The ongoing war in Ukraine is giving observers a chance to forecast how future conflicts will take shape. Drones, advanced sensors, and other technologies are playing impactful roles in the fight. At the same time, artillery is demonstrating its enduring relevance in large-scale combat, air defense is reemerging as a criticial capability, and basic concepts like effective camouflage are proving to be as important as they are fundamental. Many, if not all, of these trends were on display more than a year earlier in another war that received considerably less attention but is similarly packed with lessons about the future of war. Dr. Jack Watling joins this episode to discuss the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War.
Note: This episode was originally released in October 2020.
The Irregular Warfare Podcast is a new collaboration between the Modern War Institute at West Point and Princeton University's Empirical Studies of Conflict Project. In this preview of the inaugural episode, hosts Kyle Atwell and Nick Lopez talk to Jake Shapiro, co-director of ESOC and Col. Pat Howell, director of MWI. The conversation tackles a fundamental question: What are "small wars"? Find the podcast on your favorite podcast app to hear the full conversation and subscribe so you hear future episodes, set to be released every two weeks. ...
Gen. David Petraeus had a remarkable military career—including commanding the 101st Airborne Division at the beginning of the Iraq War and later commanding all forces in both Iraq and Afghanistan. He also served as commander of CENTCOM and, after retiring from the Army, as director of the CIA. In this conversation, he assesses the global operating environment and the trends that will define the future threat landscape. ...
This episode of the MWI Podcast features a conversation with August Cole, coauthor of a new book called Burn-In: A Novel of the Real Robotic Revolution. It’s a techno-thriller and a work of fiction, but it is also based on deep research and allows readers to examine the types of technologies that will increasingly characterize the future—from everyday life to the conduct of war. In fact, the seemingly remarkable technologies featured in the book's plot are already emerging and in many cases already exist. ...
