War on the Rocks

The U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding is unraveling three weeks after its signing, with mutual accusations of violations and continued skirmishing despite a prior ceasefire. The agreement faces 'death by a thousand cuts' as both sides exchange tit-for-tat actions without escalating to full hostilities.

Joe Jewell transitioned from academia to lead the Pentagon’s science and technology enterprise, advocating for more researchers to join him. He emphasizes accelerating technology transfer from labs to military personnel and highlights academia’s strategic value to national security.

The White House issued two AI directives under President Donald Trump in June, including an executive order and National Security Presidential Memorandum 11, which emphasizes AI adoption across national security with four pillars. However, fiscal constraints in Fiscal Year 2026 operations and maintenance accounts risk delaying the Pentagon's AI strategy.

A potential victory for al-Qaeda's affiliate Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin in Mali would destabilize the region, unlike the Syrian conflict's mixed security outcomes. The group is described as a transnational coalition with radical goals beyond establishing an Islamic Emirate of Mali, led by Iyad Ag Ghali.

Allison Minor's 2024 analysis argued that international responses to Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping were inadequate and proposed a U.N.-led solution. In 2026, global attention has shifted from the Red Sea to the Strait of Hormuz, prompting a reevaluation of her arguments.

The B-24 Liberator, the most produced American military aircraft of World War II, was a complex four-engine heavy bomber with strategic impact. Its utility and existence were critically tied to the innovative Davis Wing design. American industry produced 18,482 B-24s over five years, serving in every war theater.

Somali pirates are resurging with recent hijackings of three merchant vessels off the Horn of Africa. The multinational naval coalition that previously combated piracy has diminished, leaving the threat unaddressed. Piracy had been dormant since 2016 but is now re-emerging.

The article discusses how modern conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East highlight the growing importance of digital infrastructure as part of the battlespace. It emphasizes that data centers and cloud regions, now critical to military and economic power, face vulnerabilities from long-range weapons, drones, and cyberattacks, necessitating a shift in strategic depth from geographical to digital resilience.

The U.S military requires a common family of watercraft to sustain maritime operations in contested environments against adversaries targeting logistics. The solution emphasizes scalability, interoperability, and wartime replacement for effective future operations.

A Catholic security scholar reflects on their faith and career path, shifting from considering priesthood to teaching, while advocating for responsible military AI. The author emphasizes ethical foundations in security and AI policy.

The article examines the historical rivalry between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, highlighting their contrasting personalities and political philosophies. Their differing views on government structure led to a significant falling out, culminating in the 1800 presidential election.

The article discusses the integrated circuit's role in modern computing and highlights a recurring pattern of government-backed technological breakthroughs transformed by commercial markets into general-purpose technologies. It introduces a series commemorating American defense innovations from wartime for America’s 250th anniversary.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth's 2026 Brussels speech highlighted the Trump administration's perceived abandonment of U.S. commitment to European security, aiming to shift defense burden to Europe and withdraw troops despite Europe's increased military efforts. Hegseth emphasized a push for a balanced NATO alliance with Europe.

The article discusses recurring questions at a conference on the People’s Liberation Army about China's potential military responses to U.S. force posture changes or strikes. It highlights the importance of understanding Chinese military behavior for policymakers and war planners, noting similar scenarios in wargames at the RAND Corporation.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's relationship with Israel's intelligence agencies, particularly Shin Bet, is examined as a potential threat to Israel's liberal democracy. Analysts Ofek Riemer, Daniel Wajner, and Ehud Eiran revisited their 2025 arguments about Netanyahu's clashes with intelligence agencies and their implications.

The U.S. Marine Corps rapidly developed a first-person view (FPV) drone training program from scratch, led by a team at Weapons Training Battalion in Quantico. Key personnel included Col. Scott Cuomo, CWO5 Steve Pearsoll, and others, though Cuomo has since moved to a new assignment. The program now serves as a corps-wide system for FPV drone training.

Trojan Spirit, a program developed by the Army in 1990, enabled deployed commanders to access intelligence from agencies during operations. It overcame barriers caused by fragmented systems and databases, with its early version deployed during Operation Desert Storm, significantly impacting battlefield operations. The Army now seeks a successor to Trojan Spirit.

The article discusses the challenges posed by Hizballah, a hybrid transnational organization that functions as a militia, political party, social services network, and smuggling operation. It argues that American, Lebanese, and other leaders must adopt an integrated approach to address Hizballah's complex nature, as existing efforts have failed to resolve the issue and risk further instability. Lebanese and Israeli representatives have recently met to negotiate security and political issues.

The article compares a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan to the Normandy landings, noting that while Normandy was large in scale, a Taiwan invasion would face unprecedented operational challenges. It highlights the complexity of amphibious operations and emphasizes that analysis of such an invasion often overlooks these difficulties despite China's military modernization.

The fall of the Assad regime in Syria in December 2024, the 2025 decision by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) to dissolve and engage in talks with the Turkish government, and the 2026 U.S.-Israeli war with Iran have significantly impacted Kurdish autonomy and regional stability. Experts assess the implications for Kurds in Turkey, Iraq, Syria, and Iran.