War on the Rocks

What Recent Military Operations Signal About Trump’s Grand Strategy In his 2025 article, “Start Making Sense, Strategy and Grand Strategy in the Trump Administration,” Joshua Rovner argued Trump’s flexible approach to a

Some thoughts in @warontherocks.bsky.social on Trump's grand strategy after Iran warontherocks.com/2026/03/what...

The Velocity Gap Between Pakistan and India In contemporary South Asian crises, velocity matters more than military power. Velocity means how fast responsibility is assigned, actions are authorized,

India’s challenge is not greater aggression but greater timeliness. Without faster parallel processing of attribution, authorization, and outreach, military success may come too late to matter.

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Israel is fighting on multiple fronts as strikes with Iran intensify and Hezbollah reenters the fray. What comes next could reshape the region. (Members Only)

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The Burden That Should Not Be Theirs: How Congress Turned the Military into the Last Check on Illegal War Congress has unintentionally shifted the burden of preventing an unconstitutional war squarely onto the military. By failing to exercise its war powers,

Democrats on the Hill say the U.S. military should refuse illegal orders. They might be right on the law, according to this former Air Force lawyer, but it's not that simple. Not even close.

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In Brief: Increasing Tensions Between China and Japan Create Risks for the Region

What Makes the Air Force Unique?

Israel at War on Multiple Fronts warontherocks.com/ca...

Cogs of War Our dedicated vertical on defense tech & industry, brought to you by an epic partnership between War on the Rocks & Booz Allen Hamilton. National security is inextricably linked to technological prowess, talent, and industrial capacity. We aim to leverage deep expertise and thought leadership to foster the most substantive, impactful conversation possible.

Builders, policymakers, investors, and operators: this is your arena. Follow @Cogs0fWar to join the conversation on the future of defense innovation.

In Brief: Increasing Tensions Between China and Japan Create Risks for the Region Tensions between China and Japan have been heating up in recent months, sparked in November by a statement from Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi

Military activity, economic coercion, and nationalist sentiment are all in play as China and Japan spar. Where could this trajectory lead? (Members Only)

The Velocity Gap Between Pakistan and India In contemporary South Asian crises, velocity matters more than military power. Velocity means how fast responsibility is assigned, actions are authorized,

India may hold conventional superiority, but structural delays can blunt that advantage. In limited wars, timing and synchronization increasingly determine who retains leverage.

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Today in War on the Rocks:

The Velocity Gap Between Pakistan and India

The Burden That Should Not Be Theirs: How Congress Turned the Military into the Last Check on Illegal War

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Why Satellites Fail — and How to Protect Them This exclusive Cogs of War interview is with Jean-François Morizur, the CEO and founder of Cailabs, a French company focused on ground-to-satellite laser

Commercial satellites are indispensable. Knowing why they fail and how to protect them has become increasingly difficult.

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One of the most notorious figures in Mexico’s cartel wars is gone. The consequences are still unfolding. (Members Only)

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What will it take to rebuild the foundation of American military power?

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Why Trump's Criticism of Maliki Strengthens Him in Iraq Is publicly confronting the likely next prime minister of Iraq the right strategy for the United States? The nomination of Nouri al Maliki by the

A public rebuke from the White House was meant to sideline Iraq’s likely next prime minister. It may have rallied his rivals behind him

Twice Bombed, Still Nuclear: The Limits of Force Against Iran’s Atomic Program On Feb. 28, the United States and Israel launched coordinated but separately named military campaigns against Iran — the United States under Operation

Can military force in Iran succeed against Iran's atomic program where diplomacy did not?

Washington Built the AI Infrastructure AUKUS Needs — Then Locked Allies Out The Manhattan Project brought allied scientists to Los Alamos because winning required pooling allied scientific capacity. Today, as Australia

The Genesis Mission unifies America’s exascale infrastructure for AI development. It did not unify the allies who are supposed to build those systems together.

Missed Signals and Middle East Shockwaves Welcome to The Ukraine Compass, a weekly digest of Ukrainian commentary and analysis from across the political spectrum only for War on the Rocks members.

In Ukraine, the war is fought on more than one front. This week’s arguments show how much is at stake beyond the battlefield.

Foundry, Fleet, and Fight: Hedging the U.S. Navy The U.S. Navy got some serious nautical miles under its belt during the first year of this administration, with combat operations from the Caribbean to

From maintenance backlogs to drone swarms, the Navy’s latest strategy confronts hard truths about readiness and risk. Writing the plan was the easy part.

The Supreme Court just struck down a major pillar of recent U.S. tariff policy. What does that ruling change and how could the White House respond? (Members Only)

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The Deluge, the Paper Cup, and Washington’s Lack of Urgency on Guam As I conclude nearly four decades of military and public service, including as lieutenant governor of Guam, a line from the 1986 Crowded House song “Don’t

Guam sits at the center of America’s Indo-Pacific posture, yet its role is often overlooked at home. That gap carries strategic consequences.

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The key question now is whether the Iranian regime can survive. If U.S. or Israeli forces sustain an aerial presence to target repressive forces, it could shape what follows. (Members Only)

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The Deluge, the Paper Cup, and Washington’s Lack of Urgency on Guam As I conclude nearly four decades of military and public service, including as lieutenant governor of Guam, a line from the 1986 Crowded House song “Don’t

Homeland defense looks different from 6,000 miles away. On Guam, it is immediate.

Becoming a Navy linguist starts in the classroom but does not end there. The path stretches from immersion training to operational life. (Members Only)

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Twice Bombed, Still Nuclear: The Limits of Force Against Iran’s Atomic Program On Feb. 28, the United States and Israel launched coordinated but separately named military campaigns against Iran — the United States under Operation

The United States and Israel have struck Iran’s nuclear infrastructure twice in under a year. What those strikes failed to resolve may prove even more consequential.

In practice, "what use to Iran is Hizballah in the event of all-out war against the regime?" ask Faysal Itani and Dania F. Arayssi.

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Get exclusive insights from Michael Kofman on The Russia Contingency and Afshon Ostovar on The Iran Reckoning: only for War on the Rocks members. Join today.