As the world is increasingly urbanized, military forces must be prepared for cities to become battlefields. The Urban Warfare Project Podcast, from the Modern War Institute at West Point, features insightful discussions with scholars and practitioners as it sets out to explore the unique characteristics of urban warfare.
Latest episodes
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1 h 02
Learning at the Speed of Urban Warfare
In urban warfare, the enemy, terrain, population, and tactical problem can change faster than a military’s formal lessons-learned process. Armies cannot wait until a campaign ends…
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1 h 01
Underground Warfare Reimagined
For decades, underground warfare was viewed as a niche military problem. Today, it has become a defining feature of modern conflict. From Hamas's extensive tunnel network beneath G…
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59 min
NATO Urban Training Sites
In this episode, John Spencer is joined by Stuart Lyle, urban operations research lead at the United Kingdom’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, for a discussion on one of…
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45 min
Defending the City of Razish
John Spencer is joined on this episode by Colonel Kevin Black, commander of the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, the Army’s premier opposing force at the National Training Center. Th…
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1 h 01
Drones and Urban Warfare in Ukraine
In this episode, John Spencer is joined by Dr. Anthony Tingle, an independent researcher who has made nine trips to Ukraine since the start of the war, most recently returning from…
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2 h 02
The 2003 Battle of Baghdad
In 2003, one of the most consequential urban operations in modern military history took place as US forces approached Baghdad from the south—the battle for control of the Iraqi cap…
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55 min
Urban Warfare Project Christmas Wish List, 2025 Edition
It's a holiday tradition for MWI and the Urban Warfare Project Podcast—the annual Christmas wish list episode. Once again this year, host John Spencer turns the podcast's focus to…
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54 min
The 2008 Mumbai Attacks
On November 26, 2008, ten Pakistan-based members of the Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist group infiltrated Mumbai and launched nearly simultaneous attacks on five sites across the city. T…
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53 min
The Tunnels of Gaza
Since the October 7, 2023 Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel, John Spencer has conducted research during seven trips to the country, and has had the opportunity to visit Gaza City.…
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36 min
Mossad's Raid in Tehran, 2018
In January 2018, Mossad operatives infiltrated a secret warehouse in Tehran, Iran, broke into dozens of massive safes, and in just under seven hours extracted more than one hundred…
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44 min
The 2005 Battle of Tal Afar, with Retired Lieutenant General H. R. McMaster
In 2005, then Colonel H. R. McMaster commanded the 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment during the Battle of Tal Afar. At the time, the city was a key stronghold for al-Qaeda in Iraq and a…
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34 min
The Future of Autonomous Policing
In this episode, John Spencer is joined by Captain Ryan Danowitz of the El Segundo Police Department. Drawing on his eighteen years of policing experience and research conducted th…
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31 min
From West Point to the Battle of Marawi
In this episode, John Spencer is joined by Major Floren Herrera of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. A graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and recipient…
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1 h 06
Siege Warfare and Civilian Evacuations
By its very nature, urban warfare involves the presence of civilians. And when cities become battlefields, it may be necessary to evacuate noncombatants from them—either due to hum…
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58 min
The Battle for Legitimacy in Urban Warfare
According to US military doctrine, legitimacy is one of the twelve principles of joint operations. But that concept—legitimacy—is a complex one. How is it defined? How should we un…
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45 min
Urban Warfare Project Christmas Wish List, 2024 Edition
In what has become a holiday tradition, the Urban Warfare Project Podcast turns its attention to an important question: What items should be on a military force's urban warfare hol…
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42 min
Israeli Police on October 7 and the Battle of Sderot Police Station
When thousands of Hamas militants invaded southern Israel on October 7, 2023, there were only 110 police officers on duty spread across hundreds of square kilometers, concentrated…
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1 h 06
Militaries' Operational Approaches to Cities
Cities' complex man-made terrain, the presence of civilian populations and infrastructure to support those populations, a complicated information environment, and a range of politi…
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50 min
Underground Warfare 101
From ancient Jerusalem to today's urban battlefields in Ukraine and Gaza, we can find many examples of urban conflicts that have been heavily influenced by their underground compon…
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1 h 04
Urban Strongpoints
A strongpoint is a heavily fortified battle position tied to a natural or reinforcing obstacle. It is used to create an anchor for the defense or to deny the enemy decisive or key…