relies on an engaged community of scholars, practitioners, and advocates to fulfill our mission to bridge the gap between the study of irregular warfare and its practical application around the world.

As we look to expand our products and services to bring even more attention to this vital topic, we need your help! Please consider becoming a member of the IWI auxiliary and sign up to give a monthly donation to IWI.

Keep Warfare Irregular!

🔗Donate here:

Since we released our first podcast in May 2020, the [Irregular Warfare Initiative](https://irregularwarfare.org/), a 501(c)(3), has expanded to include the publication of over **112 podcasts** (garnering over **1.3 million downloads**) and nearly **200 articles**, coordinated over **30 community ev...

30/06/2025

🌏 Irregular Warfare in the Indo-Pacific— we want to hear from you.

💡The Irregular Warfare Initiative has launched our first writing contest emphasizing short responses to a tailored, real-world scenario. We hope this challenge will pull forward research ideas and professional observations, and focus them into actionable recommendations for policymakers or practitioners to take to the next level.

🏆 We are also pleased to announce a small award for the First-, Second-, and Third-place submissions as decided by our contest’s selection panel, and will publish these pieces in a short series later this year.

Writing Prompt: How can the United States and its partners use IW to strengthen security cooperation, build trust, and enhance resilience among Indo-Pacific nations — particularly those with limited conventional military capacity? Recommendations should explore ways to employ training, intelligence sharing, resource protection, and irregular force development to create a more united regional network of like-minded partners across all domains.

✍️ Length: Maximum 800 words (title, author bio, and by line do not count toward the over all total)

🗓️ Deadline: August 1, 2025

🔗 Check out all the details here: https://irregularwarfare.org/articles/irregular-warfare-indo-pacific-writing-contest-2025/

Submit your essay as a Word document via this link: https://forms.monday.com/forms/23a441f1abc0c031a384188864f5cfa1?r=use1

IWI is seeking original essays on how irregular warfare can strengthen Indo-Pacific security. Winners get published—and paid. Deadline: Aug 1, 2025.

02/05/2025

🎯 The Irregular Warfare Initiative (IWI) Editorial Team is proud to launch a new series featuring leading thinkers in the irregular warfare community critically engaging with recent IW-related publications.

📚 Curated by IWI editors Barbara Elias and Lewis Fraser, this series goes beyond traditional book reviews. Contributors have been encouraged to challenge ideas, draw connections to their own expertise, and explore how the works shape broader debates in the field.

♟️We are excited to kick off the series with a piece by Jake Shapiro, Professor of Politics and International Affairs at Princeton University and co-founder of the Empirical Studies of Conflict Project. He also authored Small Wars, Big Data. A distinguished scholar and veteran, Shapiro brings deep field experience and academic rigor to his analysis of Winning Without Fighting: Irregular Warfare and Strategic Competition in the 21st Century by Rebecca Patterson, Susan Bryant, Ken Gleiman, and Mark Troutman.

🔗 Read the full article here: https://irregularwarfare.org/articles/winning-without-fighting-resilience-as-national-security-imperative/

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The Irregular Warfare Initiative (IWI) Editorial Team is proud to launch a new series featuring leading thinkers in the irregular warfare community critically engaging with recent IW-related publications. Curated by IWI editors Barbara Elias and Lewis Fraser, this series goes beyond traditional b...

18/04/2025

🇫🇮 What does resilience look like in a world of GPS jamming, disinformation, and gray zone pressure?

Finland offers some compelling answers.

In this latest article from the Irregular Warfare Initiative, author Joy Hyvärinen explores Finland’s whole-of-society approach to countering hybrid threats—from protecting freedom of speech to preparing citizens for electromagnetic disruptions.

Key takeaways:
✔️ Civil preparedness and trust in government are central to national security
✔️ Russia’s hybrid tactics in the Nordic-Baltic region include GPS interference and malign information operations
✔️ Finland’s model demonstrates how democratic values can coexist with robust resilience strategies

As the character of conflict shifts, Finland’s experience offers critical lessons for any nation facing the complexities of irregular warfare.

🔗 Read the full article: https://irregularwarfare.org/articles/hybrid-threats-finland-gps-free-speech-resilience/

From GPS disruptions to disinformation, Finland's response to hybrid threats reveals urgent lessons for NATO allies and democracies under pressure.

09/01/2025

📢 New from IWI Project Maritime: Exploring Ethics, Integrity, and the Human Cost of Modern Irregular Warfare 🚨

In an era where the complexities of continue to challenge both policymakers and practitioners, understanding its human and ethical dimensions is crucial. In our latest Irregular Warfare Initiative article, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Dave Philipps joins the conversation to shed light on the moral dilemmas and psychological toll faced by service members operating in the shadows of modern conflict.

Through his investigative reporting, Philipps delves into the nuanced realities of irregular warfare, where ethical decisions often blur under the pressure of asymmetrical battles. What are the implications for military institutions and the individuals who navigate these challenging environments?

This thought-provoking discussion is a must-read for those seeking to better understand the intersection of ethics, integrity, and modern warfare.

🔗 Read the full article here:

Irregular Warfare Initiative Project Maritime Co-Directors Walker D. Mills & Christopher D. Booth interview New York Times military reporter, and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, Dave Philipps.

07/01/2025

💡In September, the Irregular Warfare Initiative invited readers to contribute fresh, pragmatic, and non-partisan to help shape the next administration’s approach to these threats. In our first article, Connor Christensen calls for the US military to incorporate ANASOC veterans into its ranks.

🌍 As the US continues to adapt to an evolving global security landscape, the experience and capabilities of former Afghan Special Forces present a unique opportunity.

💬 "Integrating ANASOC veterans into US military and strategic roles is a strategic opportunity to strengthen the DoD’s capabilities in critical regions such as Central and South Asia, and the . Their unmatched experience, cultural fluency, and specialized training make ANASOC veterans vital assets for addressing challenges posed by , , , and ."

Christensen offers a policy blueprint that would integrate these individuals into US military frameworks as well as reaffirm America’s commitment to its allies.

🔍 Read the full article here: https://irregularwarfare.org/articles/leverage-afghan-special-forces-to-strengthen-us-defense/

When a new American president takes office on January 20th, they will confront a dangerous national security environment shaped by Irregular Warfare (IW) challenges. From cyber warfare and gray zone conflicts to terrorism and insurgency, these challenges demand immediate, actionable solutions. In Se...

03/01/2025

⭐ Top 10 Most Read Articles of 2024 ⭐

We’re thrilled to highlight our top 10 most read articles. This year has brought remarkable insights into irregular warfare, strategic competition, and unconventional tactics shaping the strategic environment. Here’s what resonated most with our audience:

1. Russian Electronic Warfare: From History to the Modern Battlefield: https://irregularwarfare.org/articles/russian-electronic-warfare-from-history-to-modern-battlefield/

2. Harnessing Insurgent and Narco-Criminal Drone Tactics for Special Operations: https://irregularwarfare.org/articles/harnessing-insurgent-and-narco-criminal-drone-tactics-for-special-operations/

3. A Full Spectrum of Conflict Design: How Doctrine Should Embrace Irregular Warfare: https://irregularwarfare.org/articles/a-full-spectrum-of-conflict-design-how-doctrine-should-embrace-irregular-warfare/

4. I Want to Live: Psychological Warfare for the Modern Era: https://irregularwarfare.org/articles/i-want-to-live-psychological-warfare-for-the-modern-era/

5. The Wagner Group’s Use of Chinese Space Intelligence: https://irregularwarfare.org/articles/the-wagner-groups-use-of-chinese-space-intelligence/

6. Eroding Global Stability: The Cybersecurity Strategies of China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran: https://irregularwarfare.org/articles/eroding-global-stability-the-cybersecurity-strategies-of-china-russia-north-korea-and-iran/

7. Irregular Warfare at Sea: Using Privateers to Seize Chinese Commerce: https://irregularwarfare.org/articles/irregular-warfare-at-sea-using-privateers-to-seize-chinese-commerce/

8. Arctic Defense: The US Needs Polar Special Operations Forces Aligned With the 5 SOF Truths: https://irregularwarfare.org/articles/arctic-defense-the-us-needs-polar-special-operations-forces-aligned-with-the-5-sof-truths/

9. Bridging the Gap: Why Conventional Forces Need Irregular Warfare Training: https://irregularwarfare.org/articles/bridging-the-gap-why-conventional-forces-need-irregular-warfare-training/

10. The Age of Decentralized Information Warfare is Here: https://irregularwarfare.org/articles/the-age-of-decentralized-information-warfare-is-here/

02/01/2025

📢 New from IWI Executive Director Guido Torres- Irregular Warfare in 2024: Lessons Learned & Paths Forward 🌍

"The global security environment in 2024 proved as unpredictable as ever—yet, beneath the headlines, several clear themes and patterns emerged. A review of our articles published throughout the year reveals deeper insights into how irregular warfare is evolving across multiple fronts, from the Indo-Pacific to the Sahel, and from space to the bottom of the sea. This was not a year of singular, decisive battles but of incremental advances and strategic maneuvering in unconventional ways."

Key takeaways include:
🔹 The transformative power of technology
🔹 The weaponization of narratives and perception
🔹 The critical importance of shared legitimacy in partnerships
🔹 The growing role of gray zone tactics in great power rivalries

Whether you’re a policymaker, practitioner, or scholar, this article offers valuable reflections on key trends in irregular warfare in 2024. Looking ahead to 2025, the challenge will not simply be to respond to these evolving dynamics, but to anticipate and shape them.

📖 Read the full article here: https://irregularwarfare.org/articles/irregular-warfare-in-2024-lessons-learned-paths-forward/

🔄 Join the conversation! What do you think are the most pressing challenges for irregular warfare in the coming year?

A comprehensive analysis of 2024's irregular warfare trends, examining technology, narratives, partnerships, and gray zone tactics in modern conflicts.

31/12/2024

🚨 Exciting Announcement from the Irregular Warfare Initiative!🚨

We’re thrilled to introduce our 2025 Irregular Warfare Initiative Fellows—an outstanding group of 25 professionals selected from our most competitive applicant pool to date.

🔍 Who Are They?
• Experts from the public, private, and academic sectors
• Passionate practitioners and scholars dedicated to advancing the theory and practice of irregular warfare

🌍 Impact:
• These Fellows will contribute groundbreaking insights and innovative approaches to irregular warfare and international security
• Their work will shape the future of this vital field

🤝 Join the Conversation:
• Connect with our Fellows and engage in meaningful dialogue
• Let’s work together to expand our collective understanding of irregular warfare!

Please join us in congratulating our 2025 Fellows on their selection. Stay tuned for updates and opportunities to collaborate!

20/12/2024

Did you listen to last week's podcast?

🌍 Culture, Access, Influence: The FAO Advantage in Irregular Warfare 🌍

🎙️ Irregular warfare demands a unique blend of skills, cultural insight, and strategic influence. In this episode of the Irregular Warfare Podcast, experts explore the critical role of Foreign Area Officers (FAOs) in advancing U.S. strategic interests.

📢 Join the conversation with:
- Michael Burgoyne: Retired U.S. Army Colonel, PhD candidate, and Latin America specialist.
- Albert "Jim" Marckwardt: Retired U.S. Army Lt. Colonel with 30+ years of international diplomacy and policy experience.

💡 Key topics include the value of regional expertise, building trust with partner nations, and how FAOs shape outcomes in irregular warfare environments.

🎧 Listen here:

Episode 120 explores the critical role of Foreign Area Officers (FAOs) in irregular warfare and strategic competition with Mike Burgoyne and Jim Marckwardt. Our guests examine the foundational aspects of the FAO program and its evolution, highlighting how FAOs serve as “Pentagon diplomats” maint...

19/12/2024

NEW ARTICLE 🚨How to Challenge China’s Military Deception Tactics 🌏

How can the United States and its allies detect and counter China’s growing use of deception tactics? A new article by Cole Herring for IWI explores this critical question, analyzing Beijing’s strategies and providing actionable recommendations to challenge them effectively.

Herring underscores how China’s use of information warfare, psychological operations, and legal manipulation—key components of their “Three Warfares” doctrine—pose significant threats to global stability. His insights are essential for understanding and mitigating these tactics in an era where deception plays a pivotal role in geopolitical competition.

📖 Learn how institutionalizing deception detection across the joint force can not only counter adversarial misdirection but also ensure more informed operations across allied and joint domains.

Read the full article here:

China’s deception tactics create asymmetrical advantages. Discover how the US can counter these strategies through joint operations and planning reforms.