Small Wars Journal

Introduction: Remote areas are particularly susceptible to a wide range of unlawful and legal gray zone activities involving the dual use of fishing fleets, offshore installations, research stations, and tourism infrastructure. In the context of Antarctica, such infrastructure could be usefully transformed into platforms for conducting activities of concern such as biological prospecting, meteorite hunting, and/or mineral exploration. These problematic …
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The post Three Wicked Problems in the Antarctic Commons: Biological Prospecting, Meteorite Hunting, and Mineral Exploration appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

What Determines Success in Guerrilla Warfare? | Irregular Warfare Podcast Episode 143 examines what enables certain guerrilla and insurgent forces to develop genuine military effectiveness on the battlefield. Our guests discuss why ideological cohesion, social ties, and material resources alone are insufficient for insurgents to successfully implement guerrilla strategies. Drawing on historical examples and a detailed analysis of the Taliban’s …
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The post What Determines Success in Guerrilla Warfare? appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

The extraordinary mission to capture Venezuelan President Nicholás Maduro marks a return to an old vision of American power and interventionism in the Western Hemisphere. It’s too soon to know what Maduro’s ouster will mean for the future of Venezuela and the broader implications for American foreign policy. However, one thing is clear: the operation was an unprecedented display of …
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The post Operation Absolute Resolve: A Rendition Revival? appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

Access National Security News HERE. Access Korean News HERE. National Security News: 1. Exclusive | CIA Concluded Regime Loyalists Were Best Placed to Lead Venezuela After Maduro 2. The Venezuelan Regime’s New Strategy: Appease Trump to Survive 3. Maduro’s Capture Deals Heavy Blow to Cuba’s Vaunted Intelligence Service 4. Trump’s Foray Into Venezuela Could Embolden Russia’s and China’s Own Aggression 5. Maduro, making first court …
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The post 1/6/26 National Security and Korean News and Commentary appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

Check out “Operation Absolute Resolve: Anatomy of a Modern Decapitation Strike” at RealClear Defense. This article by Josh Luberisse provides a detailed operational analysis of “Operation Absolute Resolve,” the U.S. military operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on January 3, 2026. The mission involved Delta Force operators inserted by the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment into Caracas, successfully extracting …
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The post Operation Absolute Resolve: Anatomy of a Modern Decapitation Strike appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

Los Metros Faction of the Cártel del Golfo (CDG) Arsenal of Explosives, IEDs, Kamikaze and Other Drones, and Counter-Drone Systems Seized in Reynosa, Tamaulipas (26 Pages) C/O Futures Cartel Research Note Series Dr. Robert J. Bunker, Senior Fellow and Associate Editor of SWJ El Centro 31 December 2025 On Monday 20 October 2025 (or within a day or so prior …
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The post Los Metros Faction of the Cártel del Golfo (CDG) Arsenal of Explosives, IEDs, Kamikaze and Other Drones, and Counter-Drone Systems Seized in Reynosa, Tamaulipas appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

The Pakistan Navy ship Yarmook seized two dhow sailing boats in the Arabian Sea on 27 October, carrying for about 2.5 tons of crystal methamphetamine, also known as Ice, and 50 kg of cocaine. It was one of the largest drug seizures in maritime history, with the haul estimated to be valued at a staggering 972 million dollars.  Besides the …
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The post Afghanistan’s Post Opium Drug Trade – Another Challenge for Pakistan? appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

Access National Security News HERE. Access Korean News HERE. National Security News: 1. The End of the Beginning in Venezuela 2. Trump Was Skeptical of Ousting Maduro—Until He Wasn’t 3. Trump Says U.S. Is ‘In Charge’ of Venezuela, While Rubio Stresses Coercing It 4. U.S. plan to ‘run’ Venezuela clouded in confusion 5. A New Trump Game Plan Takes Shape: Strike and Coerce 6. A Trained …
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The post 1/5/26 National Security and Korean News and Commentary appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

“Police and emergency personnel investigate the suspected arson attack site” (Photo courtesy BBC News) A suspected arson attack on a cable bridge over Berlin’s Teltow Canal cut electricity to roughly 45,000 homes and 2,200 businesses on January 3, 2026. According to SOFX reporting, left-wing militants identifying as the “Volcano Group” claimed responsibility, framing the incident as sabotage targeting the “fossil …
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The post Militant Arson in Berlin: Strategic Targeting, System Disruption appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

Access SOF News HERE.   Special Operations News – Jan 5, 2026 January 5, 2026 SOF News Update 0 Curated news, analysis, and commentary about special operations, national security, and conflicts around the world. Photo / Image: U.S. Army A/MH-6X Mission Enhanced Little Birds land during Weapons and Tactics Instructor course in Yuma, Arizona. Photo by Zachary M. Ford, DoD, April 4, 2016. …
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The post Special Operations News – Jan 5, 2026 appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

The People’s Republic of China (PRC) has long maintained a facade of unyielding stability under the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), but beneath this veneer lies a simmering undercurrent of public discontent. Data from the China Dissent Monitor (CDM), a project by Freedom House, reveals a marked escalation in dissent events during 2025, particularly in the third quarter (July-September). This surge, …
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The post The Rising Tide of Dissent in China appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

Introduction Illegal, unreported, unregulated (IUU) fishing represents one of the leading global maritime security threats confronting policymakers today (author’s note: This paper will utilize “IUU” as synonymous with “IUU fishing”). Despite this challenge, defense and law enforcement establishments have struggled to formulate effective solutions to address state sponsored IUU because it provides malign actors with plausible deniability and represents an …
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Abstract This article examines how the United States can strengthen deficiencies in its intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) architecture during the planning stages of amphibious operations. It argues that institutionalizing and AI-augmented Planning-Phase ISR Fusion Framework (PIFF) under the U.S Special Operations Command would unify multi-domain inputs, accelerate analytic, processing, and mitigate fragmentation that currently impedes joint force preparation. Through …
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The post Non-Ephemeral Integration: Institutionalizing USSOCOM AI-Intelligentized ISR Fusion for Amphibious Operations appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

Find the report here. CogWar has been recognised as a strategic research challenge and the STO is playing a pivotal role in enhancing NATO’s operational readiness through science-based knowledge. This CSRR addresses the growing importance of the cognitive environment for modern warfare by examining how CogWar shapes human behaviour through cognitive effects that are enabled by technology and other means. …
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The post Cognitive Warfare: NATO Chief Scientist Research Report appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

Access National Security News HERE. Access Korean News HERE. National Security News: ‘Razin’ Caine spills details on Maduro capture in Venezuela attack Bold Delta Force raid leads to capture and arrest of Maduro Inside Operation Absolute Resolve, the U.S. Incursion That Deposed Venezuela’s Maduro Inside ‘Operation Absolute Resolve,’ the U.S. Effort to Capture Maduro Audacious Maduro raid relied on months …
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The post 1/4/26 National Security and Korean News and Commentary appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

Access SOF News HERE.   U.S. Strikes Venezuela January 3, 2026 SOF News News 0 The United States conducted a military operation in Venezuela and captured President Maduro on Saturday, January 3, 2025. The U.S. had been building up its military presence in the Caribbean (SOF News) during the fall of 2025. Maduro has multiple indictments in the United States for drug smuggling. He faces criminal …
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The post SOF News: U.S. Strikes Venezuela appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

Access National Security News HERE. Access Korean News HERE. National Security News: 1. Trump Captures Maduro: The End of the Narco-Terrorist Dictatorship in Venezuela 2. In a Phone Interview, Trump Celebrated the Capture of Maduro 3. Opinion | Trump Stands With Iran’s Protesters 4. Why We Must Be Concerned About The Attack On Putin’s Residence – OpEd 5. Zelensky Picks Military Intelligence Chief as …
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The post 1/3/26 National Security and Korean News and Commentary appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

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The post President Trump Holds Press Conference- January 3, 2026 appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

R. Evan Ellis’s article at The Diplomat, “China’s Military Is Planning for Combat in Latin America,” provides an analysis of a recent PLA wargame that offers rare visibility into how Beijing envisions Latin America as an active theater in a future conflict with the United States. The exercise, broadcast by Chinese state media, simulated PLA operations around Cuba, the Caribbean, …
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The post Recent Wargame By The PRC Reveals Extensive Dual-Use Infrastructure Throughout Latin America appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

Breaking the Glass Ceiling of Irregular Warfare by Mark Grdovic | Published by the Foreign Policy Research Institute on December 16, 2025. “The first, the supreme, the most far-reaching act of judgment that the statesman and the commander have to make is to establish…the kind of war on which they are embarking; neither mistaking it for, nor trying to make …
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The post Breaking the Glass Ceiling of Irregular Warfare appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.