Small Wars Journal

By Marshall Terrill |  March 12, 2026 “Early last year over dinner at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall near Washington D.C., Arizona State University President Michael Crow met with U.S. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy A. George for what was expected to be a routine conversation. Instead, it stretched into hours, an animated exchange about the future of learning, leadership and the …
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The post ASU News: US Army enlists ASU to help modernize military learning appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

“Now that the Iran war is here, the US must complete its mission” The war with Iran reflects a trajectory long recognized by Gulf states, writes the Atlantic Council’s Frederick Kempe in his March 18 Inflection Points newsletter. Regional officials view the conflict as the culmination of sustained pressure from Iran’s missile programs, proxy networks, and coercive strategy. For many, …
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The post Seeing It Through: Views From The Gulf On The Iran War appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

Introduction The Gaza conflict underscores a central fact of modern war. The decisive contest is often fought in the information environment, where attention, emotion, and perceived legitimacy shape what governments can do and what publics will tolerate. US doctrine increasingly treats information as a foundational element of military activity and calls on the Joint Force to operationalize informational power to …
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The post Credibility vs. Speed: Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Information War appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

Abstract Cognitive warfare has emerged as a catchall label, an umbrella term for contemporary influence operations targeting perception and decision-making. However, treating heterogeneous influence mechanisms under a unified warfare framework obscures the distinct cognitive processes through which manipulation operates. This article argues for a shift from reactive responses framed around conflict toward a preventive approach grounded in cognitive security, aimed …
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The post Beyond Cognitive Warfare: Differentiating Cognitive Battles for Cognitive Security appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

Abstract The abduction of President Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela by US forces demonstrated an expanded vision of full spectrum dominance. The success of this raid stands in stark contrast to earlier failures and is attributable to the tactics, techniques, and technology Joint Special Operations Command developed over the course of thousands of kill/capture missions in Afghanistan and Iraq. It replaces …
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The post Anytime, Anyplace: Special Operations Forces and the Invention of ROZ Warfare appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

Access National Security News HERE. Access Korean News HERE. National Security News: 1. Narrative as a Weapon: Russian, Iranian, and Chinese Approaches to Cognitive Warfare 2. The Value of EURO-SOF 3. FPV Drones and the Exposure of U.S. Airbases 4. Exclusive | Israel Is Hunting Down Iranian Regime Members in Their Hideouts, One by One 5. The US-Israeli strategy against Iran is working. Here is …
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The post 3/18/26 National Security and Korean News and Commentary appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

This podcast episode from CSIS examines how U.S. strategy since World War II has focused on maintaining a favorable balance of power in Asia by preventing any regional hegemon from dominating key terrain. Dr. Yoshihara describes the first island chain as a network of allies, bases, and economic centers that anchors deterrence against China. A denial defense is basically a …
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The post Holding the Line: Denial Defense Along the First Island Chain | CSIS Podcast appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

Sky News reports in this video that drone strikes targeting civilians have surged in Sudan in recent months as the RSF and SAF look to expand their respective territory, leading to hundreds of civilian fatalities. Numbers Tell the Story 198 total drone strikes in 2026 have killed 478 people as of 12 March. 52 of these attacks involved civilians. In …
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The post Drone War Comes For Civilians in Sudan: Sky News appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

Global conflict simultaneity remains a real possibility. Because of this, the U.S. joint force has been tasked by American leadership to be ready, peace through strength. While in Europe the persistent Russian threat is an interdependent piece of the larger global threat, the recently released 2026 U.S. Department of War National Defense Strategy makes it clear American strategic leaders are …
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The post The Value of EURO-SOF appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

The Social Design Agency (SDA), a Kremlin-linked agent, executed a significant influence operation known as Operation Doppelgänger from 2022 to 2024. Through Doppelgänger, the SDA disseminated pro-Russian narratives by fabricating legitimate news websites, and amplified the content through fake social media personas and bots. Doppelgänger’s significance, however, emanated from its secondary effects. While Western governments effectively responded to the crisis …
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The post Narrative as a Weapon: Russian, Iranian, and Chinese Approaches to Cognitive Warfare appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

Access National Security News HERE. Access Korean News HERE. National Security News: 1. Fact-Checking the Commander-in-Chief on NATO in Afghanistan: The Choice Between History and Opportunity 2. The Perfect Swarm: Taiwan’s T-Dome in the Era of Drone Warfare 3. The Reckoning Coming for America’s Middle East Strategy 4. Operation Epic Sound and Fury 5. U.S. Allies Rebuff Trump’s Demand for Help Opening Strait of Hormuz …
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The post 3/17/26 National Security and Korean News and Commentary appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

“FPV Drone Attack On U.S. Victory Base In Iraq Is A Stark Warning” David Hambling highlights in this Forbes article how the recent FPV drone strike on the U.S. Victory Base in Iraq exposes a direct vulnerability in U.S. airbase defense. Video footage from the attack captures a drone loitering over the installation for nearly two minutes, surveying structures, and …
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The post FPV Drones and the Exposure of U.S. Airbases appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

“Traficante de Drogas Vulnerable: Disrupt Market Motivations to Effectively Influence Drug Cartels” (Irregular Warfare Center Insights, March 2026) This IWC Insights article follows up on concepts discussed during a February 2026 Pinnacle conference panel moderated by the Irregular Warfare Center’s Operations in the Information Environment expert J.D. Maddox, and featuring Dr. Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera (George Mason University), Dr. Jonathan Schroden (Center …
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The post Disrupting Illicit Markets: Cognitive Warfare and the Fight Against Drug Cartels appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

“National Policy and the Panoceanic Navy” (U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings, March 2026) argues that the U.S. Navy must abandon its transoceanic model of power projection and adopt a new panoceanic doctrine centered on sea control and sea denial. Commander Jeff Vandenengel explains that China’s rise and its naval expansion have eroded U.S. command of the sea and invalidated the strategic …
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The post Panoceanic Navy Strategy | USNI Proceedings appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

A Strategic Arson During a January 22 interview, President Donald Trump said of NATO: “I’ve always said, ‘Will they be there, if we ever needed them?’ And that’s really the ultimate test. And I’m not sure of that. I know that we would have been there, or we would be there, but will they be there? We’ve never needed them. …
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The post Fact-Checking the Commander-in-Chief on NATO in Afghanistan: The Choice Between History and Opportunity appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

Abstract: Iran’s multifaceted responses to U.S.-Israeli strikes have exposed vulnerabilities at US bases throughout the region, a linchpin of America’s force posture and vital security partnerships. This article explores likely scenarios after the bombing subsides, as well as the implications for forward basing. U.S.–Israeli strikes on Iran are unlikely to produce regime collapse and instead risk triggering fragmentation or a …
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The post The Reckoning Coming for America’s Middle East Strategy appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

Abstract: In October 2025, Republic of China President Lai Ching-te announced Taiwan would invest in a multi-layered air defense system known as “T-Dome” to defend against possible People’s Liberation Army (PLA) air attacks. The success of Israel’s Iron Dome against Iranian attacks last summer and the United States’ (U.S.) Golden Dome provided inspiration for this decision. However, further reporting from …
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The post The Perfect Swarm: Taiwan’s T-Dome in the Era of Drone Warfare appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

Access National Security News HERE. Access Korean News HERE. National Security News: 1. Beyond the Menu of Options: A Taxonomy for Information Security Strategies 2. The 38 Minutes That Defined a Generation of Warriors 3. SOF Weekly Brief – Mar 16, 2026 4. Don’t Count Launches: Misreading Iran’s Drone Capacity 5. The Navy’s Latest Is Not a Plan, Not a Strategy, and Not Fighting Instructions …
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The post 3/16/26 National Security and Korean News and Commentary appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

Two recent reports by Politico and The New York Times illuminate a strategic contradiction in U.S. air defense policy as its war in Iran continues. While American forces are rapidly consuming the very missile defenses Ukraine depends on, the Pentagon and its allies in the Gulf are simultaneously turning to Ukrainian battlefield experience to solve their drone defense problem. The …
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The post Burning Patriots, Borrowing Lessons: How The Iran War Is Costing Ukraine appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

“The Iran-Israel-US War Is Reconfiguring US Force Posture in the Indo-Pacific” In this piece for The Diplomat, Mina Pollmann details how the redeployment of air defense systems, naval forces, and munitions in support of the Iran War is raising new concerns among America’s Indo-Pacific allies. Alliance Anxiety The movement of assets such as elements of the Terminal High Altitude Area …
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The post The Iran War and U.S. Force Posture: Unintended Consequences appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.