Small Wars Journal

Access National Security News HERE. Access Korean News HERE. National Security News: 1. Gulf States Fear an Emboldened Iran Is Taking Advantage of a Hesitant U.S. 2. China Is Still Supplying Drone Factories in Iran, Russia Despite U.S. Sanctions 3. High Gas Prices Wreak Havoc on America’s Army of Supercommuters 4. NATO nations size up an interceptor-drone bazaar where low price is everything 5. The …
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The post 5/6/26 National Security and Korean News and Commentary appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

The post Call for Papers: International Journal of Intelligence and Counterintelligence appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

The SOF Professional Podcast — Ep. 4: Cyber, Insurance & Irregular Warfare with Tom Johansmeyer The most consequential threats in modern conflict may not come from missiles or troop movements; they come through networks, supply chains, and the quiet erosion of economic stability. In this episode, researcher and irregular warfare expert Tom Johansmeyer explores the intersection of cyber operations, reinsurance, …
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The post The Digital Insurgency: Cyber Operations and the Future of Resistance appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

Abstract: Control over water, food, and supply chains is increasingly shaping how power operates in modern conflict with non-state armed groups. When these systems fail, recruitment rises; when they are controlled, they become tools of governance; and when they are deliberately disrupted, they can generate effects far beyond the point of impact. This framework shifts counterterrorism analysis from an actor-centric …
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The post The Plow and the Well: Conflict Is Moving to Systems appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

Introduction Nearly three years after the conflict began between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in April 2023, Sudan faces the world’s largest displacement crisis. An estimated 150,000 people have died, and over 12 million are displaced. More than 30 million, over half the population, require aid. Sudan’s GDP has fallen by more than 42 percent …
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The post Rebuilding Governance After Conflict: Lessons from Sudan for Fragile States appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

On Christmas Eve 2025, a group of Russian police officers on the outskirts of Moscow noticed a young man sitting in a parked car near a police station on the outskirts. Several officers approached the car, which abruptly exploded. Three people were killed, including the bomber. This young man was neither a grimly determined anti-war activist nor an Islamic terrorist. …
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The post Scammers, Saps, and Saboteurs: The Scam Attack and the New Fifth Column appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

Irregular Warfare, Part One: Updating the Term and the Toolkit by Jocelyn Garcia of Small Wars Journal and Dr. James Giordano establishes the doctrinal necessity of state stewardship and analyzes the role of artificial intelligence in modern irregular warfare to provide a framework for future strategic recommendations. The current Department of War definitions of irregular warfare often rely on characteristics …
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The post Irregular Warfare, Part One: Updating the Term and the Toolkit appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

Access National Security News HERE. Access Korean News HERE. National Security News: 1. Defining Cognitive Warfare: A NDAA Mandate Response 2. When drones dominate the battlefield, distance no longer matters – opinion 3. Eerie Company: A New Threat at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center 4. The Corridor Architecture of Global Power 5. Attacks on U.S. Warships in Strait Test Trump’s Desire to End Iran …
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The post 5/5/26 National Security and Korean News and Commentary appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

Estonian Defense Forces Commander Andrus Merilo writes in a recent article by Euromaidan Press that “2027 is in my estimation the year when Russia’s combat readiness will be restored, and if it then senses a favorable opportunity to use its military somewhere, then it will do so.” Merilo’s assessment does not rest on speculation. He describes the Russia that emerges …
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The post The Two-Year Window: Russia’s Readiness Clock and Europe’s Strike Gap appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

Abstract The 2026 National Defense Authorization Act directs the Department of War to define cognitive warfare and distinguish it from existing information-related activities. This article responds directly to that mandate, proposing a decision-centric definition of cognitive warfare, delineating it from information operations, psychological operations, and influence activities across seven dimensions. The definition is illustrated through a notional case study and …
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The post Defining Cognitive Warfare: A NDAA Mandate Response appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

Abstract  The most recent wave of purges that have roiled the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) demonstrate the seriousness with which Xi takes his push to reform the country’s military leadership with the aim of improving command and eliminating the corruption that has long plagued the PLA. While these efforts may yield benefits in the long-term, they will likely result in the degradation of military effectiveness due to the …
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The post Why Xi’s Search for Loyalty is Strangling the PLA’s Effectiveness appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

Ukraine’s battlefield: Advanced Ukrainian drones raise concerns among Russian forces • FRANCE 24 | May 2, 2026 From Ukraine’s evolving battlefield, where drone warfare is redefining front lines and so-called “killing zones”, to reports of “Martian drones” and their impact on both Russian and Ukrainian forces, we also look at the expanding use of unmanned systems in rescue operations, including the …
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The post Ukraine’s battlefield: Advanced Ukrainian drones raise concerns among Russian forces • FRANCE 24 appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

Student Research Fellows Program The GNSI Undergraduate Research Fellowship is currently accepting applications for the 2026 Fall Semester. This opportunity is open to currently enrolled undergraduate and graduate students. Resident Fellowships: Are currently enrolled USF undergraduate or graduate students and will receive course credit for the research fellowship. Non-Resident Fellowship: Are open to non-USF students and Professional Military Education Institutions without course …
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The post University of South Florida’s Global and National Security Institute Seeks Student Research Fellows appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

In this Strategic Insights piece, Dr. James Giordano provides a neurostrategic perspective on the evolving character of engagement regarding the rise of cognitive warfare. Cognitive warfare is the operationalization of neuroscience to influence the underlying neural processes of human thought, emotion, and behavior. This approach treats the human brain as a strategic target and vector, leveraging information and narrative to …
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The post Cognitive Warfare and the Changing Character of Engagement: A Neurostrategic Perspective appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

Taipei Is ‘Fiddling While Rome Burns by Josh Hoang-Wilkes for Domino Theory. Former U.S. admiral accuses Taiwanese political leaders of moving too slowly on defense reform. Retired U.S. Admiral Mark Montgomery delivered a blunt assessment of Taiwan’s defense trajectory during a tabletop exercise simulating Chinese pressure on the island. Organized by National Chengchi University and KMT officials, the exercise provided …
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The post Taipei is ‘Fiddling While Rome Burns’ appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

Access National Security News HERE. Access Korean News HERE. National Security News: 1. As Warfare Changes, Land Power Remains Vital 2. Chairmen of the Senate and House Armed Services Committees Release Statement on U.S. Troop Withdrawal from Germany 3. Trump Says U.S. Will Guide Stranded Ships Through Strait of Hormuz 4. How Russia Helps Iran 5. America’s Pacific Allies Train to Face Down China Together …
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The post 5/4/26 National Security and Korean News and Commentary appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

Cudi Zerey writes in his IWC Perspectives article, “The Kurds of Iran as a Strategic Factor in Western Approaches to a Changing Islamic Republic,” that Iranian Kurds represent an underutilized strategic asset for Western policy toward Iran. Iran’s successive governments have governed Kurdish provinces through a security-first approach, producing sustained political exclusion and recurring unrest. The 2022-2023 “Woman, Life, Freedom” …
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The post Iranian Kurds as a Strategic Lever in a Changing Republic | Irregular Warfare Center appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

Access SOF News HERE.   SOF Weekly Update – May 4, 2026 May 3, 2026 SOF News Update 0 https://sof.news/update/20260504/ Curated news, analysis, and commentary on special operations, intelligence, irregular warfare, national defense, and global conflicts. Photo / Image: East-coast-based U.S. Naval Special Warfare Operators (SEALs) perform a high-altitude low-opening jump during bilateral training with Croatian special forces, June 9, 2023. (U.S. Navy …
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The post SOF Weekly Update – May 4, 2026 appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

Abstract Much of the current discussion treats the Iran–Israel–U.S war and the Pakistan–Afghanistan conflict as separate crises, but along the Iran–Afghanistan–Pakistan corridor they are unfolding in the same strategic space. This article analyzes how that overlap is reshaping militant dynamics in Balochistan, focusing on the growing confrontation between ISKP and Baloch nationalist groups. It also assesses the implications for U.S. …
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The post Analysis: ISKP’s Exploitation of the Af-Pak Border War appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.

Abstract  Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming the operational environment across military, cyber, and civil domains. While AI technologies provide significant advantages in data analysis, automation, and decision support, they also introduce new vulnerabilities that adversaries can exploit. This article examines how artificial intelligence may be weaponized to manipulate trusted information systems, accelerate cyber operations, and destabilize civilian infrastructure. Drawing on …
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The post The AI Battlespace: Artificial Intelligence, Civil Stability, and the Weaponization of Trust appeared first on Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University.