A platform for analysis, commentary, debate and multimedia content on foreign policy and national security issues through a realist lens.

Dec 18, 2024 · Michael C. Horowitz is the Richard Perry professor and director of Perry World House at the University of Pennsylvania and a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. From 2022 to 2024, he served as the U.S. deputy assistant secretary of defense for force development and emerging capabilities.. Joshua A. Schwartz is an assistant professor of international relations and emerging ...

Dec 31, 2024 · As we close out 2024, War on the Rocks reflects on the stories and analyses that resonated most with our readers during a year marked by evolving geopolitical tensions, transformative military technologies, and the enduring echoes of history. From strategic challenges in Europe and Asia to the complexities of warfare in Ukraine and Gaza, our top articles reflect the depth and breadth of both ...

Dec 10, 2024 · Europe’s Transformation in Contact. Command and control is not a single piece of technology. It is a complex system that spans from an organization’s structure and processes to the networks, software, and physical infrastructure that support operations.

Nov 18, 2024 · The Decisive Battle Bias. As most U.S. observers agree, China is the rightful pacing challenge for the United States due to its economic growth, military strength, and revisionist ambitions. Despite skepticism in some quarters, there is also an informal consensus that intervening to defeat an invasion of Taiwan should be the pacing scenario for Department of Defense planning given the island ...

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War on the Rocks is in a category of its own in terms of audience, reach, and convening power. Our audience is composed of policymakers, current and former servicemembers, practitioners, technologists, scholars, and beyond.

Oct 15, 2024 · More than 10 years ago, former Army Chief of Staff Gen. Raymond Odierno, former Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Amos, and former Commander of U.S. Special Operations Command Adm. William McRaven observed that “conflict and competition are about people.” As a result “influencing these people—be they heads of state, tribal elders, and militaries and their leaders, or even an entire ...

Jan 9, 2025 · Episode Reading. Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks, “ The Future Character of War,” Keynote Address at RUSI, December 10, 2024. Jack Watling, “ Automation Does Not Lead to Leaner Land Forces,” War on the Rocks, February 7, 2024. Stacie L. Pettyjohn, “ Drones are Transforming the Battlefield in Ukraine but in an Evolutionary Fashion,” War on the Rocks, March 5, 2024.

Nov 8, 2024 · The Need For Teams. Because the mechanics behind how machine intelligences work greatly differ from the underpinnings of biological intelligence, humans and machines bring different strengths and weaknesses to a combined human-machine team.