War on the Rocks

A Russian drone hit an apartment building in Romania, and Putin knows NATO has the military capability to respond. He's been betting Western leaders lack the will to use it since 2008. (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/warc...

A rescue that took all day and almost wasn't enough. (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/airm...

Are we facing a strategic window of opportunity for Beijing to make a move on Taiwan because of a distracted United States? Listen here: pod.link/682478916/ep...

Most Lebanese can't explain why they're at war. The strategic decisions are being made in Tehran. (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/warc...

Military culture often measures worth in combat kills. Where does that leave the majority of veterans who never saw combat? (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/mari...

A Russian drone hit an apartment building in Romania, and Putin knows NATO has the military capability to respond. He's been betting Western leaders lack the will to use it since 2008. (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/warc...

A rescue that took all day and almost wasn't enough. (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/airm...

From Ranger patrols in Vietnam to a business school ethics classroom. (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/sold...

Most Lebanese can't explain why they're at war. The strategic decisions are being made in Tehran. (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/warc...

A Russian drone hit an apartment building in Romania, and Putin knows NATO has the military capability to respond. He's been betting Western leaders lack the will to use it since 2008. (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/warc...

Military culture often measures worth in combat kills. Where does that leave the majority of veterans who never saw combat? (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/mari...

A rescue that took all day and almost wasn't enough. (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/airm...

Phase two of Gaza's ceasefire process was supposed to bring reconstruction, governance, security. None of it has started. (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/warc...

A Russian drone hit an apartment building in Romania, and Putin knows NATO has the military capability to respond. He's been betting Western leaders lack the will to use it since 2008. (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/warc...

A rescue that took all day and almost wasn't enough. (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/airm...

If your whole identity is wrapped around the military and that identity gets taken from you, what then? (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/sail...

Washington's cooperation with the Kremlin on nuclear deterrence helped define post-Cold War diplomacy. War in Ukraine changes the context, but not the goal. Listen here: pod.link/682478916/ep...

Phase two of Gaza's ceasefire process was supposed to bring reconstruction, governance, security. None of it has started. (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/warc...

What happens when an AI agent can order synthetic DNA, send it to a cloud lab, and assemble something without a human ever touching it? Listen here: pod.link/1818133762/e...

From Ranger patrols in Vietnam to a business school ethics classroom. (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/sold...

If your whole identity is wrapped around the military and that identity gets taken from you, what then? (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/sail...

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz recently proposed partial E.U. membership for Ukraine. Ukraine’s refusal was a surprise to few. (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/warc...

Washington's cooperation with the Kremlin on nuclear deterrence helped define post-Cold War diplomacy. War in Ukraine changes the context, but not the goal. Listen here: pod.link/682478916/ep...

Phase two of Gaza's ceasefire process was supposed to bring reconstruction, governance, security. None of it has started. (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/warc...

Phase two of Gaza's ceasefire process was supposed to bring reconstruction, governance, and security. None of it has started. (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/warc...

If your whole identity is wrapped around the military and that identity gets taken from you, what then? (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/sail...

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz recently proposed partial E.U. membership for Ukraine. Ukraine’s refusal was a surprise to few. (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/warc...

From Ranger patrols in Vietnam to a business school ethics classroom. (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/sold...

Washington's cooperation with the Kremlin on nuclear deterrence helped define post-Cold War diplomacy. War in Ukraine changes the context, but not the goal. Listen here: pod.link/682478916/ep...

What happens when an AI agent can order synthetic DNA, send it to a cloud lab, and assemble something without a human ever touching it? Listen here: pod.link/1818133762/e...

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz recently proposed partial E.U. membership for Ukraine. Ukraine’s refusal was a surprise to few. (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/warc...

For years, former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was a divisive figure in East politics. Now, for the United States and Israel, his record against Iran's security establishment makes him worth a second look. (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/the-...

In 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin changed what he was trying to accomplish in the war with Ukraine. Staying in it now is partly about preparing for the anger waiting for him when it ends. (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/the-...

What happens when an AI agent can order synthetic DNA, send it to a cloud lab, and assemble something without a human ever touching it? Listen here: pod.link/1818133762/e...

Washington's cooperation with the Kremlin on nuclear deterrence helped define post-Cold War diplomacy. War in Ukraine changes the context, but not the goal. Listen here: warontherocks.com/what-would-r...

A cruise missile over your apartment at 3 a.m., coffee by 9, then a drive toward a drone range. What is it like to be a journalist in Ukraine in 2026? (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/unsp...

In 2021, a college senior staring at satellite imagery of western China found something that upended what the expert community thought it knew about Beijing's nuclear ambitions. (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/thin...

In 2021, a college senior staring at satellite imagery of western China found something that upended what the expert community thought it knew about Beijing's nuclear ambitions. (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/thin...

A cruise missile over your apartment at 3 a.m., coffee by 9, then a drive toward a drone range. What is it like to be a journalist in Ukraine in 2026? (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/unsp...

What happens when an AI agent can order synthetic DNA, send it to a cloud lab, and assemble something without a human ever touching it? Listen here: pod.link/1818133762/e...

For years, former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was a divisive figure in East politics. Now, for the United States and Israel, his record against Iran's security establishment makes him worth a second look. (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/the-...

U.S. adversaries are integrating fast, and American partners are starting to do the same without asking Washington. What does that shift mean for U.S. global influence? (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/the-...

Putin arrived in Beijing days after Trump left. China made a point of treating both men as equals. For Russia, that kind of recognition is never just symbolic. (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/warc...

A game doesn't just test how someone applies tactics. It shows you how they think, communicate, and handle pressure when the situation breaks against them. (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/sold...

A game doesn't just test how someone applies tactics. It shows you how they think, communicate, and handle pressure when the situation breaks against them. (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/sold...

For years, former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was a divisive figure in East politics. Now, for the United States and Israel, his record against Iran's security establishment makes him worth a second look. (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/the-...

In 2021, a college senior staring at satellite imagery of western China found something that upended what the expert community thought it knew about Beijing's nuclear ambitions. (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/thin...

U.S. adversaries are integrating fast, and American partners are starting to do the same without asking Washington. What does that shift mean for U.S. global influence? (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/the-...

The war in Ukraine is undergoing a turning point. The front lines are shifting, the drones are multiplying, and the math is starting to change. (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/ther...

US adversaries are integrating fast, and American partners are starting to do the same without asking Washington. What does that shift mean for US global influence? (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/the-...

American MiG pilots spent years flying Soviet jets in secret, building a knowledge of enemy aircraft by actually sitting in the cockpit. (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/airm...

The United States and Iran are in a ceasefire. While catching their breath, U.S. officials are confronting options for the negotiating table that don't look good. (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/the-...

As technology evolves with unprecedented speed, war gaming is reshaping how militaries prepare for the future. (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/sail...

A game doesn't just test how someone applies tactics. It shows you how they think, communicate, and handle pressure when the situation breaks against them. (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/sold...

US adversaries are integrating fast, and American partners are starting to do the same without asking Washington. What does that shift mean for US global influence? (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/the-...

In 2021, a college senior staring at satellite imagery of western China found something that upended what the expert community thought it knew about Beijing's nuclear ambitions. (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/thin...

The United States and Iran are in a ceasefire. While catching their breath, U.S. officials are confronting options for the negotiating table that don't look good. (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/the-...

American MiG pilots spent years flying Soviet jets in secret, building a knowledge of enemy aircraft by actually sitting in the cockpit. (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/airm...

As technology evolves with unprecedented speed, war gaming is reshaping how militaries prepare for the future. (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/sail...

American MiG pilots spent years flying Soviet jets in secret, building a knowledge of enemy aircraft by actually sitting in the cockpit. (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/airm...

As technology evolves with unprecedented speed, war gaming is reshaping how militaries prepare for the future. (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/sail...

US adversaries are integrating fast, and American partners are starting to do the same without asking Washington. What does that shift mean for US global influence? (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/the-...

The war in Ukraine is undergoing a turning point. The front lines are shifting, the drones are multiplying, and the math is starting to change. (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/ther...

While catching their breath during a ceasefire with Iran, U.S. officials face limited options for what comes next. (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/tag/the-iran...

Leadership means being honest about the limits of your own perspective. The people closest to the work usually have the answers you are looking for. (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/airm...

Is France actually changing its Africa strategy or just repackaging it? (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/warc...

What the fight in Lebanon reveals about the limits of Western strategic assumptions. Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/the-...

The war in Ukraine is undergoing a turning point. The front lines are shifting, the drones are multiplying, and the math is starting to change. (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/ther...

Leadership means being honest about the limits of your own perspective. The people closest to the work usually have the answers you are looking for. (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/airm...

American MiG pilots spent years flying Soviet jets in secret, building a knowledge of enemy aircraft by actually sitting in the cockpit. (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/airm...

Syria's fall changed the calculus entirely. For Israel, Turkish boots near its northern doorstep aren't an abstraction. They're an indicator and warning. (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/the-...

Is France actually changing its Africa strategy or just repackaging it? (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/warc...

What the fight in Lebanon reveals about the limits of Western strategic assumptions. Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/the-...

Trump just returned from his first Beijing visit in nearly a decade, and the picture is murkier than the headlines suggest. Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/warc...

Is France actually changing its Africa strategy or just repackaging it? (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/warc...

Leadership means being honest about the limits of your own perspective. The people closest to the work usually have the answers you are looking for. (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/airm...

Trump just returned from his first Beijing visit in nearly a decade, and the picture is murkier than the headlines suggest. Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/warc...

What the fight in Lebanon reveals about the limits of Western strategic assumptions. Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/the-...

The Gulf states all want security, but they're not pursuing it the same way. How those diverging strategies could reshape the region. (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/warc...

What the fight in Lebanon reveals about the limits of Western strategic assumptions. Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/the-...

Trump just returned from his first Beijing visit in nearly a decade, and the picture is murkier than the headlines suggest. Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/warc...

The confessional system was meant to hold Lebanon together. Instead, it calcified divisions and made genuine governance nearly impossible. (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/unsp...

What does it actually take to move drones and autonomous systems from experimentation to employment across an entire hemisphere? Listen here: pod.link/682478916/ep...

The Gulf states all want security, but they're not pursuing it the same way. How those diverging strategies could reshape the region. (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/warc...

How a foreign intelligence assignment can be one of the most rewarding postings of a military career. (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/sold...

Cogs of War has a new host and executive editor. Ryan sits down with Jonathan to discuss his path from the Navy to defense policy, and where he’ll take the vertical next. Listen here: pod.link/1818133762/e...

The Sahel is now the most significant area of jihadist activity in the world, and Western withdrawal has only accelerated the threat. (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/the-...

Trump just returned from his first Beijing visit in nearly a decade, and the picture is murkier than the headlines suggest. (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/warc...

The Gulf states all want security, but they're not pursuing it the same way. How those diverging strategies could reshape the region. (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/warc...

What does it actually take to move drones and autonomous systems from experimentation to employment across an entire hemisphere? Listen here: pod.link/682478916/ep...

Trading structure for freedom sounds like a relief until it feels like a loss. What is the hidden cost of leaving behind the identity the Marine Corps built for you? (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/mari...

Is the U.S. still solving the wrong North Korea problem? Five years without diplomacy has a cost. (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/thin...

The People’s Liberation Army is undergoing a sweeping internal purge. Whether this strengthens or destabilizes China’s war plans remains an open question. Listen here: pod.link/682478916/ep...

The Gulf states all want security, but they're not pursuing it the same way. How those diverging strategies could reshape the region. (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/warc...

How a foreign intelligence assignment can be one of the most rewarding postings of a military career. (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/sold...

The Sahel is now the most significant area of jihadist activity in the world, and Western withdrawal has only accelerated the threat. (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/the-...

Cogs of War has a new host and executive editor. Ryan sits down with Jonathan to discuss his path from the Navy to defense policy, and where he’ll take the vertical next. Listen here: pod.link/1818133762/e...

What does it actually take to move drones and autonomous systems from experimentation to employment across an entire hemisphere? Listen here: pod.link/682478916/ep...