Cogs of War

Want to be an insider on defense technology, industry, and policy? The Cogs of War newsletter delivers biweekly expert analysis on defense innovation and the defense industrial base. warontherocks.com/cogs-of-war-ne…

It's not too late to submit to our 250-Year Arsenal of Innovation series! Submissions due this Friday. Cash prizes and free War on the Rocks memberships to the winners. warontherocks.com/cogs-of-war/a-…

What can Western investors and defense tech companies learn from Ukraine’s experience? warontherocks.com/2026/05/inside…

China doesn't need to beat America's AI. It just needs to write the rules everyone else has to follow. warontherocks.com/2026/05/chinas…

If you have something to say about defense technology and industry, we want your voice. Contribute to @Cogs0fWar and shape the debate. warontherocks.com/category/verti…

What if the regulations meant to keep American weapons out of the wrong hands are also keeping them out of the right ones? warontherocks.com/2026/05/regula…

I interviewed the new Cogs of War host and executive editor Jonathan Panter in this latest episode. Get to know Jonathan: a scholar, former surface warfare officer, and keen observer of #defensetech: pod.link/1818133762/epi…

Cogs of War has a new host and executive editor. Ryan sits down with Jonathan to discuss his path from the Navy to defense policy. Listen here: pod.link/1818133762?vie…

An updated air and missile defense strategy doesn't demand a new theory or doctrine. It instead demands the rigorous implementation of combat-tested standards. warontherocks.com/2026/05/the-ne…

The Defense Department has emergency authorities and supplemental funding. The lessons from 2022 suggest neither move the needle fast enough. warontherocks.com/cogs-of-war/th…

The United States can wargame munitions consumption in detail. It cannot yet model how acquisition policy would have changed those inventories before the start of a conflict. warontherocks.com/2026/05/acquis…

Western militaries are pouring money into drones. Ukraine is already complicating the idea that they’re a scalable answer. warontherocks.com/cogs-of-war/ch…

A lot of the affordable mass conversation fixates on unit cost. The harder questions about consumption and production keep getting pushed to the margins. warontherocks.com/2026/04/from-s…

The U.S. military holds most of the best spectrum. Yet much of it is tied up in legacy uses while higher-value commercial and strategic gains are left on the table. warontherocks.com/cogs-of-war/ai…

America’s depots are underused and losing ground for reasons that have little to do with performance. A small shift in incentives could change where billions in work ends up. warontherocks.com/cogs-of-war/wh…

Losing silicon manufacturing was an accumulation of policy choices. Repeating that mistake again with defense-critical chips would be a strategic failure. warontherocks.com/2026/04/the-un…

The F-35 is delivering exactly the capabilities it was designed for. Yet those capabilities may be insufficient for the future campaigns America is preparing to fight. warontherocks.com/cogs-of-war/th…

Anthropic’s new model, Mythos, could redefine cyber power by putting real capability in the wrong hands faster than ever. warontherocks.com/cogs-of-war/an…

The Pentagon keeps pushing exquisite U.S. systems to allies. That may not be what they need most. warontherocks.com/rethinking-sec…

A look inside the new Booz Allen-a16z partnership and the ongoing challenge of connecting venture-backed innovation to government missions. Listen here: pod.link/1818133762/epi…

There is a single point of failure in the global memory supply chain that can’t be quickly rerouted or substituted. It’s also sitting within missile range. warontherocks.com/the-bromine-ch…