Conversations on Strategy

Conversations on Strategy Podcast | Dec. 11, 2024

Lieutenant General Robert C. Richardson, Jr. Central Pacific Theater Arm...

Dr. James D. Scudieri and Colonel Jon Klug analyze Lieutenant General Robert C. Richardson Jr.’s extensive operational reports and his role as Theater Army commander under Admiral Nimitz. The discussion highlights Richardson’s advocacy for Joint

Conversations on Strategy Podcast | Nov. 14, 2024

A Call to Action: Lessons from Ukraine for the Future Force

This episode’s topic is A Call to Action: Lessons from Ukraine for the Future Force, with Dr. John A. Nagl and Colonel Katie Crombe. They discuss the project’s origins and its goal to extract key lessons from the Russia-Ukraine War for US military

Conversations on Strategy Podcast | Oct. 30, 2024

America and the International Order

In this episode, Lieutenant General Ben Hodges (US Army, retired) discusses America’s role in the international order. The podcast covers the Russia-Ukraine War and what it means for NATO, maintaining stability in Eastern Europe, the Middle East,

Conversations on Strategy Podcast | Oct. 23, 2024

Exploring Strategic Culture

This episode delves into the concept of strategic culture and how it influences international relations, military strategy, and deterrence, particularly between the United States, China, and Russia. Dr. Scobell and Dr. Kuznar share insights from

Conversations on Strategy Podcast | Oct. 16, 2024

Military Review and The Harding Project

In this episode, Lieutenant Colonel Zachary Griffiths, Colonel Todd Schmidt, and Major Brennan Deveraux from the Harding Project and Army University Press discuss the how-to edition of Military Review, including the initiative’s goal to enhance

Conversations on Strategy Podcast | Oct. 2, 2024

2024 Annual Estimate of the Strategic Security Environment (Podcast)

In this episode of Conversations on Strategy, Dr. C. Anthony Pfaff, Dr. Brian Carlson, Dr. Michael Lynch, Dr. John Deni, and analyze the 2024 Annual Estimate of the Strategic Security Environment, led by Major Brennan Deveraux. The discussion covers

Conversations on Strategy Podcast | Sept. 20, 2024

“Nanoweaponry and the Resolution Revolution: Making Danger Invisible”

Darrin L. Frye “Nanoweaponry and the Resolution Revolution: Making Danger Invisible” In this episode, Dr. Darrin L. Frye, associate professor of science and technology and innovative futures at the Joint Special Operations University, discusses the

Conversations on Strategy Podcast | Sept. 17, 2024

Technology and Warfare

In this episode, COL Thomas Spahr and Zach Kallenborn discuss technology and warfare and what practitioners and leaders can learn from America’s past wars and the Russia-Ukraine War.

Conversations on Strategy Podcast | Aug. 8, 2024

“Spatial Anchors and Dangerous Liaisons: Terrorist Collaboration in an A...

If leaders of terrorist organizations can recruit, indoctrinate, plan, and operate using AR with little drop-off in effectiveness while staying safely in hiding, the challenges faced by national security and law-enforcement organizations will

Conversations on Strategy Podcast | July 18, 2024

“Weaponizing Food Insecurity: The Violent Extremist Threat to Precision ...

This episode explores the intersection of food insecurity and precision agriculture in the United States with author Michael W. Parrott, an expert in Special Operations Forces counterintelligence. Drawing from his experience in combat zones and

Conversations on Strategy Podcast | July 9, 2024

“ChatGPT, Artificial Intelligence, and the Terrorist Toolbox”

Dr. Sarah Lohmann discusses the use of AI in terrorism, emphasizing its potential for both good and malicious intent. She highlights terrorists’ utilization of AI tools for recruitment and accessing sensitive data, posing cybersecurity risks. Lohmann

Conversations on Strategy Podcast | July 3, 2024

On Emerging Technologies and Terrorism: An American Perspective

Colonel Eric Hartunian and Lieutenant Colonel Paul Milas, co-editors with Susan Sims of Emerging Technologies and Terrorism: An American Perspective, discuss their newly published collaborative study from the US Army War College Press. The

Conversations on Strategy Podcast | June 12, 2024

The Harding Project

Lieutenant Colonel Zachary Griffiths and Sergeant First Class Leyton Summerlin of the Harding Project discuss military discourse and why it matters, the impact of professional writing, tips for aspiring writers, and more. Named after Major General

Conversations on Strategy Podcast | May 29, 2024

On Lessons Learned and Unlearned: The Drivers of US Indirect-Fire Innova...

Lieutenant Colonel Zachary Griffiths and Sergeant First Class Leyton Summerlin of the Harding Project discuss military discourse and why it matters, the impact of professional writing, tips for aspiring writers, and more. Named after Major General

Conversations on Strategy Podcast | May 28, 2024

AI, Trust, Culture, and the Military (Part 2)

Contesting Paul Scharre’s influential vision of “centaur warfighting” and the idea that autonomous weapon systems will replace human warfighters, this podcast proposes that the manned-unmanned teams of the future are more likely to be minotaurs,

Conversations on Strategy Podcast | May 15, 2024

AI, Trust, Culture, and the Military (Part 1)

Contesting Paul Scharre’s influential vision of “centaur warfighting” and the idea that autonomous weapon systems will replace human warfighters, this podcast proposes that the manned-unmanned teams of the future are more likely to be minotaurs,

Conversations on Strategy Podcast | April 24, 2024

Deterrence Gap: Avoiding War in the Taiwan Strait (Part 2)

The likelihood China will attack Taiwan in the next decade is high and will continue to be so, unless Taipei and Washington take urgent steps to restore deterrence across the Taiwan Strait. This monograph introduces the concept of interlocking

Conversations on Strategy Podcast | April 11, 2024

Deterrence Gap: Avoiding War in the Taiwan Strait - Part 1

The likelihood China will attack Taiwan in the next decade is high and will continue to be so, unless Taipei and Washington take urgent steps to restore deterrence across the Taiwan Strait. This monograph introduces the concept of interlocking

Conversations on Strategy Podcast | March 27, 2024

On China’s Global Impact

In this episode, Dr. Luke P. Bellocchi, Major Jamie Critelli, and Captain Gustavo Ferreira address strategic concerns the United States should consider when evaluating the current Asia-Pacific environment, including Taiwan’s potential food insecurity

Conversations on Strategy Podcast | March 14, 2024

Conflict-Related Sexual Violence and Ethical Military Leadership

Jody Prescott and Brenda Oppermann discuss conflict-related sexual violence and the role of leadership vis-à-vis sexual and gender-based violence. While progress has been made in recent years, including United Nations resolutions in 1983 and 2000 and

Conversations on Strategy Podcast | March 6, 2024

The Impact of the Middle East Conflict on South America

How are the Middle East and South America connected, and what does it mean for the United States and other countries in the Western Hemisphere? From geopolitics to economic repercussions, diplomatic relations, security concerns, global energy

Conversations on Strategy Podcast | Feb. 22, 2024

On Drones in Conflict

In this episode, Colonel Paul Lushenko, PhD, discusses drones and their use in Gaza and Ukraine. Lushenko is a faculty instructor, and director of special operations in the Department of Military Strategy, Planning, and Operations at the US Army War

Conversations on Strategy Podcast | Feb. 14, 2024

On Artificial Intelligence

Integrating artificially intelligent technologies for military purposes poses a special challenge. In previous arms races, such as the race to atomic bomb technology during World War II, expertise resided within the Department of Defense. But in the

Conversations on Strategy Podcast | Jan. 29, 2024

International Competition in the High North 2022 Conference Volume Publi...

The 16th annual Kingston Consortium on International Security conference, “International Competition in the High North,” took place on October 11–13, 2022, in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. The conference examined the Arctic region in the context of

Conversations on Strategy Podcast | Jan. 23, 2024

On “The Strategic Importance of Taiwan to the United States and Its Allies”

Taiwan has become increasingly important to the United States and its allies as the Russia-Ukraine War has united democracies against authoritarian expansionism and has developed an international democracy-authoritarianism dynamic in global affairs.

Conversations on Strategy Podcast | Jan. 16, 2024

Deterrence Gap: Avoiding War in the Taiwan Strait

The likelihood China will attack Taiwan in the next decade is high and will continue to be so, unless Taipei and Washington take urgent steps to restore deterrence across the Taiwan Strait. This podcast introduces the concept of interlocking

Conversations on Strategy Podcast | Dec. 21, 2023

On Today's Recruiting Crisis

Dr. Conrad C. Crane and Dr. Brian McAllister Linn address the Army’s recruiting crisis—especially for combat arms. Talent management was identified as an issue for the Army in 1907 in a General Staff report and continues to be a challenge. The

Conversations on Strategy Podcast | Dec. 5, 2023

Americans and the Dragon: Lessons in Coalition Warfighting from the Boxe...

Drawing from archival materials at the US Army Heritage and Education Center and the United States Military Academy at West Point, numerous published primary sources, and a range of secondary sources, this monograph offers an overview of the China

Conversations on Strategy Podcast | Nov. 22, 2023

On The Annual Estimate of the Strategic Security Environment

The Annual Estimate of the Strategic Security Environment serves as a guide for academics and practitioners in the defense community on the current challenges and opportunities in the strategic environment. This year’s publication outlines key

Conversations on Strategy Podcast | Nov. 20, 2023

Revisiting “Diverging Interests: US Strategy in the Middle East”

The October 2023 attacks on Israel by Hamas are only the latest in a series of global crises with implications for the regional order in the Middle East. These changes and the diverging interests of actors in the region have implications for US

Conversations on Strategy Podcast | Sept. 28, 2023

On Strategic Empathy

This podcast explores the benefits of strategic empathy and its value as a leadership tool. Read the issue here: https://press.armywarcollege.edu/parameters/vol53/iss2/9/

Conversations on Strategy Podcast | Sept. 19, 2023

On White Sun War: The Campaign for Taiwan

In this podcast, US Army Col. Jon Klug and retired Australian Major General Mick Ryan discuss Ryan’s most recent book, White Sun War: The Campaign for Taiwan, and its potential implications for future warfare. In the summer of 1986, Tom Clancy’s

Conversations on Strategy Podcast | Aug. 15, 2023

The Ethics of Trusting AI

Based on the monograph Trusting AI: Integrating Artificial Intelligence into the Army’s Professional Expert Knowledge and the Parameters article “Minotaurs, Not Centaurs: The Future of Manned-Unmanned Teaming,” this episode focuses on the ethics of

Conversations on Strategy Podcast | June 28, 2023

AI: Centaurs Versus Minotaurs—Who Is in Charge?

Who is in charge when it comes to AI? People or machines? In this episode, Paul Scharre, author of the books Army of None: Autonomous Weapons and the Future of War and the award-winning Four Battlegrounds: Power in the Age of Artificial Intelligence,

Conversations on Strategy Podcast | June 22, 2023

Trusting AI: Integrating Artificial Intelligence into the Army’s Profess...

Integrating artificially intelligent technologies for military purposes poses a special challenge. In previous arms races, such as the race to atomic bomb technology during World War II, expertise resided within the Department of Defense. But in the

Conversations on Strategy Podcast | May 22, 2023

China’s Future Military Capabilities

The 2022 National Defense Strategy of the United States of America identifies China as the “pacing challenge” for the US military. This podcast examines the process by which China’s military capabilities are developed, the capabilities China’s

Conversations on Strategy Podcast | May 11, 2023

Revisiting “Sino-Russian Relations and the War in Ukraine”

In this podcast, Zenel Garcia and Kevin Modlin draw on recent visits of Chinese officials to Russia to support their contention that Sino-Russian relations are a narrow partnership centered on accelerating the emergence of a multipolar order to

Conversations on Strategy Podcast | May 10, 2023

On “Countering Terrorism on Tomorrow’s Battlefield and Critical Infrastr...

In this episode of Conversations on Strategy, Lucas Cox shares his thoughts on being an intern working on two collaborative studies for NATO.

Conversations on Strategy Podcast | May 9, 2023

“Medical Resilience and Pandemics” from Countering Terrorism on Tomorrow...

Wuraola Oyewusi Medical resilience is a key critical infrastructure in a nation’s preparedness against vulnerabilities. Pandemics such as COVID-19 are potent disruptors of this infrastructure. Health systems that are considered low-resourced have

Conversations on Strategy Podcast | March 29, 2023

On “The Grand Strategy of Gertrude Bell”: From the Arab Bureau to the Cr...

The remarkable life of early-twentieth-century British adventurer Gertrude Bell has been well documented through her biographies and numerous travel books. Bell’s role as a grand strategist for the British government in the Middle East during World

Conversations on Strategy Podcast | Feb. 27, 2023

“NATO Space Critical Infrastructure” from Countering Terrorism on Tomorr...

Every day, malicious actors target emerging technologies and medical resilience or seek to wreak havoc in the wake of disasters brought on by climate change, energy insecurity, and supply-chain disruptions. Countering Terrorism on Tomorrow’s

Conversations on Strategy Podcast | Feb. 23, 2023

Countering Terrorism on Tomorrow’s Battlefield (NATO COE-DAT Handbook 2)

Conversations on Strategy, Conversations on Strategy Podcast, Dr. Sarah J. Lohmann

Conversations on Strategy Podcast | Feb. 3, 2023

“Comparing Policy Frameworks - CISR in the United States and the Europea...

.adetail.news .article-body { max-width: 90% !important; }For over a quarter century the United States and the European Union have been diligently planning and implementing policies and procedures to protect the critical infrastructure sectors that

Conversations on Strategy Podcast | Jan. 31, 2023

“Water Sector Resilience in the Metropolitan Washington Case” from Enabl...

In most urbanized societies, water is taken for granted and little thought is given to how fragile the supply of this vital resource can be. A water emergency, however, such as a treatment plant outage, a water source contamination event, or natural

Conversations on Strategy Podcast | Jan. 27, 2023

“Communications Resilience” from Enabling NATO’s Collective Defense CISR...

Communications form the critical backbone of the modern world, connecting more people and more devices more completely than ever before. The benefits of this hyper-connected society drive ever-increasing reliance on secure, reliable, and resilient

Conversations on Strategy Podcast | Jan. 6, 2023

“Understanding Critical Infrastructure” from Enabling NATO’s Collective ...

This podcast based on Chapter 1 in Enabling NATO’s Collective Defense: Critical Infrastructure Security and Resiliency (NATO COE-DAT Handbook 1 answers the questions: What is critical infrastructure? Why is it important? What is the difference

Conversations on Strategy Podcast | Dec. 19, 2022

Enabling NATO’s Collective Defense CISR (NATO COE-DAT Handbook 1)

In 2014 NATO’s Centre of Excellence-Defence Against Terrorism (COE-DAT) launched the inaugural course on “Critical Infrastructure Protection Against Terrorist Attacks.” As this course garnered increased attendance and interest, the core lecturer team

Conversations on Strategy Podcast | Sept. 22, 2022

Urban Warfare

21st Century Warfare, Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF), Afghanistan, al-Qaeda, collapse, Doha Accord, Grand Strategy, international relations, Military Change and Transformation, Military Strategy and Policy, Pakistan, Security

Conversations on Strategy Podcast | Sept. 21, 2022

Deconstructing the Collapse of Afghanistan National Security and Defense...

The rapid collapse of Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) in August 2021 was widely anticipated and due to its structural constraints and qualitative decline from 2018–21. This article provides a targeted analysis of ANDSF operational

Conversations on Strategy Podcast | Aug. 8, 2022

The Russian Military and the Georgia War - Lessons and Implications

How does the war in Georgia in 2008 relate to the war in Ukraine in 2022? Join Dr. Ariel Cohen and Dr. Robert Hamilton for an in-depth discussion, using their 2011 monograph, The Russian Military and the Georgia War: Lessons and Implications, as a

Conversations on Strategy Podcast | June 3, 2022

On “The Grand Strategic Thought of Colin S. Gray”

In this podcast, Mr. Phillip Dolitsky and Dr. Lukas Milevski discuss the article “The Grand Strategic Thought of Colin S. Gray,” which was published in the Winter 2021-22 issue of Parameters.

Conversations on Strategy Podcast | April 8, 2022

Russia and Ukraine

This podcast is inspired by Dr. Bettina Renz’s 2016 Parameters article “Why Russia Is Reviving Its Conventional Military Power.” Dr. Renz revisits her original work and shares her insights on the current situation in Ukraine.

Conversations on Strategy Podcast | April 6, 2022

Soldiers in Cities - Military Operations on Urban Terrain

This podcast is based on a compendium that resulted from a conference on “Military Operations in an Urban Environment” cosponsored by the Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce in conjunction with the Kentucky Commission on Military

Conversations on Strategy Podcast | March 8, 2022

Broken Nest - China and Taiwan (Part 2)

This podcast analyzes the cutting-edge understandings of deterrence with empirical evidence of Chinese strategic thinking and culture to build such a strategy and explores the counter-arguments from Part 1 of this series.

Conversations on Strategy Podcast | March 7, 2022

Broken Nest - China and Taiwan (Part 1)

Deterring a Chinese invasion of Taiwan without recklessly threatening a great-power war is both possible and necessary through a tailored deterrence package that goes beyond either fighting over Taiwan or abandoning it. This podcast explores