Small Wars Journal

This latest SOFX article, “Closing the Tactical Connectivity Gap: Why Elsight’s Halo Is Gaining Ground with U.S. Defense Leaders,” argues that U.S. defense leaders face a persistent vulnerability in tactical edge communications and presents Elsight’s Halo platform as a solution. For years, U.S. defense leaders have identified the same persistent vulnerability: resilient communications at the tactical edge. As near-peer adversaries refine …
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The post Closing the Tactical Connectivity Gap appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

The United States is increasingly tempted by a blunt proposition: that it can disengage from allies, act unilaterally, and still preserve its global dominance through sheer scale. The argument is usually implicit rather than explicit, but it rests on a simple assumption—that American power is so overwhelming it does not require careful fiscal alignment. That assumption is no longer credible. …
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The post American Power Without Fiscal Alignment Is Not Sustainable Power appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

Executive Summary In an era of strategic competition, America’s adversaries are engaged in persistent operations against US interests in a spectrum of low-intensity conflict frequently referred to as the “gray zone”. The legal and bureaucratic limitations for the use of power that have served America well in the past are being effectively exploited by peer and near-peer adversaries. The US …
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The post Going on the Offensive: Rethinking US SOF’s Mission Set for the Age of Strategic Competition appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

When Nuclear Danger Becomes Background Noise: A Conversation with W.J. (“Bill”) Hennigan and Amy J. Nelson When: Mar. 4, 2026, 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm EST Where: Online REGISTER HERE. From New America: “Join us for a virtual public conversation examining how nuclear danger is understood, reported, and too often normalized in the current moment. The discussion will center on …
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The post WEBINAR (3/4/26): When Nuclear Danger Becomes Background Noise: A Conversation with W.J. (“Bill”) Hennigan and Amy J. Nelson appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

  On 22 February 2026, Mexican federal forces killed Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as El Mencho, founder and strategic leader of the Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG). It was the most consequential high-value targeting operation in Latin America’s criminal insurgency environment in years, and it had been more than a decade in the making. This analysis explores four core dimensions …
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The post Operational Assessment: Decapitation Under Pressure – Operational and Strategic Implications of the Elimination of El Mencho appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

Spring break, happy hour and…the Mexican mafia?  Liquor and beer in Mexico have not been immune from the world of the drug traffickers. The distribution of Malverde Pilsner, the showcasing of El Chapo 701 Lager, and the extortion of beer and tequila companies demonstrate how cartels have insinuated themselves into Mexico’s artisanal beverage world. At first glance, such influence appears …
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The post Narco Cerveza: Cartel Influence on the Mexican Craft Beverage Industry appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

Jan 29, 2026 “The International Military Student (IMS) Division of U.S. Army Command and General Staff College’s “Know Your World” presentation on January 27 at the Lewis and Clark Center. “Know Your World” lectures are monthly events in which an IMS presents an hour-long talk on their country’s geography, history, current culture, economy, and security. Kuwait presented this month’s event …
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The post Know Your World: Kuwait appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

Access National Security News HERE. Access Korean News HERE. National Security News: 1. Iran, Escalation, and the Strategy of Denial 2. C-UAS Operations: We Need a Single Pane of Glass 3. Cognitive Warfare and the Indo-Pacific 4. Elbridge Colby and the Reordering of the Indo-Pacific 5. Lawmakers From Both Parties Push Navy to Award Mega Submarine Contracts 6. U.K. Delays Controversial Deal Linked to U.S. …
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The post 2/25/26 National Security and Korean News and Commentary appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

Check out this JSOU publication, Resilience and Resistance: Interdisciplinary Lessons in Competition, Deterrence, and Irregular Warfare, which offers what the editors describe as “the first canon for SOF, interagency, and conventional forces to understand irregular warfare, competition, and deterrence.” This volume helps practitioners and students “appreciate the dynamics of intrastate conflict as well as internationalized intrastate conflict” while examining how …
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The post Resilience and Resistance: Interdisciplinary Lessons in Competition, Deterrence, and Irregular Warfare appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

This essay from Proceedings at the U.S. Naval Institute, “Lessons from an Intelligence Officer on Ukraine’s Frontline,” draws on firsthand experience with Ukrainian intelligence operations near Bakhmut to offer operational insights. Austin Gray argues that modern war demands mastery of countertargeting, a clear distinction between survivable and attritable platforms, organic tactical-level information warfare capabilities, and resilient leadership. Four lessons from …
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The post Lessons from an Intelligence Officer on Ukraine’s Frontline appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

Editor’s Note: this article is being republished with the permission of the Irregular Warfare Initiative as part of a republishing arrangement between IWI and SWJ. The original article was published on January 12, 2026 and is available here.  “Psychologically, the PRC is trying to cause mental disarray and confusion, in order to weaken fighting will and determination to defend ourselves.” –Taiwan Ministry of …
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The post Cognitive Warfare and the Indo-Pacific appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

Access National Security News HERE. Access Korean News HERE. National Security News: 1. Creating Conspiracy Theories: What Information Warriors Need to Know 2. Cognitive Deterrence: How Taiwan Is Learning to Govern Resistance 3. The Resilience Series – The West’s Greatest Vulnerability: Amphibious Critical and Defensive Infrastructure (ACADI) 4. Tensions Rise in Iran as Protesters Face Off With Regime Loyalists 5. 25 Years After 9/11: Former …
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The post 2/24/26 National Security and Korean News and Commentary appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

We are very excited to see this new podcast from USSOCOM’s Joint Special Operations University! The SOF Professional Podcast. This podcast is built for the full SOF community. Operators and enablers, enlisted and officers, leaders and senior leaders, civilian professionals, industry and academic partners—to include our international teammates who support the mission. Our purpose is to examine the issues that …
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The post The SOF Professional Podcast | The Future of AI in SOF with Jason Schenker appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

Check out this new Lawfare article, “The National Security Case for Judicial Review,” which makes a compelling case that judicial scrutiny of executive national security claims strengthens both democratic legitimacy and national defense. The authors contend that courts possess the competence to evaluate sensitive security matters and that appropriate judicial review prevents abuse of power while improving decision-making and public …
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The post The National Security Case for Judicial Review | Lawfare appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

Thucydides showed that fear, honor, and interest move states. Clausewitz taught that war is a continuation of politics by other means. Mao described politics as war without bloodshed and war as politics with bloodshed. Sun Tzu wrote what is of supreme importance is to attack the enemy’s strategy. These were not ancient observations. They are field manuals for today. The …
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The post America Needs Cognitive Civil Defense appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

Conspiracy theories play a growing role in modern conflict by shaping how audiences interpret threat, trust, and authority before overt action occurs. This essay examines conspiracy theories as cognitive environments rather than collections of false claims. Drawing on the Existential Threat Model and a political-psychological model of conspiracy belief formation, it explains how such beliefs are cultivated, why counter-messaging often …
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The post Creating Conspiracy Theories: What Information Warriors Need to Know appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

ABSTRACT There is a growing realization that to survive and thrive, Western cultures must be resilient against hybrid and unconventional aggression; however, our technological revolution has not only placed us at the forefront of human evolution but also created a fragile dependency, and our greatest vulnerability. This essay, the first in a series on resilience, focuses on Western culture’s greatest …
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The post The Resilience Series – The West’s Greatest Vulnerability: Amphibious Critical and Defensive Infrastructure (ACADI) appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

As the Joint Special Operations University transforms in function and form in support of USSOCOM priorities, it is reintroducing the focus on short, impactful papers that promote discourse and spark idea generation across the SOF enterprise. These concise pieces help capture emerging concepts, highlight operational challenges, and identify opportunities for applied research—creating a vital link between education and operations. This …
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The post Call for Papers (Due 3/27/26): Call for Special Operations Papers | Joint Special Operations University appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

Access National Security News HERE. Access Korean News HERE. National Security News: U.S. Elite Troops Hardened by War on Terror Retrain for Arctic Combat Special Operations News – Feb 23, 2026 The Special Forces Identity Crisis and Rethinking All of Special Operations Opinion | The Cuban Regime’s Slow Collapse Venezuela’s Leaders Killed the Economy. They Are Still In Charge. What …
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The post 2/23/25 National Security and Korean News and Commentary appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

On 22 February 2026 the Mexican armed forces assisted by US intelligence successfully deployed a special enforcement operation in Tapalpa, Jalisco that resulted in the death of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho” leader of the CJNG. This research note provides an initial report on the situation. Key Information: “Con ayuda de Estados Unidos: Así fue el operativo en …
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The post Mexican Cartel Strategic Note No. 39: CJNG Leader “El Mencho” Killed in Shootout in Jalisco appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.