Modern War Institute

By Modern War Institute at West Point

What's Modern War Institute about?

The Modern War Institute Podcast is the flagship podcast of the Modern War Institute at West Point, featuring discussions with guests including senior military leaders, scholars, and others who discuss the most important issues related to modern conflict.

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Modern War Institute episodes:

04.17.2024
How Iran's Missile and Drone Attack Was Defeated
When Iran recently launched more than three hundred drones, ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles in a large-scale attack against Israel, almost every single one was stopped from reaching its target. A combination of ground-based air defenses, ship-launched weapons, and aircraft...
04.04.2024
NATO at 75
Seventy-five years ago, on April 4, 1949, representatives of twelve governments came together to sign the North Atlantic Treaty. Much has changed in the intervening period—the Cold War came and went, NATO invoked the Article 5 collective defense clause after...
03.21.2024
Resistance and the National Defense of Small States
In this episode, John Amble speaks to Sandor Fabian about a very specific approach to national defense: resistance. The war in Ukraine has made clear that comparatively small states can be vulnerable to the threat of aggression from larger neighbors....
03.07.2024
Nuclear Weapons—Past, Present, and Future
For eight decades, the world has navigated the risk of nuclear war. But what will be required to so in the future? And because that risk is not static, how do we measure, conceptualize, and respond to changes—like when Russia...
02.06.2024
From Hezbollah to the Houthis—Understanding Iran's Proxy Network
The Houthi movement in Yemen has launched dozens of attacks against commercial ships in the Red Sea in recent months. Over the same period, militant groups have attacked US forces in the Middle East as many as 160 times—including the...
01.26.2024
Sanctions and Security
While Ukraine's international supporters have provided equipment to enable the country's defense against Russia's aggression for nearly two years, global actors have also responded on a completely separate front—putting in place a massive sanctions regime targeting Russia. What effect have...
12.27.2023
Amphibious Operations—from History to the Future Battlefield
Most people know something about the most famous amphibious operations in military history—the D-Day landings and Gallipoli, for example. But what about an amphibious night attack on the shores of Tuscany in 1555? Or a Turkish amphibious assault in response...
11.14.2023
Understanding Hamas: From Tactics to Strategy
This special episode of the MWI Podcast features the first installment of a three-part miniseries produced by the Irregular Warfare Initiative. The series focuses on irregular warfare in Israel and is hosted by Adam Darnley-Stuart. In the first episode, he speaks to...
11.01.2023
Shusha, the Battle that Won a War
Observers watched the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War closely, searching for indicators of the character of warfare on tomorrow's battlefields. The lessons extracted have covered advanced technology and unmanned platforms, proxy dynamics, the ongoing relevance of armor, and more. But some of...
10.23.2023
What Was Hamas Thinking?
When Hamas fighters conducted a large-scale and deadly attack against Israel and its people on October 7, what was the group aiming to achieve? What were its strategic objectives? And what sort of Israeli response was it planning for? On...
10.18.2023
Combined Arms in Gaza
As Israeli ground forces mobilize for what at this point appears to be a looming battle in Gaza to destroy Hamas military capability, this episode looks ahead at what form that battle will take. Liam Collins and John Spencer, two...
10.03.2023
The Battle of Mogadishu—Thirty Years On
Thirty years ago this week—on October 3, 1993—US special operations forces launched a mission in Mogadishu. It was part of Operation Gothic Serpent, which was aimed at capturing Somali warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid. The mission was intended to be of...
09.20.2023
History, Identity, and Russia's War in Ukraine
While Western leaders, media, and institutions have condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its conduct of the ongoing war—characterizing it as a brutal act of naked aggression—to many Russians, their military forces are heroes, protecting the Russian nation, its place...
08.24.2023
Sweden, Finland, and NATO
The decisions by the governments of Sweden and Finland to apply to join NATO marked a major departure from both countries' longstanding policies of nonalignment. But how, specifically, will it affect these countries’ defense capabilities—and those of NATO? How much...
08.10.2023
Securing NATO's Baltic Flank
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year, the world has seen firsthand evidence of the threat posed by the revanchist state. Among those who perceive this threat most acutely are the three Baltic nations of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. The...
07.28.2023
The Robotic Revolution is Here
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...
07.18.2023
Inside Azovstal
When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, one of its first targets was the city of Mariupol. Despite being outnumbered by—and less well equipped than—their adversaries, Ukrainian defenders held out for three months. As the Russian siege of the city...
06.29.2023
After the Wagner Mutiny, What Next for the War in Ukraine?
When Yevgeny Prighozin, the head of the Wagner Group, released a video on June 23 that criticized Russian leaders' management of the war in Ukraine, it was the first in a series of extraordinary events that played out with the...
06.14.2023
World Order in the Drone Age
In this episode, Paul Lushenko joins to discuss armed drones—in particular the impact their proliferation will have on global order. That's the subject of a new book for which he was a coeditor. Why do states—and nonstate actors—choose to use armed...
05.31.2023
How is Russia Adapting its Tactics in Ukraine?
When Russia invaded Ukraine last year, its ground forces were largely built around the battalion tactical group. Fifteen months on, and that organizational structure has been dramatically changed. Why? And what explains other examples of evolving Russian tactics? Dr. Jack...
05.17.2023
Change and Continuity: Tracing the Evolution of Turkish Statecraft
Turkey is in the middle of a presidential election, the closest challenge to Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in his twenty years in power. This offers an opportunity for a broad survey of the evolution of Turkish foreign policy, statecraft, and strategy...
05.03.2023
Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and the Future of War
How will the rapid pace of advancement in the fields of neuroscience and neurotechnology impact the changing character of warfare? Will they lead to the human brain becoming a battlespace as new scientific breakthroughs and novel technologies are weaponized? This...
04.20.2023
Command in Modern War
Would Patton be an effective battlefield commander today? Do the characteristics of successful commanders generally remain constant over time? Or do they evolve alongside—and in response to—the changing character of warfare? And if they do change, what traits will commanders...
04.08.2023
Russia and the Arctic Conundrum
Arctic geopolitics are characterized by features that set the region apart from others. Eveything from governance structures to the way Arctic states engage with one another to the way they tackle shared challenges and address disputes—these all look different in the...
03.23.2023
Can Taiwan Become a Poison Frog?
In this episode, John Amble speaks with Chris Dougherty of the Center for a New American Security. He and his colleagues have conducted a wargame that sought to identify what strategic options the United States and Taiwan have to deter...
03.09.2023
How to Build an Effective Partner Military—and How Not To
After twenty years of America’s post-9/11 wars and the US military’s struggle to build capable and effective security forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, there is an important discussion taking place about what role security force assistance should play for the...
02.23.2023
Twelve Months of War
One year ago this week, Russian forces invaded Ukraine. Twelve months on, how should we think about the way the war has taken shape? What lessons about modern war should we be learning? What assumptions about the modern battlefield has...
02.08.2023
When Cities Become Battlefields
This episode features a conversation with MWI's chair of urban warfare studies, John Spencer. A leading expert on urban warfare and the coauthor of the book Understanding Urban Warfare, his deep practical experience and scholarship on both historical and modern cases...
01.25.2023
The Theory and Practice of Resistance
In this episode, John Amble speaks to Sandor Fabian about a very specific approach to national defense: resistance. The war in Ukraine has made clear that comparatively small states can be vulnerable to the threat of aggression from larger neighbors....
01.15.2023
Who Innovates Wins? Drones and Adaptation in the Ukraine War
Ukrainian forces have been praised for their innovation efforts during their ongoing war with Russia, particularly with regard to the use of unmanned aerial vehicles. But what has that innovation actually looked like? Is it principally about repurposing equipment, like...
12.15.2022
Introducing Social Science of War
We're thrilled to announce a new podcast, launched in partnership with West Point's Department of Social Sciences, called Social Science of War. Each episode will leverage a unique strength of the department—pairing deep practical experience with leading scholarship—to tackle subjects of...
12.01.2022
What Should We Make of the Protests in Iran?
Since the middle of September, when an Iranian woman died after being detained in Tehran for improperly wearing her headscarf, protests have gripped the country. But what sets them apart from previous periods of demonstrations against the Iranian regime? Will...
11.16.2022
Data and the Battlefield
This episode examines how special operations forces are integrating high-tech tools like artificial intelligence and machine learning to optimize their operations. Dr. Richard Shultz of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and Gen. Richard Clarke, commander of US Special...
11.02.2022
What Kind of Leader Will Al-Qaeda Choose Next?
The recent death of Ayman al-Zawahiri marks a rare inflection point for a terrorist organization that has had just two leaders in the more than three decades of its existence. Forecasting its future trajectory—and developing counterterrorism policy—will depend on what...
10.21.2022
On the Streets: Irregular Warfare in an Urban World
How are demographic and economic shifts increasing the importance of urban centers around the globe? What does this mean for military forces? To what extent do the local politics of a city complicate military operations there—specifically irregular warfare activities? When...
10.06.2022
Just How Crowded Is The Space Domain?
As the US Space Force nears its third birthday, John Amble is joined by Dr. Moriba Jah on this episode to explore just how crowded the space domain is—especially with the surprising amount of detritus created over more than six...
09.08.2022
Why Cohesion Matters
The term "cohesion" features prominently in discussions of military effectiveness, especially at the small-unit level. We all know intuitively what it means, but understanding how to develop and nurture it in practice is a challenge. That's even more true as...
08.26.2022
The British Army and the Post-9/11 Wars
This episode features a discussion with Simon Akam, author of the book The Changing of the Guard: The British Army Since 9/11. The book tells the story of nearly two decades of the service's experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan. Critical of...
08.11.2022
Far-Right Extremism and the War in Ukraine since 2014
How have European far-right extremists responded to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine? How has the Russian government leveraged the Russian far right in service of its objectives in the war? And how should we understand the role of Ukraine's well-known Azov...
08.01.2022
Competition, Conflict, and Cyber
How does cyberspace differ from the other warfighting domains—land, sea, air, and space? What challenges do those differences pose? Does cyber require unique approaches to talent manage to ensure the US military can recruit, promote, and retain the talent it...
07.14.2022
Finding Opportunity in a Competitive Strategic Environment
When the idea of great power competition began to gain traction with the publication of the 2017 National Security Strategy and the 2018 National Defense Strategy, it was in some ways less a strategy than a conceptual outline of one....
06.30.2022
Adapting During War
What are the hallmarks of an adaptable military force? What types of leaders best create cultures of adaptability in their formations? How do such forces employ rapidly changing technologies? And how does doctrine drive or limit adaptation? Dr. Nora Bensahel and...
06.15.2022
On War and Sanctions
While Ukrainian forces have fought to defend against Russia's invasion since February, the war's conduct has been influenced by international involvement—namely, the supply of weapons and equipment Ukraine has received from its foreign supporters. But as the United States, its...
06.03.2022
Amphibious Operations and the Future of War
The war in Ukraine has been playing out in—and across—all domains. So it is perhaps surprising that Russia's invasion plan held almost no role for the type of operation designed to bridge two of those domains. There has been little...
05.18.2022
And Then There Were 32? Finland, Sweden, and NATO
The decisions by the governments of Sweden and Finland to apply to join NATO mark a major departure from both countries' longstanding policies of nonalignment. But how, specifically, will it affect these countries’ defense capabilities—and those of NATO? How much...
05.06.2022
Bayraktar (Story of a Drone)
Almost every listener will be familiar with the Turkish-made TB-2 Bayraktar drone. Most will have seen the many reports of its operational effectiveness in the hands of Ukrainian forces defending against Russia's invasion of their country. But beyond that media...
04.21.2022
When Frozen Conflicts Turn Hot: Learning from Nagorno-Karabakh
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...
04.08.2022
Breaking Down the Hypersonic Missile Threat
Hypersonic missiles have become an increasingly frequent focus of defense and security discussions in recent years and the subject of growing public attention. But what truly sets them apart, beyond just velocity, from existing missile technology? Do they represent a game...
03.23.2022
The Future of European Defense
This episode features a discussion with retired Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges. He served until 2017 as the commanding general of US Army Europe and now holds the pershing Chair in Strategic Studies at the Center for European Policy Analysis. The...
03.10.2022
Understanding No-Fly Zones
This episode of the MWI Podcast tackles the topic of no-fly zones. Almost immediately after Russian forces invaded Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy began calling for a no-fly zone to be implemented over his country to negate the effects of Russian...

What's Modern War Institute about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Modern War Institute episodes:

How Iran's Missile and Drone Attack Was Defeated

NATO at 75

Resistance and the National Defense of Small States

Nuclear Weapons—Past, Present, and Future

From Hezbollah to the Houthis—Understanding Iran's Proxy Network

Sanctions and Security

Amphibious Operations—from History to the Future Battlefield

Understanding Hamas: From Tactics to Strategy

Shusha, the Battle that Won a War

What Was Hamas Thinking?

Combined Arms in Gaza

The Battle of Mogadishu—Thirty Years On

History, Identity, and Russia's War in Ukraine

Sweden, Finland, and NATO

Securing NATO's Baltic Flank

The Robotic Revolution is Here

Inside Azovstal

After the Wagner Mutiny, What Next for the War in Ukraine?

World Order in the Drone Age

How is Russia Adapting its Tactics in Ukraine?

Change and Continuity: Tracing the Evolution of Turkish Statecraft

Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and the Future of War

Command in Modern War

Russia and the Arctic Conundrum

Can Taiwan Become a Poison Frog?

How to Build an Effective Partner Military—and How Not To

Twelve Months of War

When Cities Become Battlefields

The Theory and Practice of Resistance

Who Innovates Wins? Drones and Adaptation in the Ukraine War

Introducing Social Science of War

What Should We Make of the Protests in Iran?

Data and the Battlefield

What Kind of Leader Will Al-Qaeda Choose Next?

On the Streets: Irregular Warfare in an Urban World

Just How Crowded Is The Space Domain?

Why Cohesion Matters

The British Army and the Post-9/11 Wars

Far-Right Extremism and the War in Ukraine since 2014

Competition, Conflict, and Cyber

Finding Opportunity in a Competitive Strategic Environment

Adapting During War

On War and Sanctions

Amphibious Operations and the Future of War

And Then There Were 32? Finland, Sweden, and NATO

Bayraktar (Story of a Drone)

When Frozen Conflicts Turn Hot: Learning from Nagorno-Karabakh

Breaking Down the Hypersonic Missile Threat

The Future of European Defense

Understanding No-Fly Zones