This episode examines cognitive warfare in the Indo-Pacific and how the United States and its partners can counter PRC influence by shaping narratives, empowering local voices, and leveraging technology. Through real-world examples and a proposed cognitive warfare framework, the conversation explores how information, perception, and digital tools can deter aggression and uphold international norms long before conflict. Adapted from the original Irregular Warfare Initiative article.

In this wide-ranging conversation, Karl Marlantes—Marine infantry officer, Navy Cross recipient, and author of Matterhorn—reflects on the Vietnam War and the enduring lessons America has failed to absorb. Drawing on combat experience, literature, and decades of reflection, Marlantes discusses leadership under pressure, moral injury, civil wars, warrior identity, postwar reintegration, and how modern conflicts from Iraq to Ukraine echo Vietnam’s unresolved truths. This interview explores not just how wars are fought, but how they shape individuals, institutions, and national memory.

The future of the AH-64 Apache is under intense debate as the U.S. Army balances manned attack helicopters with rapidly advancing unmanned systems. This episode examines the evolution of attack aviation, the rise of drone swarms, manned-unmanned teaming, and whether the Apache can adapt to remain relevant in modern and future conflicts. Drawing on lessons from Ukraine, Israel, and decades of Army aviation history, the discussion explores cost, survivability, lethality, and mission effectiveness across the spectrum of conflict.

In this episode, Dino Garner explores how critical minerals and irregular warfare intersect in the gray zone. Moving beyond mining myths, the discussion reveals how China’s dominance of mineral processing and refining has become a strategic weapon—one that threatens Western defense supply chains, deterrence, and sovereignty. From rare earths to magnesium, this audio version walks through the industrial vulnerabilities shaping modern economic and irregular warfare, and the policy responses now emerging to confront them.

In this episode, we explore how the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) operates at the intersection of economics and national security. From solar farms and hotels to dating apps and food supply chains, the discussion examines how foreign ownership of U.S. assets can create strategic vulnerabilities. Drawing on real-world cases involving China, critical infrastructure, and sensitive data, this podcast explains how CFIUS has evolved into a powerful—and often opaque—tool of economic statecraft in an era of great-power competition.

In this episode, we examine the real-world effectiveness of offensive cyber operations in modern warfare. Using the Russia-Ukraine, Israel-Hamas, and Israel-Iran conflicts as case studies, the discussion explores how cyberattacks were timed alongside kinetic operations, the role of hacktivists, and why cyber activity has failed to produce decisive battlefield effects. The episode also highlights key policy, strategic, and operational lessons for future conflicts involving advanced cyber powers.

In this episode, we explore how Russian maritime sabotage has evolved from a niche component of special operations into a broader, scalable form of irregular warfare. Drawing on developments within GUGI, the GRU Spetsnaz, and Russia’s expanding use of uncrewed systems, this audio version examines the shifting threat landscape, the vulnerabilities of undersea infrastructure, and what this transformation means for Western defense planners.

Japan stands at a strategic crossroads. This episode examines how Japan’s postwar pacifism, historical memory, and aversion to war as strategy affect its ability to compete in an era defined by irregular warfare and great-power rivalry. Tracing Japan’s experience from World War II to today, the discussion explores why strategic literacy matters—and what reforms could better position Japan as a capable security partner in the Indo-Pacific.