Small Wars Journal
  • “Strategic pioneers who create theories, concepts, and other intellectual tools for use by doers have been scarcer than hen’s teeth throughout human history. Sun Tzu, Mahan, Liddell Hart, Herman Kahn, and Bernard Brodie, the world’s first nuclear strategist, are prominent exceptions. Lenin, Mao, Giap, Billy Mitchell, and a handful of others who practiced what they preach, remain even rarer.”
    -- Colonel (Ret.) John Collins, The Warlord Emeritus
  • “Tunnel systems and irregular urban warfare are essentially advanced methods of cover and concealment. Given that the mission of the infantry is to “locate, close with and destroy the enemy by fire and maneuver,” if the enemy can prevent us from locating him or closing with him, it will be nearly impossible for us to destroy him.”
    -- William Birdzell
  • “My views on treating allies with respect and also being clear-eyed about both malign actors and strategic competitors are strongly held and informed by over four decades of immersion in these issues. We must do everything possible to advance an international order that is most conducive to our security, prosperity and values, and we are strengthened in this effort by the solidarity of our alliances.”
    -- Secretary of Defense James Mattis
  • “It's so damn complex. If you ever think you have the solution to this, you're wrong and you're dangerous.”
    -- Lieutenant General (Ret.) H.R. McMaster
  • “So, I’m going to give you a proposed solution,” Zinni told the group. “I’m going to say we need to create an interagency command” to manage America’s response to complex or “hybrid” security crises. “I hate to use that word, ‘command,’ because I don’t mean it to be military.”
    -- General (Ret.) Anthony Zinni

Home, Above Feeds, Annoucement

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New and now available at Amazon - Blood and Concrete: 21st Century Conflict in Urban Centers and Megacities provides a foundation for understanding urban operations and sustaining urban warfare research. This Small Wars Journal (SWJ) Anthology documents over a decade of writings on urban conflict. In addition to essays originally published at SWJ it adds new content including an introduction by the editors, a preface on “Blood and Concrete” by David Kilcullen, a foreword "Urban Warfare Studies" by John Spencer, a postscript “Cities in the Crossfire: The Rise of Urban Violence” by Margarita Konaev, and an afterword “Urban Operations: Meeting Challenges, Seizing Opportunities, Improving the Approach” by Russell W. Glenn. These essays frame the discussion found in the collection’s remaining 49 chapters. Blood and Concrete continues the legacy of Small Was Journal's coverage of urban operations, conflict and combat. - Dave Dilegge, Robert J. Bunker, John P. Sullivan, and Alma Keshavarz, Editors.

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Beach Detonation - A Marine conducts a demolition test in Ternate, Philippines, 6 April 2019, during Balikatan, an annual U.S.-Philippine military training exercise that focuses on humanitarian assistance and counterterrorism. Photo by Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Angelo Sagum.

"Small wars are operations undertaken under executive authority, wherein military force is combined with diplomatic pressure in the internal or external affairs of another state whose government is unstable, inadequate, or unsatisfactory for the preservation of life and of such interests as are determined by the foreign policy of our Nation."

-- Small Wars Manual, 1940

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Journal

The Art of Digital Deception: Getting Left of Bang on Deepfakes
by Scott Padgett | Tue, 04/23/2019 - 9:13pm | 0 comments
This article explores how state actors are using advanced software development tools and artificial intelligence (AI) to invent and perfect new deception capabilities to fool both people and machines on the virtual battlefield. It examines intelligent computer vision systems and their capabilities to support state-sponsored hybrid warfare.
The Line Between Conflict and Stability in Great Power Competition
by Jeff Goodson | Mon, 04/22/2019 - 5:09pm | 10 comments
In the future, more countries are likely to serve as theaters of great power competition. Conflict will arise in those countries where it didn't exist before, and will deepen in those where it already exists. In both cases, instability will grow. The use of proxies will mitigate the potential for direct great power conflict, but tensions will rise as the world becomes smaller and opportunities for conflict grow.
Small Wars Preparations in Support of the Joint Operational Environment 2035
by David B. Parker | Mon, 04/22/2019 - 2:49am | 3 comments
Preparations for future small wars described in the JOE 2035 must account for stability operations, FHA and peace operations, and counter-insurgency and counterterrorism operations. Viewing these types of small wars as distinctly separate and mutually exclusive is a flawed perspective; the world is an interconnected place and the types of small wars the joint force may encounter in the future will often occur simultaneously and as a result of one another.
The Development of Operational Art and CEMA in Multi-Domain Battle: A Historical Analysis the Guadalcanal Campaign 1942-1943
by Ronald W. Sprang | Mon, 04/22/2019 - 12:07am | 0 comments
This research seeks to determine how cyberwarfare applied through the lens of operational art contributes to cross domain synergy within the context of multi-domain battle. Cyber and EW capabilities are critical to enable operational commanders the opportunity to create temporary windows of advantage, shape the deep fight, control tempo of multi-domain operations, and arrange cyber effects in time and space to achieve strategic objectives.
Needed: A Comprehensive History of the War on Terror
by Stephen B. Young | Sat, 04/20/2019 - 4:11pm | 1 comment
The study needs to start with a baseline of how to defeat terrorists and insurgents. It can’t accept at face value the hopes and aspirations of American policy makers and field commanders as they entered the War on Terror. It needs to measure their strategies and tactics against proven success.
Indo-Pacific Terrorism: What to Expect for the Foreseeable Future
by J. “Lumpy” Lumbaca | Thu, 04/18/2019 - 6:25am | 0 comments
The past two decades in the Indo-Pacific region have resulted in remarkable change across the terrorist landscape. Attacks and deaths are down, but jihadist ideology and threats persist. The Indo-Pacific states of India, Pakistan, and the Philippines consistently remain among the “Top 10” countries affected by terrorism according to the Global Terrorism Index report. If there was any doubt whether or not 2019 would see a continuation of the deadly trend, this year’s bombing just days before the Bangsamoro Organic Law plebiscite, the Pulwama terrorist attack in India, the breakup of an international terrorist cell in Malaysia, and the New Zealand mosque shootings all serve to remind us that extremism remains at our front door.
RPA Ethics: A Focused Assessment
by Robert Hunter Ward | Wed, 04/17/2019 - 11:46am | 0 comments
To a large extent, the question of whether remote warfare waged by RPAs is ethical depends on if one believes riskless war is dangerous, destructive, and overly easy. The ethical issues of asymmetric risk, moral hazard, and destructive behavior are difficult considerations to face, but necessary to reconcile. Ultimately, despite these concerns, the RPA is an ethical instrument of air warfare which leaders should certainly take advantage of, if they do so judiciously as they should with any weapon.
Treasury Designates Key Nodes of ISIS’s Financial Network Stretching Across the Middle East, Europe, and East Africa
by SWJ Editors | Mon, 04/15/2019 - 10:11pm | 0 comments
U.S. Department of the Treasury Report: "Action Targets ISIS Financial Facilitators and Money Transfer Company"
Space Safety Coordination: A Norm for All Nations
by Bruce McClintock | Mon, 04/15/2019 - 6:01pm | 0 comments
Imagine this: As you drive down the highway at the speed limit in the right lane, another car races past you on the left then veers into your lane without warning. The other car then slows down until it is just feet in front of you, forcing you to make a quick decision to slow down, change lanes or even swerve off the road to the right to avoid a collision. Now imagine the same scenario involving two satellites orbiting 22,000 miles above the earth and traveling at 6,800 miles per hour.
AvFID: Achieving the Peace in Colombia Through Aviation Foreign Internal Defense
by Barnett S. Koven | Mon, 04/15/2019 - 9:16am | 0 comments
This article is informed by the author’s experience adapting his previous fieldwork studying counterinsurgency in Colombia into lecture content for the U.S. Air Force Special Operations School’s Contemporary Irregular Warfare Course.

Blog Posts

Suicide Bombers Included Two Sons of Sri Lanka Spice Tycoon
by The New York Times | Thu, 04/25/2019 - 12:18am | 0 comments
"Sri Lankan investigators are being assisted by a team of F.B.I. agents who flew into Colombo amid a sense of urgency. The American ambassador to Sri Lanka, Alaina Teplitz, said there were 'ongoing terrorist plots' and Mr. Wijewardene said 'there could be still a few people out there.' He urged Sri Lankans to remain vigilant."
The al-Qaeda Suspect was Stripped Naked and Shot. Will Trump Pardon His Murderer?
by The Washington Post | Wed, 04/24/2019 - 10:25am | 0 comments
"Before he spent five years in prison for murdering a suspected al-Qaeda detainee, Michael Behenna was a rising military officer from a prominent law enforcement family."
How Russian Motorcycle Gangs, Fake News and Cyber Attacks Could Threaten NATO, And How U.S. Forces Can Help
by Military Times | Wed, 04/24/2019 - 12:45am | 0 comments
"Ever since Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine and sponsored separatists in the Donbas, Eastern Europe has collectively wondered: 'Where will the Kremlin strike next?'"
Sri Lanka Shuts Down Social Media After Terror Attack
by Voice of America | Tue, 04/23/2019 - 11:26am | 0 comments
"People in Sri Lanka are experiencing a second day without access to some of the most popular social media sites within the country, after the government shut down the services in the wake of a terror attack that killed nearly 300 people and injured hundreds on Easter Sunday."
U.S., India Warned Sri Lanka Weeks Before Easter Terror Attacks
by The Wall Street Journal | Tue, 04/23/2019 - 6:38am | 0 comments
"Authorities here said an international terror group likely supported an obscure local Islamist group in carrying out a series of bombings that killed at least 321 people on Easter Sunday, weeks after the government had received warnings from the U.S. and India about a possible attack."
Official: Sri Lanka Easter Bombings Retaliation for Christchurch Mosque Shootings
by The Washington Post | Tue, 04/23/2019 - 5:34am | 0 comments
"Sri Lanka on Tuesday described the devastating string of bombings on Easter that killed 321 people as a response to the attack on two mosques in New Zealand last month."
At Least Four Americans Among Dead in Sri Lanka Bombings, State Department Confirms
by The Washington Post | Mon, 04/22/2019 - 4:47pm | 0 comments
"Eight separate bomb attacks on churches and luxury hotels on Easter Sunday left 290 people dead and another 500 injured. A day after the coordinated explosions, which mostly targeted Sri Lanka’s capital city of Colombo, the names and stories of those who died are beginning to trickle out."
Sri Lanka Bombings Update
by The Wall Street Journal, by The Washington Post, by The New York Times | Mon, 04/22/2019 - 1:34am | 0 comments
Continue on for an update concerning the terror bombings in Sri Lanka.
Trump’s Call with Renegade Libyan General Could Signal a Shift in U.S. Policy
by The Washington Post | Sun, 04/21/2019 - 12:23pm | 0 comments
"The White House said Friday that President Trump, in a phone call with renegade Libyan general Khalifa Hifter, praised Hifter for fighting terrorism and protecting Libya’s oil, comments that were far afield from the administration’s stated policy on Libya."
Explosions Rock Tripoli as Airstrike Escalates Fighting
by Reuters | Sun, 04/21/2019 - 3:07am | 0 comments
"Explosions shook the Libyan capital Tripoli late Saturday after an airstrike, residents said, in an escalation of a two-week offensive by eastern forces on the city held by the internationally recognized government."
Updated: Coordinated Explosions Kill at Least 75 People in Three Churches and Two Hotels in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday
by The Washington Post | Sun, 04/21/2019 - 2:50am | 0 comments
"A series of coordinated explosions struck three churches and two hotels in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday, killing at least 75 people and injuring more than 200. Blasts took place in churches in the cities of Colombo, Negombo and Batticaloa"
Large-Scale Assault Hits Afghan Capital After Relative Lull
by The Wall Street Journal | Sat, 04/20/2019 - 3:47pm | 0 comments
"Suspected Islamic State militants attacked a government building in teeming central Kabul on Saturday, killing seven and triggering a gunbattle with government forces that sent terrified workers scurrying for safety and left others huddled in their offices awaiting rescue."
Large-Scale Assault Hits Afghan Capital After Relative Lull
by The Wall Street Journal | Sat, 04/20/2019 - 3:38pm | 0 comments
"Suspected militants attacks a government building, triggering a gunbattle with authorities and killing seven ."
ISIS, After Laying Groundwork, Gains Toehold in Congo
by The New York Times | Sat, 04/20/2019 - 2:17pm | 0 comments
"On Thursday, the Islamic State’s news agency claimed the group’s first attack in the Democratic Republic of Congo, stating that its soldiers had assaulted a military barracks in the area of Beni, killing eight people."
After Social Media Bans, Militant Groups Found Ways to Remain
by The New York Times | Sat, 04/20/2019 - 7:35am | 0 comments
"In July 2013, a broadcaster affiliated with the Islamist group Hezbollah posted a threatening video on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. It featured gun-toting militants practicing an ambush to kidnap Israeli soldiers. The message: This is how we kill you."