Land Warfare

commentary

What Israel's Ground Offensive Can—and Cannot—Accomplish

Weeks after terrorist attacks left 1,400 Israelis dead, Israel has started its much-anticipated ground offensive in Gaza. But what can such an operation hope to achieve, and why launch such a campaign now?

Raphael S. Cohen

commentary

Appreciating U.S. Ground Force Contributions to Operation Inherent Resolve

Defeating ISIS hinged on a ground fight, requiring the grueling liberation of territory kilometer by kilometer. While Iraqi forces bore the brunt of frontline fighting, U.S. forces were also engaged in on-the-ground combat operations that hastened the defeat of ISIS. Appreciating such contributions will be necessary to distill the right lessons so that we might correctly apply them to future irregular warfare.

Jeffrey Martini, Sean M. Zeigler, et al.

commentary

Could Insurgency Offer Ukraine a Decisive Edge?

While insurgency rarely offers a path to early victory, a campaign of popular resistance that supports the continuing conventional battle could give overmatched Ukraine an edge in its fight against Russian occupiers.

James Dobbins

commentary

Russia Destroyed Grozny and Aleppo—Is Kyiv Next?

Russia used a brutal approach in Grozny and Aleppo, and may use a similar approach against Ukraine's cities. But it could be less effective or riskier in Ukraine. Ukraine's determination to resist is strong, and the West is supplying an impressive array of advanced weaponry and intelligence support.

Colin P. Clarke, William Courtney @courtneywmh, et al.

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What Kind of Resistance Can Ukraine Mount?

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has ordered general mobilization, and Ukrainians are already engaging in irregular warfare and preparing for a prolonged resistance. What might a comprehensive Ukrainian resistance entail? What is the potential effectiveness, and what are the risks? What support could the international community provide?

Stephen J. Flanagan, Marta Kepe @martakepe

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Ukraine Needs Help Surviving Airstrikes, Not Just Killing Tanks

A Russian large-scale multidomain operation would be devastating for the Ukrainian military and people, and Ukraine should work to prevent that. But steps can also be taken to reduce the effects of the air and missile strikes that would likely lead off such an operation.

Dara Massicot @MassDara

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Russian Mercenaries in Great-Power Competition: Strategic Supermen or Weak Link?

The weaknesses within Russian mercenary forces and within the Russian state in relation to press-ganged youths, conscripts, and casualties may offer opportunities for exploitation in great-power competition. These broader weaknesses in Russian national will to fight could be examined to identify more ways to prevent Russia from aggressively undermining Western democracy.

Molly Dunigan, Ben Connable

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A Brief History of the Assault Rifle

The assault rifle is a class of weapon that emerged in the middle of the last century to meet the needs of combat soldiers on the modern battlefield, where the level of violence had reached such heights that an entirely new way of fighting had emerged.

Michael Shurkin

commentary

Artillery Returns to the Battlefield in the War Against ISIL

Together with increased air attacks, the Syrians and their Russian advisors seek to revitalize combined arms forces, and artillery is critical to their vision.

James T. Quinlivan

commentary

How to Lose a Civil War: Lessons for Afghanistan and Syria

Recently, both Syria and Afghanistan have seen battles that demonstrate anew the potential risks of seeking to defend exposed positions. Syrian leaders seem to have recognized that there are limits to the amount of territory its military can hold. Afghanistan's leaders would be well advised to come to the same conclusion.

James T. Quinlivan

commentary

Land Power and a Third Offset Through a Wide-Angle Lens

The so-called 'third offset' is intended to guide U.S. defense strategy. The right way to view it is as part of a comprehensive vision for competitive advantage, one in which land power, often minimized in offset analyses, can play a central role.

Michael J. Mazarr @MMazarr

blog

7 Lessons from 13 Years of War

RAND senior international policy analyst Linda Robinson addressed the annual Army USA Conference in Washington to present new research that distills lessons learned from the U.S. experience in the last 13 years of war.