Overwatch – Details, episodes & analysis

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Overwatch

Institute for the Study of War

News

Frequency: 1 episode/14d. Total Eps: 92

Overwatch, an Institute for the Study of War podcast, goes beyond the news headlines to give listeners analysis and commentary on issues related to U.S. national security and American foreign policy. The episodes feature discussions with experts and practitioners to explore what challenges and opportunities lie ahead for the U.S.

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🇬🇧 Great Britain - dailyNews
29/08/2026
#99
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20/08/2026
#92
🇬🇧 Great Britain - dailyNews
09/08/2026
#96
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🇨🇦 Canada - dailyNews
29/06/2026
#89
🇨🇦 Canada - dailyNews
27/06/2026
#97
🇬🇧 Great Britain - dailyNews
21/06/2026
#83
🇬🇧 Great Britain - dailyNews
31/05/2026
#93
🇬🇧 Great Britain - dailyNews
22/05/2026
#95

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https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/isws-overwatch-podcast-series
2 shares
https://isw.pub/Iraq2021-2022Report
1 share
https://thehill.com/opinion/criminal-justice/500865-the-line-between-tough-and-stupid-better-thinking-to-deal-with-the
1 share

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Score global : 53%

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Can Russia Rebuild Its Military? An Examination of the Russian Military's Wartime Reform Plans

Episode 73

Tuesday, February 28, 2023 • Duration 44:14

Russian leaders have set forth a plan to significantly expand the Russian military in the coming years. This ambitious plan involves the creation of numerous new units and military districts as well as significant improvements in organization and capability. On this episode of Overwatch, Critical Threats Project Director Frederick W. Kagan and Retired Army General James Dubik discuss the feasibility of the Russian plan and its likely goals. They also discuss the challenges and benefits that come with undertaking this reform and expansion while the Russian military is actively engaged in a costly war with Ukraine. Dubik and Kagan assess the Russian plan by comparing it to Soviet and American training and reform efforts during and between other wars of the 20th and 21st centuries. This discussion also considers the Russian plan's implications for NATO.

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One Year of War Part 3: How Western Weaponry Has Affected Russia's Invasion of Ukraine

Episode 72

Thursday, February 23, 2023 • Duration 20:46

Russia Team Lead Mason Clark and Russia Analyst and Geospatial Team Lead George Barros discuss the effects of HIMARS and other advanced Western weapons deliveries on the conflict and the nature of Vladimir Putin's so-called red lines in the conflict. George provides insight into how ISW produces its world-renowned maps of the war in Ukraine. ISW is marking the first anniversary of Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine with a three-part interview series between ISW Russia Team Lead Mason Clark and senior members of his team to discuss the war so far, their assessments, and ISW's research methodology.

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E63: Russia Faces Rising Stakes at Home and Abroad in 2022

Episode 63

Friday, January 7, 2022 • Duration 23:36

Over the past year, ISW’s Russia team has closely tracked Russia’s efforts to integrate Belarus, its growing threats to Ukraine’s independence, and a range of other malign activities elsewhere in the world. Escalating events in 2022 and Putin's need to set conditions ahead of the Russian Presidential election in 2024 will likely force the Kremlin to either double down upon or pull back from these efforts. On this episode of Overwatch, ISW Russia team lead Mason Clark discusses the inflection points that he and his team will be watching for. He’ll also share some of his predictions for Russia’s activity abroad over the coming year.

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E62: Taliban Face Massive Governing Challenges in 2022 as Poverty and Rival Militants Surge

Episode 62

Wednesday, January 5, 2022 • Duration 24:49

The Taliban’s takeover of the Afghan government in 2021 brought the biggest shift in that country since the US invasion 20 years ago. On this episode of Overwatch, ISW Research Director Matt McInnis sits down with ISW Afghanistan Researcher Peter Mills to talk about what to expect in Afghanistan in 2022. Peter will provide his prognosis for the Taliban government as well as share some specific inflection points that he’ll be watching for.

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E61: Turkey Faces Growing Political, Military, and Economic Challenges in 2022

Episode 61

Tuesday, January 4, 2022 • Duration 23:14

A tumultuous 2021 shows no signs of letting up for Turkey. Caught between the competing interests of Russia, the US, and the EU while being led by a man who believes Turkey ought to assert itself as an equal to those powers means Turkey’s limited resources will remain tightly strained in 2022. On this episode of Overwatch, ISW research director Matt McInnis sits down with ISW Turkey Researcher Ezgi Yazici to talk about her forecast for Turkey in 2022. Ezgi provides her thoughts on the political trajectory of President Erdogan’s government, its entanglements in Syria, and its ongoing economic woes.

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E60: Islamic State Khorasan Province Threatens Stability of Taliban-Controlled Afghanistan and the Region

Episode 60

Monday, December 6, 2021 • Duration 29:46

The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan has started a new phase in the war against the Islamic State. Islamic State Khorasan Province (IS-KP) is the local Afghan branch of Islamic State, which fought first the US-backed Afghan government and has continued to fight against the new Taliban government in the hope of creating a hardline Islamic caliphate. IS-KP has targeted Taliban fighters and officials, attacked economic infrastructure to prevent the government from providing services to the populace, and attempted to provoke a sectarian conflict by attacking religious minorities. On this episode of Overwatch, Afghanistan researcher Peter Mills discusses the origins, goals, numbers, and tactics of IS-KP, as well as their threat level to both Afghanistan and the US.

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E59: Belarusian President Escalates Ongoing Migrant Crisis on Polish Border to Undermine the European Union

Episode 59

Thursday, November 18, 2021 • Duration 15:35

Thousands of migrants from the Middle East have become stranded on the border between Belarus and Poland, creating a dangerous stand-off between the two countries. With the European Union behind Poland and Russia supporting Belarus’s authoritarian president, Alexander Lukashenko, the situation has ramifications for stability far beyond the frigid forests of this Eastern European border region. On this episode of Overwatch, ISW Lead Russia Analyst Mason Clark discusses the origins of this crisis and its ramifications for the European Union, Russia, and beyond.

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E58: Turkish Troop Movements on Syrian Border Indicate Possible Incursion against US Partner Forces

Episode 58

Wednesday, November 3, 2021 • Duration 23:43

Turkish President Erdogan may launch a new incursion into Syria that could target the Syrian Defense Forces, the US partner in the counter-ISIS fight. Turkish troops assembled in border areas near SDF positions and Turkish-occupied parts of northern Syria in late October, though deployments appear to have slowed since then. On this episode of Overwatch, Matt McInnis and Ezgi Yazici discuss what a new Turkish incursion could look like and the effects that such a development would have on the broader region. Visit www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/isws-overwatch-podcast-series to see a map that ISW produced to help readers follow along with this discussion.

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E57: Soviet-era Iran Planning Holds Lessons for Modern US Middle East Strategy

Episode 57

Tuesday, October 26, 2021 • Duration 17:24

The Defense Department recently declassified a briefing Dr. David Crist prepared in 2020 on US war planning in the Middle East against the Soviet Union from 1979 to 1987. On this episode of Overwatch, Dr. Crist talks to ISW Research Director Matthew McInnis about this assessment and what it may reveal about a possible future conflict with Iran and strategic competition with Russia and China in the region.

Dr. David Crist is the Executive Director of the Joint Staff History and Research Office and an advisor to US Central Command Commander General Frank McKenzie. He is also the author of “The Twilight War” which is still considered a must-read for students of the US-Iran conflict since the 1979 revolution.

You can see the entire declassified briefing on the ISW website.

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E56: 20 Years after 9/11: US Counterterrorism has Seen Successes, but Major Groups Remain Undefeated

Episode 56

Friday, September 10, 2021 • Duration 24:14

We’re nearing the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the start of the war in Afghanistan. Following the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, the Taliban have seized control of the country, and the US-backed government has collapsed. Meanwhile, Turkey, Russia, China, and other powers remaining in the region are openly jostling for influence in the vacuum left by US forces. Katherine Zimmerman, a Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, has followed US counterterrorism issues and the war in Afghanistan closely. On this episode of Overwatch, she discusses the state of US counterterrorism efforts and American involvement in Afghanistan.

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Overwatch – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

RSS feed quality and score

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Latest published episodes

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Apple Podcasts

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Overwatch – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

Other4

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

Latest published episodes

Similar podcasts and content

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Other4

Apple Podcasts

Spotify