Ryan Evans interviews defense and intelligence insiders, from Ukraine's front lines to Marine marksmanship doctrine.
War on the Rocks treats strategy, defense, and foreign affairs as practical problems rather than cable-news arguments. Episodes move from Ukraine’s front lines to maritime chokepoints, shipbuilding capacity, Army writing culture, and Defense Department cybersecurity.
PRESS PLAY
War on the Rocks is built around one-on-one interviews conducted by founder and host Ryan Evans, with occasional multi-guest panel episodes. The most frequently recurring subject in the sampled episodes is the war in Ukraine, tracked through repeat appearances by Michael (Mike) Kaufman of the Carnegie Endowment, who reports on front-line conditions, troop density, mobilization shortfalls, and drone and missile warfare after periodic research trips to the country. Other episodes go deep on defense institutions and doctrine, such as a four-person panel of Marine Corps marksmanship instructors from Quantico's Weapons Training Battalion describing the SPEAR lethality framework, or a two-host discussion by Mark and Tom on Canada's fragmented intelligence enterprise featuring retired Brigadier General Jim Cox. Guests come primarily from defense think tanks, military units, retired officers, and intelligence practitioners rather than journalists or pundits. Episodes mix granular battlefield reporting, such as drone attrition rates and interceptor shortages, with broader institutional questions like intelligence oversight and doctrine reform. The show also functions as a network hub, referencing affiliate and members-only spinoff podcasts (Broken Mirrors, The Russian Contingency, Airman Pulse, Marine Pulse) within main-feed episodes. Production is conversational and unscripted, closer in tone to a research briefing than a produced narrative show. Episode length varies widely, from roughly 20-minute battlefield updates to 100-minute institutional deep dives. Episodes assume listener familiarity with military and foreign-policy terminology, such as echelon defense, drawdown authority, and force generation. It is best suited to people following the Ukraine war closely, current or former military and intelligence professionals, and policy-adjacent listeners rather than a general audience.
Made for: Defense, intelligence, and foreign-policy professionals and enthusiasts seeking jargon-fluent analysis of the Ukraine war and U.S. military policy.
What sets it apart: Pairs recurring, on-the-ground battlefield reporting from field researchers like Michael Kaufman with granular, doctrine-level interviews on topics such as Marine marksmanship standards, rather than general geopolitical commentary.
Discussions over drinks with security, defense, and foreign policy insiders and experts. The original War on the Rocks podcast series.
Based on 6 episodes we listened to · September 2026
War on the Rocks makes military strategy legible by tracing battlefield outcomes back to logistics, technology, force structure, and institutional choices.
War on the Rocks turns military developments into questions about capability, logistics, institutions, and strategic choice. Ryan Evans guides conversations that move from battlefield conditions in Ukraine to the Strait of Hormuz, Marine Corps marksmanship, and intelligence…
Field reports meet strategic argument here, so your confident Ukraine take may not survive the first round.
Press play if you want
Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A sober Ukraine battlefield update on Russian limits, drones, ballistic missiles, and the air defense math shaping the war.
War on the Rocks frames the Ukraine war as a contest of adaptation, distance, and exhaustion. Ryan Evans and Mike Kofman start with a front that has stabilized after winter, then move into why renewed Russian mechanized assaults have not produced much.
A sober look at Hormuz, rescue operations, and the limits of force.
This episode looks at the Strait of Hormuz as a narrow choke point where military threat, shipping risk, and energy flow meet. It also asks the harder question: what would it take to reopen a waterway Iran has de facto closed, and what choices would the United States still have…
A steady case that intelligence in a democracy needs shared policy, standards, and better coordination.
Broken Mirrors treats intelligence in a democracy as a problem of judgment under uncertainty, not a hunt for clean answers. It makes a solid case that Canadian intelligence grew from the bottom up after 9/11, without a national or federal plan, and that constitutional…
A sober briefing on Ukraine's drone fight, manpower gaps, and the limits of battlefield adaptation.
This War on the Rocks conversation stays tightly on the machinery of Ukraine's fight: manpower, munitions, drones, and the strain of keeping UAS units supplied.
A sober Ukraine war briefing on manpower shortages, battlefield pressure, and Washington's next hard choices.
War on the Rocks gives a sober, detail-heavy assessment of Ukraine's position, starting with Russian pressure around the Kursk pocket, constrained resupply near Suzha, and a stable but still contested wider front.
A technical, grounded look at how the Marine Corps is rebuilding marksmanship around measurable lethality.
Ryan Evans talks with four Marines from Weapons Training Battalion at Quantico about the Marine Corps' push to remake small-arms marksmanship around a sharper definition of lethality.
Dan Carlin's solo essays connecting executive power, historical collapse, and American democracy.
Atlantic staff writers and host Hannah Rosen unpack Trump-era foreign policy, economics, and democracy.
Two hosts and a correspondent unpack one Latin America story a week, from Chile's election to Iran's war.
Andrew Sullivan's one-on-one interviews on pardons, Israel, Christianity, and political journalism.
Lawfare's weekly panel turns Supreme Court rulings and war-powers fights into legal debate.
Derek Thompson interviews one expert per episode to test big claims against the data.
Ryan Evans of War on the Rocks interviews four Marines from Weapons Training Battalion at Quantico — Captain Phillip Williams, Gunner Josh Gereich, Major Steve Stevenson, and Gunner Sergeant Jude Stewart — about the ongoing transformation of Marine Corps small arms marksmanship.
War on the Rocks host Ryan Evans interviews Michael Kaufman, who has just returned from his seventh research trip to Ukraine, for an assessment of the front and Ukraine's sustainability.
This episode of the Russia Contingency features hosts Ryan Evans and Rob Lee discussing the current situation in the Ukraine war, with a focus on insights from their recent field research trip.
Ukraine is doing better than expected.
Hormuz is the immediate problem.
An analysis of recent Russian advances in Ukraine's Donbass region, focusing on territorial losses, the siege of Prokofiev, and shifting front-line dynamics.
This episode discusses the Ice Pact trilateral agreement between the U.S., Finland, and Canada to collaborate on icebreaker construction and its potential impact on American shipbuilding capabilities.
This episode provides an update on the war in Ukraine, focusing on recent military developments in regions like Kursk, Kherson, and Taratsk, with insights from expert Michael Kaufman.
Ryan Evans interviews three soldiers about the Harding Project, an initiative to revive professional writing in the U.S.
A discussion about Ukraine's military incursion into Russia's Kursk region, analyzing its implications.
An interview with four experts discussing cybersecurity in the Defense Department.
Senator Mark Kelly and Congressman Mike Waltz discuss bipartisan efforts to revitalize American shipbuilding and maritime capacity.
Discussion with Michael Kaufman about counter-UAV systems and combined arms warfare in Ukraine.
An interview with NATO's top military officer about his career and the upcoming NATO summit.
An interview with two Defense Department CTOs about their roles and experiences.
An interview with Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall about reorganization and modernization of the Department of the Air Force.
An interview with the Commandant of the Coast Guard discussing Arctic strategy and icebreaker priorities.
An interview with the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs about his career path and regional issues.
Interview with General Randy George, U.S.
Interview with General David Alvin, Chief of Staff of the Air Force, discussing his inspiration to join the Air Force and his career.
The hosts of Net Assessment discuss their return to podcasting and share updates on their recent projects, including a detailed analysis of U.S.
This episode features an interview with Raj Shah, managing partner of Shield Capital and former head of the Defense Innovation Unit, discussing venture capital investment in defense tech and dual-use technology.
General Eric Smith, Commandant of the Marine Corps, discusses his upcoming planning guidance focusing on Marines, lethality, and mobility, while confirming continuity in force design initiatives.
Discussion of recent Ukrainian military progress and the strategic situation in the war with Russia.
Host Ryan Evans interviews Air Force generals about the role of training and education in preparing for great power competition.
This episode features an interview with Admiral Sir Anthony David Radakin, the professional head of the British Armed Forces, discussing his role, recent visit to Washington D.C., and interactions with U.S.
An expert discusses the current state of Ukraine's military offensive against Russian forces.
An interview with Deputy Homeland Security Advisor Joshua Geltzer about the importance of renewing Section 702 of FISA for national security.
This episode features an interview with historian Stephen Kotkin discussing the ongoing war in Ukraine, its historical context, and implications for Russia and global affairs.
Military experts discuss the latest developments in the Ukraine war, including Russian counterattacks and Ukrainian offensive operations.
Ryan Evans and Mike Coffin discuss the origins and objectives of Ukraine's ongoing military offensive.
An expert interview analyzing the current military situation in Ukraine, focusing on the Bakhmut offensive and Russian attrition.
Ryan Evans is interviewed by Philip Zelikow about the founding and 10-year journey of War on the Rocks, a platform for defense and foreign policy analysis.
Mark and Tom continue their second hard look at strategic intelligence.