Modern War Institute

"Driving across Nairobi, there is no shortage of billboards advertising China Global Television Network standing alongside overtly advertised construction projects funded and managed by the Chinese Communist Party." In arenas of great power competition around the world, the decisive effort will be in the information environment. Here's what that means in Africa.

So this is a town that cannot be flanked or bypassed from the west or the eastyou have to fight up hill into the town from the south. So Ortona really does become a defender's dream. For eight days in December 1943, a Canadian infantry brigade fought from building to building to dislodge German forces from the Italian town of Ortona. Listen to the story in this episode of the Urban Warfare Project Podcast.

As we work to figure out the best approach to bring to bear in the complicated complex and interconnected domain, we should look to the lessons learned in nearly two decades of counterinsurgency operations.

What does it mean to "prioritize prioritization"? Understanding that and the other tips here will help you succeed as a company commander.

The way the US military conducts wargames doesn't do enough to prepare participants for the challenges of irregular warfare. Here are four adjustments that can improve them.

"In the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Azerbaijan quickly wiped out Armenia’s limited air defenses. Armenia did not appear to possess counter-drone systems; the best Armenian forces could muster, according to photos circulating on Twitter, were improvised decoys (aka mannequins) and relatively unsophisticated anti-aircraft guns." There are lessons to learn about drones on the battlefield from the recent fighting between Azerbaijan and Armeniaand about how US military aid to partners should change accordingly.

Robert Hamilton, former head of US ground deconfliction cell in Syria: "When we established clear red lines and when we said, 'If this doesn't stop, we will defend our forces,' always the Russians or their proxies backed down." Don't miss the latest episode of the Irregular Warfare Podcast, featuring an examination of Russia's Wagner Group and what we can learn from it about private military companies on the battlefield.

The Defense Department, like any bureaucracy, has some extraordinary inefficiencies. But reducing them carries risksnot least to resilience. Here's how those risks can be managed in the pursuit of a more efficient organization.

Tonight, over one thousand cadets in the West Point Class of 2021 will learn the branches they'll serve in when they graduate and commission as second lieutenants. Some advice for these and other future leaders about the profession of arms.

In 2007, a single road followed the Kunar River between FOB Naray and Camp Keating in eastern Afghanistan. On July 27, soldiers from 173rd Airborne Brigade's 1st Squadron (Airborne), 91st Cavalry Regiment set out to secure it. Listen to the story from an officer whose platoon saw some of the most intense fighting.