War on the Rocks

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You don't need a perfect digital replica of someone to target them. You just need a good-enough model, multiplied across millions of people. warontherocks.com/2026/05/machin…

The Iran war has already burned through years of Tomahawk inventory in weeks. If that's the cost of a regional conflict, what does a fight with China look like? warontherocks.com/2026/05/the-na…

Being a standards-setter rather than a standards-follower can lock in your country's tech dominance for decades. That's exactly what China is betting on. warontherocks.com/2026/05/chinas…

If American forces are positioned based on who's most politically accommodating rather than where they're most effective, deterrence loses. warontherocks.com/2026/05/europe…

A strategy designed to bait an attacker into indiscriminate fire only works if the attacker takes the bait. Restraint and separation deny that leverage entirely. warontherocks.com/2026/05/the-op…

Unlock exclusive access to The Russia Contingency with Michael Kofman, Thinking the Unthinkable with Ankit Panda, and The Iran Reckoning with Afshon Ostovar — available only to War on the Rocks members. Join today. warontherocks.com/membership/

Putin arrived in Beijing days after Trump left. China made a point of treating both men as equals. For Russia, that kind of recognition is never just symbolic. (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/warcas…

A game doesn't just test how someone applies tactics. It shows you how they think, communicate, and handle pressure when the situation breaks against them. (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/soldie…

If you’re working where defense meets innovation, @Cogs0fWar is for you. Follow our dedicated vertical on defense technology and industrial base issues for cutting-edge analysis. warontherocks.com/category/verti…

“Tested in Ukraine” can mean a soldier carried it through three rotations of combat. It can also mean a company flew a drone once outside Lviv and took a photo. warontherocks.com/2026/05/inside…

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Accountability in the military rests on the willingness to ask hard questions, even when the answers are uncomfortable. warontherocks.com/2026/05/the-ki…

The U.S. wants to sell advanced chips to China. China doesn't want to buy them. Both governments are defying their own AI industries. (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/warcas…

Screening tools, qualification frameworks, and scholarship pipelines already exist. What the Pentagon still lacks is a system that connects all of them across an entire cyber career. warontherocks.com/2026/05/the-pe…

Have a story about an American innovation born from war that shaped civilian life, the military, or society? We welcome your submissions. Selected contributors will compete for War on the Rocks memberships and cash prizes. warontherocks.com/cogs-of-war/a-…

US adversaries are integrating fast, and American partners are starting to do the same without asking Washington. What does that shift mean for US global influence? (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/the-in…

War on the Rocks isn’t just a publication — it’s a professional edge. Get the content that national security experts trust. Join today. warontherocks.com/membership/

In 2021, a college senior staring at satellite imagery of western China found something that upended what the expert community thought it knew about Beijing's nuclear ambitions. (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/thinki…

The United States and Iran are in a ceasefire. While catching their breath, U.S. officials are confronting options for the negotiating table that don't look good. (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/episode/the-ir…