July 23, 2025

Strategy in Contention: Debating America’s Global Priorities

Does the United States need a new playbook — or just fewer plays? In this charged episode, big ideas collide over how to sequence American power across the Middle East, Europe, and the Indo-Pacific. Ryan is joined by A. Wess Mitchell (Marathon Initiative), Stacie Pettyjohn (Center for a New American Security), and Justin Logan (Cato Institute) for a scintillating debate over the future of U.S. strategy.

Listen to the full episode on War on the Rocks.

  • Reports

    Defense

    Munitions Procurement and the Fiscal Year 2027 Defense Budget

    Executive Summary The war with Iran has taken a tremendous toll on the American military’s munitions stockpile. Over half its inventory of high-end missile interceptors has be...

    By Carlton Haelig

    • October 7, 2026
  • Commentary

    Defense

    Sea Drones a Taiwan Game Changer

    This article was originally published in the Taipei Times. China prefers to win without firing a shot in its bid to strangle Taiwan’s strategic autonomy. Chinese military str...

    By Trey Meeks

    • Taipei Times
    • October 5, 2026
  • Podcast

    Defense

    We Go High, We Go Low

    Missiles and drones (slow missiles) put the bang in airpower. But given how many we used in Iran, what would U.S. magazines have to look like to, say, defend Taiwan from the C...

    By Stacie Pettyjohn & Philip Sheers

    • October 1, 2026
  • Reports

    Defense

    Behind the Front Line

    This report considers the near-term opportunities that exist for integrating agentic artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities across the Department of War. While integration ...

    By Josh Wallin & Carlton Haelig

    • September 30, 2026

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