The Next War: Russian Asymmetric Warfare and what it means for the wars of tomorrow

With the Global War on Terror beginning to wind down, United States troops are beginning to hand off military responsibilities to many of our allies in the Middle East. As these soldiers return home, they must continue to train and prepare to fight the battles of tomorrow. However, what this battlefield will look like is becoming less certain than we could have ever previously thought. The United States has maintained that the next war will more than likely be between two superpowers with brigade on brigade battles and maneuver becoming commonplace. While the United States was looking towards the next conventional war, its main adversary, Russia has taken initiative to create new ways in which to wage war based on the control of information and small local proxy units. Explored here is how Russia came to be waging what is now known as asymmetric warfare and what the United States has done and needs to do to prepare for future conflicts that may arise. Taking into account ongoing conflicts in Ukraine, we see that Russia will not decisively engage in battle but will use local terrorist groups to accomplish its goals. The use of misinformation and special operations forces allows for Russia to set the conditions necessary for these conflicts to take place, the United States has been slow to recognize this and must adapt to a technologically advanced and irregular enemy threat.