War on the Rocks

Gen. Frank Donovan, a USMC general leading U.S. Southern Command and autonomous warfare initiatives. He unveils SOUTHCOM's new Autonomous Warfare Command. Short takes cover integrating drones and autonomy beyond experiments. Talks hub-and-spoke structure, affordable maritime systems, partner capacity building, and lessons from Ukraine on maritime drones.

Sándor Ésik, a Budapest-based attorney, blogger, and democratic activist behind the Hungarian Muse, explains Hungary’s political turn. He outlines how Orbán’s soft-authoritarian system worked and why it collapsed. They cover Péter Magyar’s return to pro‑Western conservatism, consequences for Ukraine and the EU, media manipulation, state capture, and a bizarre military scandal involving Orbán’s son.

Michael Kofman, a senior military analyst on Russia and Ukraine, digs into why Western defense tech often underperforms in Ukraine. He covers drones’ shift from ISR to strike, implementation and feedback failures, mismatches between design and battlefield needs, and how Ukrainian unit-level innovation outpaces many Western firms.

Michael Kofman, a senior fellow and Russia security analyst who visits the front lines, breaks down the changing battlefield. He discusses how drones reshape a vast dispersed kill zone. He explains limits of Russian infiltration tactics and Wagner methods. He covers Ukraine expanding strike depth, the growing missile threat, and how Iran’s war affects the conflict.

John "Fozzie" Miller, retired U.S. Navy vice admiral with deep Middle East and maritime ops experience, and Jamie Foggo, retired U.S. Navy admiral and maritime strategist, dissect reopening the Strait of Hormuz. They discuss mines, drones, missiles, and how mine-countermeasure tech and escorts work. They debate raids on Kharg Island, whether air power can keep the strait open, and how downed-pilot recoveries unfold.

Veterans trade vivid stories about mortars, rockets, artillery, and harassment fires from Iraq and Afghanistan. They compare old-area harassment with today’s guided drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic threats. The conversation covers base procedures, quick reaction raids on launch sites, training and family communication, and the psychological toll of persistent, high-volume attacks.

Michael Cadenazzi, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy, oversees efforts to rebuild U.S. defense manufacturing. He discusses brittle supply chains for minerals and energetics. He talks about stabilizing demand with multi-year munitions deals. He covers bringing nontraditional firms into defense and coordinating with allies to scale production.

Joel Wuff, analyst at the National Defense University; Peter Mattis, China-focused former CIA analyst and Jamestown Foundation president; John Zinn, Brookings China politics specialist; Dennis Wilder, veteran CIA China analyst now in academia. They unpack PLA purges, the political control of the military, implications for readiness and corruption, and how leadership turnover reshapes signaling and risk calculations abroad.

Lee Bowden, an EOD officer who led explosive teams at Hamid Karzai International Airport, and Aaron Reep, a Marine infantry leader who commanded Charlie Company during the Kabul evacuation, recount their roles. They describe arrival chaos, the intense first 96 hours to secure the airfield, indicators before the Abbey Gate bombing, balancing force with compassion, and lessons for future noncombatant evacuations.

Naysan Rafati, Senior Iran analyst at the International Crisis Group, maps Tehran’s security and domestic strains. Holly Dagres, Iran specialist and Substack curator, traces protest history and social drivers. Alex Vatanka, Middle East Institute fellow, assesses regional fallout and strategic choices. They discuss protest scale, foreign intervention risks, governance failures, environmental stresses, and U.S. policy options.