This unreliability of delivery will not only damage allied trust, it will also incentivize diversification away from U.S. suppliers.

A Martial Approach to Applied History: How the U.S. Military Turns History into Judgment

« Historical thinking is, for military professionals, both a personal discipline and an organizational responsibility. We are expected to cultivate judgment through disciplined study of the past, mentorship, and reflection on historical cases. » Excellent piece.

www.belfercenter.org/research-ana...

« In the Pacific, they bring men clear back from the Western islands to Pearl Harbor for rest camps—the equivalent of bringing an Anzio beachhead fighter all the way back to Kansas City for his two weeks rest. » (4/4)

« The Navy gives you a slick sheet of paper as you go through here, entitled « Airline Distances in the Pacific. » And at the bottom of it is printed « Our Enemy, Geography. » Logistics out here is more than a word, it’s a nightmare. (3/4)

« Distance is the main thing. I don’t mean distance from America so much, for our war in Europe is a long way from home too. I mean distances after you get right on the battlefield. For the whole Western Pacific is our battlefield now. » (2/4)

Defense planners often talk about the mind-warpingly vast distances in Indo-Pacific. I find that rereading WWII memoirs and dispatches (here from the great Ernie Pyle) really helps drive that reality home. (1/4)

Annual pilgrimage to the Renaissance & Medieval Armory at the Invalides. Never disappoints.

Big challenge now for EU-pessimists. All they had to do to prove their point that the EU was doomed was say "Hungary" or "Orban." Yet he's gone, and EU still standing. Maybe it's time to rethink EU-doomerism.

There is something in my eye.

Sound on.

It has been a huge team effort over many years, but the Australian War Memorial's new Anzac Hall is open. This includes "Kandahar Workhorse". It was a great privilege to meet many Chinook veterans & family members, & share their untold stories of bravery & loss, professionalism & humour.

The State and the Soldier: A Conversation with the Author | Kori Schake

Next week: "The State and the Soldier: A Conversation with the Author" with @kschake.bsky.social

RSVP here ⤵️
cisac.fsi.stanford.edu/events/state...

No protracted proxy war stays local.

Spain helped reshape the 1930s world order. Ukraine is doing the same today - across Europe, Asia, and beyond.

Thinking regionally is a strategic mistake.

Read the new HCSS guest paper by @irehman.bsky.social:

buff.ly/Shs48Fq

New HCSS paper by Iskander Rehman | What the Spanish Civil War reveals about Ukraine and today’s strategic choices - HCSS A new HCSS guest paper by Dr. Iskander Rehman examines the war in Ukraine through the lens of an oft-cited but seldom explored analogy: the Spanish Civil War. It shows how protracted proxy wars often…

Authoritarian powers are learning by fighting.

From drones to electronic warfare, Ukraine is accelerating military adaptation—just as Spain did in the 1930s.

Are democracies keeping up?

New HCSS guest paper by Dr. @irehman.bsky.social:

Dread deepens among U.S. allies in Asia over a protracted Mideast war Japan, Taiwan and other Asian countries that rely on the U.S. for security worry that the Iran war is drawing American military assets and focus away from containing China.

Allies and partners of the U.S. in Asia are steeling themselves for what they see as the nightmare scenario of a long American war in the Middle East that would distract from their own security concerns about China.

By @rebtanhs.bsky.social & Huiyee Chiew in Taipei, gift link:
wapo.st/3NwcKjV

And last but not least, the broader repercussions of the Spanish Civil War further invalidate the notion that any global proxy war can somehow remain neatly quarantined to one particular sub-region—as some Western policymakers had hoped at the time.

Second, it is a cautionary tale of collective deterrence failure. It demonstrates the perils of adopting a hemiplegic, overly cautious approach in the face of more adventurist & risk-acceptant authoritarian powers, and the risks of
trading a parlous short-term peace for far greater long-term risk.

The history of “lessons learned” during the Spanish Civil War highlights the importance of finding a healthy equilibrium between over-interpreting certain tactical evolutions and military innovations and dismissing them outright.

It was an honor to be asked by the excellent folks at The Hague Center for Strategic Studies to write a report on the Spanish Civil War and its lessons for contemporary policymakers, especially with regard to the war in Ukraine.

Beyond Epic Fury: The Balance of Power, United States Strategy and Secondary Theatres - CSDS US engagement in Iran can dilute focus and deplete critical capabilities needed elsewhere, but it may also weaken key nodes in a broader network of adversaries and create indirect advantages vis-à-vis...

Smart piece by @luissimonn.bsky.social

csds.vub.be/publication/...

Looking forward to lecturing to the brilliant students of
NTU Singapore on Roman grand strategy and its lessons for today. Seems strangely fitting, given Lee Kuan Yew's own extensive ruminations on the issue. Thanks to @wdjames.bsky.social for the kind invitation.

It’s shameful and dangerous for the guy who wrote an article about military education to incite a mob to violence against @bradduplessis.bsky.social, @ryanevans.bsky.social, and @warontherocks.bsky.social for engaging its content. This is how republics die.

Another crisis in UK-US relations. How does the alliance survive repeated ruptures?

Greg Kennedy & I brought together 14 brilliant scholars to answer that in Transatlantic Storms in Anglo-American Relations: How the Alliance Weathers Crises.

Out today with Georgetown University Press. 1/2

Iskander Rehman Iskander Rehman is a nonresident senior fellow in the GeoStrategy Initiative within the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security.

Pleased to share that I’ve joined the
@atlanticcouncil.bsky.social as a Non-Resident Senior Fellow. Grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the Council’s important work. At the same time, I remain open to full-time opportunities in policy & academia.
www.atlanticcouncil.org/expert/iskan...

New Swedish military aid package to Ukraine includes:

- Long-range drones "capable of striking Russian units and infrastructure deep inside their territory" (procurement from Ukr industry)

- Advanced short-range air defence capability

- Large procurement of ammunition, including long-range shells

Killer Defense: Sea-Denial Lessons from Gallipoli to Taiwan In a Taiwan contingency, the U.S. Navy will need to prioritize sea denial.

"Sea denial is having a moment." Good, historically literate piece on the opportunities proffered by the maturation (& Ukrainian demonstration) of new technologies to implement age-old strategies of sea denial in defense of Taiwan:
www.usni.org/magazines/pr...

Denmark expands conscription amid tensions with US Denmark is boosting its ranks by lengthening conscription from four to 11 months and making service gender-neutral. The move comes as security worries in Copenhagen increase amid tensions over Greenla...

Excellent video, but how disheartening--and patently surreal-- to see the young citizens of a model ally referencing US threats as a key driver in their desire to serve in their nation's military.

www.dw.com/en/denmark-e...

U.S. Presence in Greenland: Necessary or Not? YouTube video by Open to Debate

In this debate, @maxboot.bsky.social and I made the case the Trump administration is doing real damage with threats to Greenland

Quite the chart

Ukrainian troops were 'stunned' to learn their British trainers weren't using anti-drone nets, UK officer says Ukrainian soldiers getting combat training from the UK are feeding back key modern warfare lessons that the British Army is adopting.

Excellent set of articles by Sinéad Baker @businessinsider.com highlighting another reason why it's in our interest to continue to support Ukraine: the training runs both ways, with Ukrainians imparting invaluable lessons to their less battle-hardened trainers
www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-stun...

I mean, they’re not even reading the Melian Dialogue, just a couple of lines from it and a general vibe.