Modern War Institute

Latest Episodes:

Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and the Future of War May 03, 2023

Show notes

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 episode features a discussion with a guest who argues that a convergence between neuroscience and the conduct of war is already occurring. Dr. James Giordano is the chief of the Neuroethics Studies Program at Georgetown University and codirector of the O’Neill-Pellegrino Program in Brain Science and Global Health Law and Policy in the Pellegrino Center for Clinical Bioethics. He describes what effects advances in brain science might have on the future of war.

Command in Modern War Apr 20, 2023

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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 need on the battlefields of today and tomorrow? Dr. Anthony King, the author of the book Command: The Twenty-First-Century General, joins this episode to discuss these questions and more.

Russia and the Arctic Conundrum Apr 08, 2023

Show notes

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 Arctic than elsewhere. But Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine led to a disruption in Arctic engagement, with the seven other Arctic states suspending participation in Arctic Council activities for the duration of Russia's chairmanship of the organization. This raises important questions: Is a return to engagement and cooperation even possible in the future? And what are the long-term implications of halting engagement likely to be? To explore these tricky issues and better understand Russian, American, and other stakeholders' strategic interests in the region, John Amble is joined on this episode by Dr. Elizabeth Buchanan, codirector of MWI's Project 6633 and the author of a new book, Red Arctic: Russian Strategy Under Putin.

Can Taiwan Become a Poison Frog? Mar 23, 2023

Show notes

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 a particular fait accompli move by China against Taiwan. What they concluded was that the best option is something they describe as “the poison frog strategy.” Listen as he describes what that entails, and why it's the most viable means of implementing deterrence against China.

How to Build an Effective Partner Military—and How Not To Mar 09, 2023

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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 United States in the very different strategic environment that is taking shape. Will it be a mission that we'll be required to do in order to compete with Russia and China? Or will it become tangential to our preparations for large-scale combat operations? And given the challenges we faced over the past two decades, what needs to happen to achieve better outcomes in the future? Will Reno, a professor at Northwestern University, and Franky Matisek, an Air Force officer and associate professor at the US Air Force Academy, have researched the topic deeply, including conducting hundreds of interviews in the field. They join this episode to discuss their findings.

Twelve Months of War Feb 23, 2023

Show notes

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 the conflict challenged, and what assumptions has it reinforced? And what features will characterize the war in the months ahead? In this episode, John Amble is joined by retired Australian Army Major General Mick Ryan. With decades of military and leadership experience, he has been one of the sharpest and most insightful observers of the war in Ukraine. Listen as he describes his views of the conflict so far and illuminates what we might expect as the war enters its second year.

When Cities Become Battlefields Feb 08, 2023

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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 of urban warfare make him the ideal guest to address a range of important questions. Are cities uniquely challenging for military forces? Why? What steps can be taken to achieve a higher level of preparedness for those challenges? And is it possible to replicate cities’ complexity in a training environment? These are just a few of the topics he offers his keen insights on.

The Theory and Practice of Resistance Jan 25, 2023

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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. Resistance, Sandor argues, is the most viable means of defense for these states. But effectively embracing it as a strategic approach would require dramatic changes in force structure, training, equipment, doctrine, and more. And if small US allies choose to do so, it would have important implications for US special operations forces and for NATO.

Who Innovates Wins? Drones and Adaptation in the Ukraine War Jan 15, 2023

Show notes

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 commercial quadcopters, or is it more a function of implementation, like experimenting with new tactics? And how has Russian forces' own innovation compared? Most importantly, what effect has innovation had on battlefield outcomes? Sam Bendett, an adviser at CNA’s Strategy, Policy, Plans, and Programs Center and a member of CNA’s Russia Studies Program, joins this episode to discuss these questions and more.

Introducing Social Science of War Dec 15, 2022

Show notes

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 importance to the Army. In this episode, John Amble speaks briefly to Colonel Heidi Demarest, acting head of the Department of Social Sciences, and Major Kyle Atwell, who teaches in the department and will serve as the host for season one of the new podcast. After introducing the show, you'll hear the very first episode in its entirety, in which Kyle is joined by retired Lieutenant General Mark Hertling, former commander of US Army Europe, and Dr. Rob Person, an associate professor of international affairs at West Point. They explore what the Army should be learning about the future of land warfare from the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Enjoy the conversation and be sure to subscribe to Social Science of War wherever you listen to podcasts!