Guests Nolan Peterson and Kateryna Bondar join host Dave Brown to discuss the rapid expansion of drone warfare across numerous conflict zones. Janus, the Roman God of new beginnings, symbolizes the change from one condition to another and from past to future. The two faces of Janus also represent transitions because he could see into the past with one face, and toward the future with the other. This is a perfect metaphor of this momentous shift in technical weaponry unfolding right in front of us. The future of the modern battlefield is here, and it’s most clearly seen in the rapid growth in drone warfare capabilities and the increasing lethality of the current threat environment it is creating.

Articles:

• Ukraine drones hunt down Russian soldiers as incursion into Belgorod continues – YouTube/The Sun – 10 Apr 2025 (video)
• Battle For Pokrovsk. Ukraine's Drone Pilots Are Trying To Stop Russia | Ukraine Front Line Update, RFE/RL – 7 April 2025 (video)
• Ukraine's DIY drone makers are helping fighters on the front lines, E. Beardsley, NPR, 12 Apr 2025
• Ukraine Is Making FPV Drones Without Chinese Parts And At Lower Cost, D. Hambling, Forbes, 8 Apr 2025 (paywall)
• US Army tests FPV drones in Germany under ‘Project Shiv’, G. Allison, UKDJ, 6 Apr 2025
• Ukraine has capacity to produce 5 million FPV drones per year, advisor says, M. Fornusek, Kyiv Independent, 8 Apr 2025
• Marine Corps stands up ‘attack drone team’ to take lessons from Ukraine and teach them to grunts, J. Schogol, Task & Purpose, 4 Apr 2025
• The century-long reign of the machine gun is over, a Russian strategist argues, M. Peck, Business Insider, 16 Mar 2025 (paywall)
• Ukraine’s Future Vision and Current Capabilities for Waging AI-Enabled Autonomous Warfare, K. Bondar, CSIS, 6 Mar 2025
• Heven Drones unveils new hydrogen-powered, long range UAV at IDEX, S. Frantzman, Breaking Defense, 13 Feb 2025

Guests Gen (Retired) Joseph L. Votel, and Dr. Colin P. Clarke join host Dave Brown and co-host Dr. Heidi Lane to discuss the U.S. mission in Syria and the implications for U.S. counter-terrorism in the region and continuing to prevent the re-emergence of ISIS.

Articles:

• In Syria, America Should Be Ruthlessly Focused on the Islamic State, J. Votel & E. Dent, WOTR, 17 Jan 2025
• Trump Administration’s Counterterrorism Policy Should Begin at Golan Heights, C. Costa & C. Clarke, Cipher Brief, 8 Jan 2025

See Also:

• The Danger of Abandoning Our Partners J. Votel & E. Dent, The Atlantic, 8 Oct 2019
• How to Protect America After the Syria Withdrawal J. Votel & E. Dent, The Atlantic, 21 Oct 2019

See More:

• Beyond Assad: The Rise of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham and Syria’s Uncertain Future, R. Rossoukh, Brandeis University, 18 Dec 2024
• Israel demands complete demilitarisation of southern Syria, S. Usher, BBC News, 24 Feb 2025
• Squeezed between Turkey and Sharaa, Syria's Kurds face stark choices, A. Zaman, Al-Monitor, 13 Feb 2025
• Post-Paris Steps in Syria Could Be Decisive, D. Margolin & A. Zelin, Washington Institute, 28 Feb 2025
• The Syria Breakdown, Episode Four: Revolutionary Rebuilding and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), A. Zelin, Washington Institute, 28 Feb 2025

Guests:

Joseph L. Votel, General USA, (Retired); Retired four-star general in the U.S Army, and former commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) Mar 2016 to Mar 2019, where he oversaw military operations across the region, including the campaign against ISIS in Iraq and Syria. He also served as the commander of U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) and Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). During his military career, Gen Votel gained extensive operational experience across the Middle East, the Levant, Central and South Asia, Northern Africa, and the Horn of Africa. Votel is a non-resident distinguished senior fellow on national security at the Middle East Institute.

Colin P. Clarke, Ph.D., Director of Research and Senior Research Fellow at The Soufan Group (TSG), an intelligence and...

Guests Rebecca Patterson, Susan Bryant, Ken Gleiman, and Christian Trotti join host Dave Brown to discuss the subject of their recent book "Winning Without Fighting: Irregular Warfare and Strategic Competition in the 21st Century."

“This book presents a framework for an American grand strategy that extends beyond traditional military conflict, focusing on irregular warfare methods that enhance a nation’s influence and legitimacy while weakening adversaries. The authors argue for a comprehensive approach that includes military, economic, and informational statecraft to address a modern competitive landscape…” – Cambria Press

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Articles:

• Winning Without Fighting, Irregular Warfare and Strategic Competition in the 21st Century, Cambria Press, September 2024
• A New Playbook for Irregular Warfare: How the United States Can Win Without Fighting, C. Trotti, IWI, 21 Jan 2025
• A Grand Strategy Based on Resilience, E. Borghard, WOTR, 4 Jan 2021

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Guests:

Rebecca Patterson, Ph.D. is Professor of Practice of International Affairs and Associate Director of the Security Studies Program at Georgetown University. She teaches courses on irregular warfare, strategy, policy, and military operations, UN peace operations, and the political economy of contemporary conflict. Dr. Patterson served as an economist in the World Bank’s Independent Evaluation Group and the Deputy Director of the Office of Peace Operations, Sanctions, and Counterterrorism at the State Department. She holds a PhD from The George Washington University, a B.S. from United States Military Academy, and is a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations. A retired U.S. Army officer with more than 22 years of experience, she served in overseas assignments in Thailand, Korea, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

Susan Bryant, Ph.D. is Executive Director of Strategic Education International, an educational non-profit that designs and delivers executive education programs for governments and private industry. She also teaches Grand Strategy and Military History at Georgetown University and Defense Policy Making at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), and serves as a Visiting Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for National Strategic Studies at NDU. Susan is a veteran of the United States Army having served 28 years on active duty, with more than 20 of them in strategic level assignments.

Jan K. Gleiman (Ken), Ph.D. is Professor of Practice at Arizona State University where he leads research and develops education programs for the Future Security Initiative while teaching in the School of Politics and Global Studies. He teaches courses on irregular warfare, strategy, policy, and military operations. Ken is also the Editor-in Chief of the new Small Wars Journal and online publication committed to advancing the discourse of irregular warfare and national security at the speed of relevance. Ken is a 27-year veteran of the United States Army (Colonel), and both a former Green Beret and Army Strategist.

Christian Trotti is a Master of Arts candidate, Graduate Teaching Assistant,...