Abstract: In 2019, the author, with Arnel David, argued that the United States military’s conception of lethality was dangerously narrow—focused almost exclusively on kinetic destruction while neglecting strategic influence as a decisive instrument of war. That argument has been validated by events: adversaries have waged and won influence campaigns at a fraction of the cost of conventional warfare, while the … Read more
Introduction – This Was Never About Christmas Die Hard (1988) has become so culturally overdetermined that it now functions as a seasonal ritual. Every December, the same argument flares up: is it a Christmas movie? The debate is half-serious, half-seasonal sport, though its persistence demonstrates just how thoroughly the film has embedded itself in the American popular zeitgeist. However, the … Read more
Introduction Recent US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran have triggered intense debate in Washington, with political pundits saying that US strategy is increasingly shaped by Israeli military decisions. A bipartisan resolution aimed at limiting President Donald Trump’s ability to wage war against Iran failed in the US Senate as the military campaign continues. Lawmakers have criticized the president for launching … Read more
Access National Security News HERE. Access Korean News HERE. National Security News: 1. Allies Fear They Are Tied to an Erratic U.S. and Now Have Nowhere to Turn 2. How A Dusty Strip Deep In Iran Can Be Turned Into A U.S. Special Operations Base In Hours 3. So, While You Still Have CSAR in Your Scan 4. Now We Know What a Modern … Read more
This Buenos Aires Times report covers the Milei government’s formal designation of Mexico’s Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) as a terrorist organization, adding it to Argentina’s Public Register of Persons and Entities Linked to Acts of Terrorism and their Financing (RePET). The Argentine Presidency, Foreign Ministry, National Security Ministry, and SIDE intelligence secretariat coordinated the joint decision, which authorizes financial … Read more
Borderland Beat is currently seeking new contributors. We’re looking to expand our regional coverage and are especially interested in writers with knowledge of underreported areas. If you follow organized crime, security, or regional developments and have been looking for a platform, we’d like to hear from you. Please note that Borderland Beat is an independent, volunteer-run project and contributions are … Read more
About the Fellowship The Middle East Institute is now accepting applications for the 2026–27 Security Fellows Program — a selective, yearlong opportunity for mid-career professionals shaping the future of Middle East security policy. This non-resident fellowship offers direct engagement with senior policymakers, mentorship from leading experts, and opportunities to contribute to MEI’s research and analysis. Fellows will join a dynamic cohort and … Read more
Introduction Since the fall of the Iron Curtain, the U.S. Navy’s acquisition of new ships maintains a troubling pattern. Reforms based upon accountability, design before production, and a reformation of the naval shipyard workforce will lay the groundwork for a resurgence in naval shipbuilding. The Zumwalt class destroyers, designed to fulfill the concept of the 21st Century Destroyer, were truncated … Read more
West Asia: A New American Grand Strategy in the Middle East. By Mohammed Soliman. Polity Press, 2026. ISBN: 978-1-5095-6837-6. There is a particular kind of strategic thinker whose most important work arrives not as a sudden insight but as the slow materialization of a decade-long argument, one that was right when it was made, was largely ignored, and has now … Read more
The Chief of Staff of the Army, General Randy George, unveiled continuous transformation as a focus area for the Army in October 2023 during the annual Association of the United States Army (AUSA) convention. Since then, the United States Army Noncommissioned Officer Academy (USANCOA) operationalized that focus area with meaningful and impactful change. Formerly known as the Noncommissioned Officer Leadership … Read more
[Army Mad Scientist Editor’s Note: Army Mad Scientist launched its CALLING ALL CREATORS Multi-Media Contest on 10 December 2025 with the following Army Transformation Challenge: Contemporary conflicts around the globe have demonstrated the ever-increasing speeds at which warfighting innovations are being fielded — granting a combatant decisive battlefield advantage — until effective counter-measures are fielded by an adversary. These rapid cycles of innovation and counter-innovation … Read more
Access National Security News HERE. Access Korean News HERE. National Security News: 1. Transcript: Retired Gen. Frank McKenzie on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” April 5, 2026 2. A Downed Airman, a Mountain Hideout and a High-Risk Rescue in Iran 3. Downed US airman said to have directed strikes on Iranian positions from hiding place 4. How America Broke the Iranian Regime 5. The … Read more
Access SOF News HERE. SOF Weekly Brief – April 6, 2026 April 6, 2026 SOF News Update 0 Curated news, analysis, and commentary on special operations, national security, and global conflicts. Executive Summary This weekly briefing summarizes developments in special operations forces (SOF), global conflicts, intelligence, and national security from the past week. The past few days saw significant attention given to the rescue of … Read more
“Ukraine’s Quiet Push — The Success Ukraine Doesn’t Want to Talk About,” a DW News video report featuring an extended on-the-record interview with DW’s longtime Kyiv correspondent Nick Connolly, provides an assessment of several underreported Ukrainian operational successes in early 2025. Ukrainian forces have conducted an escalating campaign of long-range drone strikes against Russian oil refineries and Baltic port infrastructure, … Read more
Read more from Dr. Evan Ellis: This analysis is drawn from Ellis’s broader body of work on Western Hemisphere security, China-Latin America relations, and transnational organized crime—all accessible at “Evan Ellis on Latin America and the Caribbean.” His Substack distributes new articles, podcast appearances, and media segments directly to security professionals and policymakers. Subscribe to stay current on one of … Read more
Abstract Drawing lessons from Ukraine, the 2024–2030 MPL accelerates France’s efforts to enhance its drone warfare capabilities through increased spending, technological innovation, and operational training. Investments target loitering munitions, tactical drones, Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (MALE UAVs), swarm capabilities, and Counter-Unmanned Aerial System (C-UAS) systems, while cooperation with Ukraine supports rapid adaptation. Budgetary pressures and political uncertainty nonetheless raise … Read more
Introduction: Strategic Uncertainty in the Iran War Wars rarely end as their participants expect. Military campaigns launched to achieve clear political objectives often produce ambiguous, incomplete, or entirely unforeseen outcomes. The outcome of the conflict involving Iran, Israel, and the United States will shape not only Iran’s nuclear ambitions but also the balance of power in the Middle East and … Read more
Developing Leaders for a Complex World Modern warfare is characterized by continual change, driven by rapidly evolving technology and the growing interconnectedness worldwide. To achieve success in this complex environment, as outlined in the Army’s operating concept, the United States Army requires a new model of leadership. Leaders must demonstrate agility, adaptability, resilience, and innovation to navigate uncertainty and ambiguity. … Read more
Multidomain Operations: The Pursuit of Battlefield Dominance in the 21st Century. Edited By: Amos C. Fox and Franz-Stefan Gady. Havant, New Hampshire: Howgate Publishing Limited, 2026. ISBN: 978-1-912440-80-1. pp. vii, 338. $29.99. Are you a currently serving field-grade officer or military civilian? Does your daily grind consist of staff work on DOTMLPF-P related issues while completing your master’s degree and … Read more
Western analysis of Iran suffers from a persistent, almost comforting delusion: that the Islamic Republic is fundamentally irrational. It’s easier that way. If Iran is driven by theology, fanaticism, or some opaque revolutionary mysticism, then its behavior can be dismissed rather than understood. Strategy becomes pathology. Policy becomes moral posture. But what if the opposite is true? What if Iran … Read more