From Deception to Attrition: AI and the Changing Face of Warfare
In his classic work The Defense of Duffer’s Drift, Ernest Swinton taught generations of military professionals key lessons in strategy through the dreams of Lieutenant Backsight Forethought, who learned from his mistakes in defending a river crossing during the Boer…
Insurgency, Not War, Is China’s Most Likely Strategy Against the U.S.
This past summer, I found myself preparing for a mechanized desert war during the Marine Corps’ battalion-level integrated training exercise at Twentynine Palms. The focus this year was squarely on high-intensity conventional warfare — a stark contrast to my 2015…
Hezbollah’s Enhanced Anti-Tank Arsenal: The Role of North Korean Technology in South Lebanon
Hezbollah’s ability to challenge Israel’s formidable military has been a central feature of its operations in southern Lebanon, particularly in the realm of anti-armour tactics. During the 2006 war with Israel, Hezbollah surprised many by successfully targeting and destroying Israeli…
China’s Type 002 Aircraft Carrier: A High-Tech Game Changer Rivaling the U.S. Navy
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy is gearing up to deploy its most advanced aircraft carrier yet with the upcoming commissioning of the Type 002, a highly anticipated warship expected to rival the U.S. Navy’s Gerald Ford Class supercarriers….
Defending the Skies for Four Decades: Evolution of Russia’s S-300 Air Defence System – Part Four: The S-300V
The S-300V, the third member of the S-300 air defense family, represents a legacy of innovation and remains relevant today through continuous upgrades and advancements. Entering service in 1984, the S-300V was a groundbreaking platform designed to counter a wide…
China’s Strategic Role in Iran’s Military Modernization and Nuclear Program: Implications for Future Relations
With the end of Iran’s brief thaw in relations with the West following the United States’ unilateral withdrawal from the 2015 JCPOA nuclear deal and the threat of European sanctions over Tehran’s ballistic missile program, Iran is turning back to…
The Legacy of the Soviet Union’s Ambitious Aircraft Carrier Program: Part Two
The dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 brought a swift and dramatic end to the USSR’s ambitious aircraft carrier program, leaving a legacy of incomplete projects, scrapped vessels, and dispersed technological innovations. The newly formed successor states, struggling with…
Just Let Them Compete: Nurturing the Next Generation of Wargamers
My path to becoming a wargamer was serendipitous. Hired for my insights on national security and my Marine Corps background, I entered wargaming with no prior experience, learning the craft on the job. The field, surprisingly, is built on similar…
Air War Over Sinai: How SAMs Shaped the Yom Kippur War’s Outcome
During the early hours of the 1973 Yom Kippur War, Egypt’s surface-to-air missile (SAM) batteries, including the Soviet-supplied S-75 and the newly deployed S-125, played a pivotal role in the conflict’s early stages. The S-75 had already proven its effectiveness…
The Evolution of Russia’s S-300 and S-400 Air Defense Systems
The S-300PMU-1, introduced into the Russian military in 1992, marked a significant leap forward in air defense technology, arriving just months after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. This advanced system revolutionized the capabilities of the existing S-300 family, featuring…
The Resilient Alliance: Russia’s Longstanding Military Partnership with Syria
As Russia continues to support Syrian armed forces in their prolonged conflict against Western-backed insurgents, the historical context of the Russia-Syria partnership takes on renewed significance. The two nations’ defense collaboration has roots extending back to the Cold War, during…
Prioritizing Survivability: How Israel Fortified the Merkava IV Against Destruction
Israel’s development of its indigenous main battle tank, the Merkava, was born out of necessity and a desire for battlefield superiority. After receiving its first U.S.-made M60 tanks in 1971, considered the pinnacle of Western armored technology at the time,…