U.S. Security Collaboration and Its Impact on Operational Terrains: A Gradual Evolution Analysis
In the latest episode of the Irregular Warfare Podcast, hosts Ben Jebb and Barbara Elias delve into the intricate world of America's security cooperation programs and their impact on regional security environments.
Retired Lieutenant General Mark Hertling, a national security and military analyst for CNN, and Professor Derek Reveron, the chair of national security affairs at the US Naval War College, join the discussion as guests.
The episode begins by exploring how the U.S. employs security cooperation as a tool to build partner capacity, enable burden-sharing, and influence regional stability without direct military intervention. The focus is on balancing operational risks versus strategic gains, ensuring that these programs can deter adversaries while not escalating tensions.
The discussion then shifts to the importance of tailoring security cooperation to regional contexts. It is emphasised that one-size-fits-all approaches can undermine objectives, and that local political, social, and security environments must be carefully considered to make these initiatives effective.
The potential for security cooperation to inadvertently empower actors who may later act counter to U.S. interests is also addressed. This can lead to complex regional dynamics such as proxy conflicts or hybrid warfare, and it is crucial to be aware of these risks.
Examples from recent regional conflicts, such as U.S. interactions in the Middle East and Eastern Europe, are used to illustrate how partnership programs have supported allied resilience against irregular threats and adversarial hybrid tactics.
The need for these programs to foster partner flexibility and sustainment capabilities to respond dynamically to emerging irregular warfare challenges is underscored.
The Irregular Warfare Podcast is not an advertisement but a production of the Irregular Warfare Initiative (IWI), a team of volunteers aiming to connect scholars and practitioners in irregular warfare. The podcast is available on various social media platforms for sharing and can be followed on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
Subscribing to the IWI newsletter provides access to written content, upcoming community events, and other resources. The Irregular Warfare Podcast sends out a monthly newsletter, and the second edition of Professor Reveron's book, Exporting Security, serves as the anchor for the conversation on the podcast.
The current episode's image credit is by Sgt. Justin Geiger, US Army.
[1] Irregular Warfare Podcast. (2025). Episode 66: America's security cooperation programs and their impact on regional security environments. [Audio podcast]. Retrieved from [podcast website]
[2] Irregular Warfare Initiative. (2025). Report on the impact of America's security cooperation programs on regional security environments. Retrieved from [IWI website]
[3] Reveron, D. (2021). Exporting Security: U.S. Military Cooperation, Strategy, and Irregular Warfare. Cornell University Press.
[4] Elias, B., & Jebb, B. (2025). Examining the role of America's security cooperation programs in shaping regional security environments. Irregular Warfare Initiative. Retrieved from [IWI website]
- In the discussion, it's highlighted that one of the strategic goals of America's security cooperation programs is to build partner capacity in defense, enabling burden-sharing and influencing regional stability without direct warfare.
- It's crucial to tailor security cooperation strategies to regional contexts, as one-size-fits-all approaches may undermine objectives and potentially empower actors who might act counter to national security interests.
- To counter emerging irregular warfare challenges, these security cooperation programs need to foster partner flexibility and sustainment capabilities that can respond dynamically to evolving threats.
