Rephonic
Artwork for Irregular Warfare Podcast

Irregular Warfare Podcast

Irregular Warfare Initiative
Irregular Warfare
Special Operations Forces
China
Russia
Ukraine
Security Force Assistance
Afghanistan
United States
NATO
Proxy Warfare
Great Power Competition
Hamas
Iran
National Defense Strategy
Information Warfare
Cyber Warfare
Terrorism
South America
Military Strategy
Israel

The Irregular Warfare Podcast explores an important component of war throughout history. Small wars, drone strikes, special operations forces, counterterrorism, proxies—this podcast covers the full range of topics related to irregular war and features in-depth conversations with guests from the military, academia, and the policy community. The podcast is a collaboration between the Modern War Inst... more

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes163Founded6 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
Government

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Irregular Warfare Podcast

Latest Episodes

Ahead of the fifth anniversary of the American withdrawal from Afghanistan this August, Dr. Colin Jackson and Colonel (Ret.) E.J. Degen join us to discuss initial insights from the Afghanistan War Commission’s work. The Afghanistan War Commission is ... more

Description

Episode 160 examines the origins of Britain’s World War II commandos and the enduring role of special operations forces from Churchill’s era to today.

Summary

This episode explores the creation of Britain’s legendary commando force fol... more

Description

Episode 159 examines the relationship between alliances, military access, and U.S. global power projection.

Summary

This episode explores an often overlooked benefit of alliances: wartime access. Dr. Rachel Metz and Ambassador Douglas ... more

YouTube

Nuclear weapons may make direct war between major powers less likely, but they do not end competition. Instead, they push states toward indirect forms of conflict: proxy warfare, security force assistance, covert action, and cyber operations.

The gu... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Modern War Institute
Modern War InstituteModern War Institute at West Point
NatSec Matters
NatSec MattersBeacon Global Strategies LLC
Net Assessment
Net AssessmentThe Stimson Center
Global Security Briefing
Global Security BriefingThe Royal United Services Institute

Recent Guests

Colin Jackson
Co-chair of the Afghanistan War Commission
Afghanistan War Commission
Episode: Five Years After the Withdrawal: Insights from the Afghanistan War Commission
EJ Degen
Chief of the Military Operations and Security Forces Assistance Team at the Afghanistan War Commission
Afghanistan War Commission
Episode: Five Years After the Withdrawal: Insights from the Afghanistan War Commission
Scott Howell
Lieutenant General, retired US Air Force officer; former commanding general of US Joint Special Operations Command and vice commander of US Special Operations Command
US Air Force / Special Operations Command
Episode: Innovation Under Fire: What WWII’s Commandos Teach Us About War and the Future of Special Operations
Monty Halls
Former British Royal Marine; author of Churchill's Killing House
Royal Marines / author
Episode: Innovation Under Fire: What WWII’s Commandos Teach Us About War and the Future of Special Operations
Doug Lute
Former US Ambassador to NATO; retired US Army three-star general
U.S. Government/NATO
Episode: From NATO to the Gulf: Allies, Access, and the Hidden Architecture of American Power
Rachel Metz
Assistant Professor at George Washington University; co-author of Allies and Access article
George Washington University
Episode: From NATO to the Gulf: Allies, Access, and the Hidden Architecture of American Power
Richard Clarke
General, US Army (ret.) and former commander of US Special Operations Command
US Army
Episode: The Wars Nuclear Weapons Don't Prevent
David Logan
Assistant professor in security studies
The Fletcher School, Tufts University
Episode: The Wars Nuclear Weapons Don't Prevent
Kyle Atwell
Special forces officer in the US Army, co-founder and chair of the board of the Irregular Warfare Initiative
Irregular Warfare Initiative
Episode: The Wars Nuclear Weapons Don't Prevent

Hosts

Ben Jebb
Host of the podcast focusing on irregular warfare and defense policy discussions.
Kyle Atwell
Co-host with a focus on empirical and practical perspectives in irregular warfare.

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 759 ratings
  • Excellent

    Very interesting, technical discussions of topical subjects within the defence field from experienced and knowledgeable contributors.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Bibliophenia
    United Kingdom12 days ago
  • Timely Information

    Today’s episode about the Wars which Nuclear Weapons do not Prevent gives a great overview of where the world stands today. Thanks!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    acloisgreen
    United States2 months ago
  • Vocal fry

    Vocal fry fest :/

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    TabacMan123
    Sweden4 months ago
  • Fascinating

    An exceptional podcast that’s deeply informative. Can’t recommend more highly.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Review1299
    United States4 months ago
  • Thank you.

    I really enjoy listening to these discussions. Great to hear diverse views on topics, and interpretations of concepts and operations.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Natalie Treloar
    Australia8 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Guests are top-notch; strong balance of theory and practical insight.
Clear, high-signal discussions with practitioners and academics.
Some episodes criticized for being overly academic or lengthy.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#35
United States/Government
Apple Podcasts
#35
United Kingdom/Government
Apple Podcasts
#75
Canada/Government
Apple Podcasts
#30
Italy/Government
Apple Podcasts
#64
Australia/Government
Apple Podcasts
#125
Germany/Government

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Innovation Under Fire: What WWII’s Commandos Teach Us About War and the Future of Special Operations
Q: Was the primary impact of commando raids military, political, or psychological?
A blend of all three, with initial failures giving way to lessons that improved tactics, while the raids also diverted German resources and shaped strategic thinking; psychological impact on both sides was a major driver.
From NATO to the Gulf: Allies, Access, and the Hidden Architecture of American Power
Q: What are the implications of this conversation for policymakers, practitioners, and scholars?
Policymakers should recognize that access decisions are strategic, require ongoing consultation, and may hinge on domestic politics; peacetime security cooperation can shape wartime outcomes, and long-term alliances remain valuable even as transactional dynamics emerge.
From NATO to the Gulf: Allies, Access, and the Hidden Architecture of American Power
Q: Rachel, your paper argues that we've overlooked one of the most important benefits of alliances in the academic literature: access. Can you define allied access and why it matters?
Allied access is states allowing foreign military operations within their borders, which enables the projection of power and provides situational awareness and deterrence that are essential to modern warfare; it also carries costs and political risks for host states.
From NATO to the Gulf: Allies, Access, and the Hidden Architecture of American Power
Q: Today's episode focuses on an article you wrote, Rachel, Allies and Access, Implications of an American Turn Away from Alliances. What motivated you to write this piece?
The motivation was to broaden the conversation beyond burden sharing (defense spending) to include access, which is a crucial form of military cooperation that enables power projection and has been largely overlooked in public debate.
Setting Out to Win: Why America Needs to Get Serious About Irregular Warfare
Q: Can you summarize the practical shifts you advocate for policymakers and practitioners?
Three big shifts: acknowledge the current crisis, frame intrastate conflict through resilience and resistance, and reframe persistent engagement and contingency planning around these concepts, treating irregular warfare and competition as continuous forms of conflict.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Irregular Warfare Podcast

What is Irregular Warfare Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

The show centers on irregular warfare, counterterrorism, and the use of proxies, drones, and special operations in modern conflicts. Episodes bring together practitioners, scholars, and policymakers to unpack definitions, strategic frameworks, and real-world case studies—from Ukraine and Taiwan deterrence to space, cyber, and economic statecraft. The format tends toward rigorous analysis paired with practical implications for defense, diplomacy, and alliance building, with an emphasis on how irregular approaches influence conventional campaigns and policy design. Notable strengths include a steady rotation of senior practitioners paired with academics to balance operational insight with theoretical framing, plus frequent cross-domain discus... more

Where can I find podcast stats for Irregular Warfare Podcast?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Irregular Warfare Podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Irregular Warfare Podcast and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Irregular Warfare Podcast get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Irregular Warfare Podcast, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Irregular Warfare Podcast?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Irregular Warfare Podcast, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Irregular Warfare Podcast have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Irregular Warfare Podcast has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Irregular Warfare Podcast?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Irregular Warfare Podcast:

1. Modern War Institute
2. War on the Rocks
3. NatSec Matters
4. Net Assessment
5. Global Security Briefing

How many episodes of Irregular Warfare Podcast are there?

Irregular Warfare Podcast launched 6 years ago and published 163 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Irregular Warfare Podcast?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Irregular Warfare Podcast?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Irregular Warfare Podcast from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Irregular Warfare Podcast?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Irregular Warfare Podcast. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Irregular Warfare Podcast?

Recent guests on Irregular Warfare Podcast include:

1. Colin Jackson
2. EJ Degen
3. Scott Howell
4. Monty Halls
5. Doug Lute
6. Rachel Metz
7. Richard Clarke
8. David Logan

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days