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The Weaponization Of Transnational Crime: A Triangular Analytical Model For Hybrid Threat Development In U.S.–China–Russia Relations, 2000–2025, Michael J. Haak

Senior Honors Theses

This thesis examines the evolving strategic relationship between the United States, China, and Russia from 2000 to 2025 through a triangular model based on reactions to systemic pressures to core strategic interests. The study employs a thematic qualitative data analysis on U.S., Chinese, and Russian national security strategies to analyze strategic posturing between poles over time. This new model serves as the study’s basis for contextualizing hybrid threat development, specifically transnational crime as a proxy force of asymmetric power projection. The study found that the evolution of state-supported transnational crime serves as a by-product of reactions to systemic pressure. State …

An Alternative To Armageddon: O.P. Weyland And The Development Of Tactical Air Power, Paul Wells

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Theorists and advocates of air power argued that aircraft, not ground forces, would become the dominant platform for victory in war. They promoted the concept of strategic bombing, using aircraft to bypass ground forces and directly attack a nation's industrial capacity to wage war, hoping to ensure quick victory and avoid a repeat of the prolonged slaughter in the trenches of WWI. In 1947, led by advocates of strategic bombing, the United States Air Force (USAF) became an independent and equal branch of the U.S. military. The USAF developed the Strategic Air Command (SAC) to meet the requirements of the …

The Use Of Cognitive Biases In Russian Cyber Operations, Emma Manning

Honors Theses

This thesis examines how Russia has employed reflexive control through cyber operations to influence decision-making in foreign states, focusing on disinformation campaigns during the 2014 annexation of Crimea and the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Reflexive control, a concept rooted in Russian military doctrine, seeks to shape an adversary's perceptions and decision-making by providing carefully crafted information that leads targets to make choices favorable to the initiator. This research argues that while the fundamental objectives of reflexive control have remained consistent, technological advances have significantly expanded Russia's ability to conduct operations in developing cyber domains.

Using qualitative analysis of open-source intelligence, …

Book Review: Training For Victory: U.S. Special Forces Advisory Operations From El Salvador To Afghanistan, Joshua O. Lehman

Parameters Bookshelf – Online Book Reviews

Author: Frank K. Sobchak

Reviewed by: Lieutenant Colonel Joshua O. Lehman, academy professor, United States Military Academy

What makes some US Special Forces advisory missions succeed while others fail? In Training for Victory, Frank K. Sobchak examines five decades of elite Green Beret operations—from El Salvador to Afghanistan—to uncover the critical factors behind building effective partner forces. Challenging conventional wisdom, this book reveals surprising truths about language, culture, and combat advising in America’s most complex wars.

Book Review: Ransom War: How Cyber Crime Became A Threat To National Security, James P. Farwell

Parameters Bookshelf – Online Book Reviews

Author: Max Smeets

Reviewed by: James P. Farwell, CEO, The Farwell Group

In Ransom War, Max Smeets breaks down how criminal organizations use cyber technologies for ransoms. He explains the way ransomware organizations operate and how they have evolved with the rise of technology. The reviewer sees this book as well written, with relevant examples and concrete arguments.

Book Review: The Raider: The Untold Story Of A Renegade Marine And The Birth Of U.S. Special Forces In World War Ii, Wylie W. Johnson

Parameters Bookshelf – Online Book Reviews

Author: Stephen R. Platt

Reviewed by: Dr. Wylie W. Johnson, chaplain, US Army War College class of 2010

In this gripping narrative, Stephen R. Platt uncovers the forgotten legacy of a rebellious Marine whose daring vision helped shape the future of US Special Forces. Blending biography with battlefield drama, the book reveals how unconventional tactics and bold leadership redefined America’s approach to warfare. A must-read for anyone interested in the origins of elite military units and the individuals who defied tradition to forge them.

©2026 Wylie W. Johnson

Next-Generation Democratic Cyber Statecraft - Balancing The Signal: Shutdown Shocks And Democratic Digital Governance, Scott M. Di Panni

School of Public Policy Capstones

This paper develops Next-Generation Democratic Cyber Statecraft (NG-DCS), a unified strategic doctrine for democratic governments to contest the cognitive domain against authoritarian adversaries. Drawing on twenty-six years of cross-national panel data (1999–2024) spanning 213 countries, game-theoretic modeling, and qualitative case analysis, the paper establishes three interconnected empirical and theoretical foundations. First, cross-national OLS regression across 160+ countries demonstrates that regime type is the dominant structural determinant of internet freedom (R²=0.615, β=2.513, p< 0.001), explaining more than twice the variance attributable to per-capita wealth (R²=0.268). Democratic governance, not economic development, produces open digital environments. Second, a two-way fixed effects (TWFE) difference-in-differences study exploiting government-ordered internet shutdowns as discrete policy interventions finds that digital restrictions causally degrade V-Dem governance quality by 0.21–0.38 standard deviations (p< 0.001 across all specifications). Treatment effects are immediate (β=−0.302 at k=0) and persist through five post-treatment years (β=−0.246 at k=+5), indicating structural rather than transitory governance damage. Parallel trends validation (p=0.352) and Callaway–Sant’Anna heterogeneity-robust estimation (ATT=−0.230, SE=0.077) support causal identification. Instrumental variable triangulation (2SLS β=−0.949, p=0.005) confirms that simultaneity was attenuating, not inflating, the primary estimates. Third, formal game-theoretic analysis reveals that the current U.S.–adversary equilibrium is (Restrain, Escalate)—the risk-dominant but Pareto-inferior outcome of a Stag Hunt structure. China, Russia, North Korea, and Venezuela each occupy structurally distinct positions (Stackelberg commitment, asymmetric two-level, autarky, and reactive trigger, respectively), requiring differentiated doctrinal responses rather than a uniform strategic playbook. Generative AI and algorithmic governance are shown to accelerate cognitive vulnerability by collapsing influence operation costs and exploiting engagement-optimized platform architectures that systematically degrade deliberative capacity in democratic populations.

Strategic Knowledge: Innovation, Technological Sovereignty, And Geopolitical Competition, Chick Edmond

Knowledge and Creativity Expo

The Twenty-First Century's Shift in Advanced Technologies as Instruments of Economic Growth to central pillars of geopolitical competition States are increasingly using technologies such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, quantum computing, biotechnology and digital infrastructure not simply as commercial assets but as strategic resource bases to enhance their national security and global influence. This paper will examine how innovative systems have been incorporated into broader geopolitical competitions creating "strategic knowledge politic”. This paper dwells on International Political Economy (IPE), Security Studies and Innovation Theory literatures to analyze the changing concepts of technological sovereignty and their implications for the global order. The …

Book Review: Economic War: Ukraine And The Global Conflict Between Russia And The West, Joel R. Hillison

Parameters Bookshelf – Online Book Reviews

Author: Maximilian Hess

Reviewed by: Dr. Joel R. Hillison, director, National Security Policy and Strategy, Department of Distance Education, US Army War College

This book examines the economic war between Russia and the United States from 2012 to 2023 and assesses each country’s strengths and weaknesses. The conversation on economic warfare also expands to discuss other countries’ involvement, the effects of geoeconomics on the Russia-Ukraine War, and how an economic war would look between the United States and China. The reviewer sees this book as thoroughly researched and well written, despite the drawback of not including charts and maps.

Book Review: The Spy And The State: The History Of American Intelligence, Thomas W. Spahr

Parameters Bookshelf – Online Book Reviews

Author: Jeffrey P. Rogg

Reviewed by: Dr. Thomas W. Spahr, Francis W. De Serio Chair of Strategic and Theater Intelligence, US Army War College

From the Revolutionary War to the digital age, The Spy and the State by Jeffrey P. Rogg traces the evolution of American intelligence as a central force in shaping national security and foreign policy. With rich historical detail and sharp analysis, Rogg reveals how espionage has empowered and challenged democratic governance. This compelling narrative offers a fresh lens on the hidden machinery behind America’s global influence.

Book Review: Tradecraft, Tactics, And Dirty Tricks: Russian Intelligence And Putin’S Secret War, Thomas W. Spahr

Parameters Bookshelf – Online Book Reviews

Author: Sean M. Wiswesser

Reviewed by: Dr. Thomas W. Spahr, Francis De Serio Chair of Strategic and Theater Intelligence, US Army War College

A veteran intelligence practitioner exposes the vulnerabilities, contradictions, and hidden conflicts shaping modern Russian espionage—and what they mean for Western security.

Book Review: How Drones Fight: How Small Drones Are Revolutionizing Warfare, Chase Metcalf

Parameters Bookshelf – Online Book Reviews

Author: Lars Celander

Reviewed by: Colonel Chase Metcalf, assistant professor, Department of Military Strategy, Planning, and Operations

Celander’s book discusses the new technologies at the forefront of military transformation and offers recommendations for countering them. He also argues that the introduction of drones into warfare has shifted the approach to air superiority. The reviewer critiques How Drones Fight’s lack of depth and narrow focus yet still sees it as an accessible introduction to drones and the future of warfare.

Book Review: Winning Without Fighting: Irregular Warfare And Strategic Competition In The 21st Century, John A. Nagl

Parameters Bookshelf – Online Book Reviews

Authors: Rebecca Patterson, Susan Bryant, Ken Gleiman, and Mark Troutman

Reviewed by: John A. Nagl, General John J. Pershing Professor of Warfighting Studies, Department of Military Strategy, Planning, and Operations, US Army War College

Winning Without Fighting offers recommendations for the United States’ response to attacks on the rules-based international order. The four authors propose “nothing less than a new grand strategy for America.” The reviewer agrees with some of the authors’ recommendations, while he strongly disagrees with their suggestions on investments.

©2026 John A. Nagl

Book Review: Reflections On The Russia-Ukraine War, Tor Bukkvoll

Parameters Bookshelf – Online Book Reviews

Author: Edited by Maarten Rothman, Lonneke Peperkamp, and Sebastiaan Rietjens

Reviewed by: Dr. Tor Bukkvoll, senior research fellow, Norwegian Defence Research Establishment

Reflections on the Russia-Ukraine War offers a timely and multifaceted exploration of Europe’s most devastating conflict since World War II. Drawing on diverse theoretical frameworks, this volume brings together 28 concise, stand-alone chapters that illuminate the war’s political, military, legal, and ethical dimensions. Ideal for scholars, students, and policymakers alike, it provides both analytical depth and practical insight into the evolving nature of modern warfare.

©2026 Tor Bukkvoll

U.S. Arctic Sea Lines Of Communication (Sloc): The Imperative For A Maritime Complex And Corridor In The Bering Region, Samuel A. Krakower, Troy J. Bouffard

Joint Force Quarterly

This paper examines the current American capacity to defend its newfound Sea Lines of Communication in the North Pacific and Arctic Oceans. The history, and importance, of Sea Lines of Communication trace back to great naval strategists such as Rear Admiral Alfred Thayer Mahan and Sir Julian Corbett, and consistent protection of these maritime corridors in times of war and peace led to the success of the United States. As the Arctic Region emerges as a new theater of geopolitical importance, the United States finds itself significantly disadvantaged or "strategically handicapped” in terms of presence, capability, and proximity to defend …

The Cyber Deterrence Dilemma: Parallels Between Cyber And Intelligence Special Operations, Jorge R. Kravetz Msc

Joint Force Quarterly

The dilemma of cyber deterrence, alongside its potential failures, has gained increasing academic attention, though its parallels with traditional special operations remain less examined. Cyber and special operations—often covert activities involving espionage, sabotage, and subversion, generally linked to strategic or military intelligence—typically evade standard deterrence mechanisms. Drawing on a theoretical framework of deterrence, academic literature, historical cases, and qualitative analyses, this article argues that deterrence tends to fail when deterrers manage to destabilize an adversary without causing significant strategic impacts on the target’s power, economic, or social dynamics, as well as on international relations. Retaliation, shaped by implicit agreements or …

Political Objectives, Nuclear Forces, And The Enduring Value Of U.S. Intercontinental-Range Ballistic Missiles, Michaela Dodge

Joint Force Quarterly

"Political Objectives, Nuclear Forces, and the Enduring Value of U.S. Intercontinental-Range Ballistic Missiles" by Michaela Dodge examines two critical components of contemporary U.S. and Ukrainian security strategy: the enduring value of U.S. intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and the structure and operational evolution of Ukrainian special forces. ICBMs remain the most responsive leg of the U.S. nuclear triad, providing deterrence against nuclear and conventional threats, assuring allies, and supporting strategic flexibility in an era of rising nuclear competition from Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran. Despite aging systems and modernization challenges, ICBMs continue to underpin U.S. national security. At the same …

A Primer On Ukrainian Special Forces: Beyond Joint, Kevin D. Stringer, Taisiia Vivdych

Joint Force Quarterly

"A Primer on Ukrainian Special Forces: Beyond Joint" by Kevin D. Stringer and Taisiia Vivdych examines the evolution, structure, and operations of Ukrainian special operations forces (SOF), highlighting key distinctions from U.S. and NATO models. Tracing their lineage from Soviet spetsnaz to contemporary formations, it analyzes the Ukrainian Special Operations Forces Command (USOFCOM), State Security Service’s Special Operations Center Alfa (SOCA), Rapid Response Corps (KORD), the 10th Separate Operational Response Unit (DOZOR), Foreign Intelligence Service (SZR) units, and the volunteer Kraken Regiment under the Ukrainian Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR). Ukrainian SOF are dispersed across military, intelligence, and law enforcement agencies, …

Breadth Or Depth: The Ongoing Battle In Professional Military Education, Ryan Wadle, Heather Venable

Joint Force Quarterly

This article examines the ongoing and oftentimes heated debates on the curricula in Professional Military Education institutions and the guidance provided by the Joint Chiefs of Staff. By studying the "breadth" of conflict and the national security environment, PME graduates can best apply their knowledge and skills at the intersection of military strategy and political objectives where they can be the most effective.

Cognitive Warfare And Organizational Design: Leveraging Ai To Reshape Military Decision-Making, Michael Silver, Kellen Sick, Matthew Snyder, Justin Farnell, Justin E. Farnell

Joint Force Quarterly

The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) is transforming modern warfare, particularly in decision-making. To maintain its strategic edge, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) must accelerate AI/ML adoption within its decision-making. This paper examines the organizational design factors that influence AI/ML integration in the Joint Force, applying a modified Star Model framework that includes People, Structure, Processes, Incentives, and Leadership & Management.

Effective AI/ML adoption is not just a technological challenge, but a behavioral and organizational one. Possessing AI tools alone is insufficient; realizing their full potential requires adapting how …

Fabrication At The Tactical Edge, Aubry J. Eaton, Dustin T. Thomas

Joint Force Quarterly

This research reviews empirical evidence of rapid battlefield fabrication efforts and proposes potential new uses of this technology. It recommends that the joint force must undergo a paradigm shift to view battlefield manufacturing as an inherent component of force projection with potentially decisive impact across the spectrum of conflict. It proposes a doctrinal concept for Fabrication At The Tactical Edge (FATE), defining the technologies that enable this concept. FATE offsets adversary capabilities by imposing asymmetric costs while making U.S. forces difficult to predict. Unlike prior studies on military innovation, this research focuses on manufacturing itself as a weapon system. If …

Influence By Design: A Network Strategy For Integrated Deterrence, Robert S. Hinck

Joint Force Quarterly

Confronting the complexity of the future security environment requires new concepts to coordinate efforts for maximum effect. The 2022 National Defense Strategy appropriately identifies integrated deterrence as the centerpiece of these efforts but criticisms regarding its strategic application remain. While integrated deterrence is associated with one set of national security strategies, its points of emphasis will endure. This essay addresses current limitations of the concept by offering a tangible and theoretically grounded approach connecting the ends, ways, and means by which the Joint Force and interagency, in combination with US allies and partners, can enact integrated deterrence across the spectrum …

Joint Force Quarterly, Issue 119, 4th Quarter 2025, National Defense University Press

Joint Force Quarterly

Joint Force Quarterly (JFQ) 119 examines the evolving challenges and innovations shaping the U.S. joint force and professional military education. Key themes include tactical-level manufacturing (“Fabrication at the Tactical Edge”), the ongoing debate over curriculum focus in professional military education (“Breadth or Depth in PME”), and the transformative role of artificial intelligence in decisionmaking for military operations. Together, these articles and others highlight the dynamic intersection of technology, strategy, and education in modern defense. This issue highlights how digital transformation, industrial capability, and intellectual agility are vital to maintaining strategic advantage across domains of competition and conflict.

From The Editor In Chief, C. Anthony Pfaff

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

Welcome to the Spring 2026 issue of Parameters, which consists of an In Focus special commentary, three forums (Clausewitz and Modern Warfare, Operational Considerations, and Historical Studies), and the Strategic Competition Corner.

Book Reviews, Usawc Press

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

No abstract provided.

Parameters Spring 2026, Usawc Press

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

No abstract provided.

Imitating Us Doctrine Cost Europe Its Heavy Combat Power, Bence Nemeth

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

This article argues that Europe’s loss of heavy combat power is primarily the result of doctrinal shifts influenced by the United States, rather than underfunding alone. Unlike existing research that focuses on defense budgets or burden-sharing, this study isolates the opportunity costs of adopting US-based expeditionary and counterinsurgency doctrines. Using force structure data for Canada, Germany, and the United Kingdom (1990–2022), it conducts a counterfactual analysis of lost tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, and heavy artillery pieces. The article shows that Europe’s shortfalls are doctrinal as much as fiscal and highlights the relevance of maintaining balance in future doctrinal choices.

Approaching The Military As A Profession Through The Clausewitzian Trinity, Adam T. Biggs

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

The Clausewitzian trinity (people, government, and military—or passion, reason, and chance) can enhance existing scholarship and discussions about military professionalism by emphasizing the fundamental purpose of military forces. Specifically, managing chance incorporates elements of reducing uncertainty and applying creativity as individuals develop coup d’oeil. Junior personnel manage chance by reducing cognitive load while enhancing cognitive skills needed to quickly assess battlefield conditions as they progress to becoming senior leaders. This article contrasts these ideas against the various roles assigned to civil-military forces in the Clausewitzian trinity to emphasize professionalism in developing military leaders.

Spezialpropaganda: The East German Military’S Covert Information-Warfare Program, Joe Cheravitch

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

This article details the East German military’s extensive, innovative covert-propaganda program, which was designed to influence West German attitudes for almost two decades during the Cold War. Unlike existing scholarship that primarily addresses intelligence-led disinformation, this study exclusively analyzes military-led information warfare. The article uses previously classified East German military records to examine capabilities and tactics ranging from fake conscription notices to radio broadcasts. The findings offer contemporary US military planners and practitioners insight into the complexities of integrating information-warfare capabilities, measuring the effectiveness of propaganda, and understanding adversarial influence campaigns, with direct implications for current Joint Force planning and …

Strategic Theory And Clausewitz’S Trinitarian Test, Lukas Milevski

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

Carl von Clausewitz’s trinity represents a qualitative test for strategy in both theory and practice. With the trinity, Clausewitz transforms competing influences into a mark of theoretical quality. Synthesizing several translations of Clausewitz’s On War and interpretations by experts such as Hew Strachan, Antulio J. Echevarria II, and Frank G. Hoffman, this article suggests that Clausewitz believed that good theory encompasses and accounts for all fundamental forces of war, whereas bad theory emphasizes the extremes of one force. The trinity compels mandatory considerations for students of theory, war planners, and practitioners.