Think.Fight.Learn.Repeat.

The Arctic doesn't forgive mistakes, it punishes them.In this episode, I sit down with Dylan Abbott, an instructor at the Canadian Army's Advanced Warfare Centre, where he teaches Arctic warfare and survival. Dylan breaks down what it truly takes to operate in one of the most unforgiving environments on earth, from the core skills every soldier must master to the mindset required to keep going when the cold, the isolation, and the terrain are working against you.We cover the most common mistakes soldiers make when they first encounter the Arctic, why small errors can become life-threatening problems fast, how much equipment actually matters versus skills and discipline, and what modern forces still get wrong about operating in the high north.If you've ever wanted to understand what Arctic warfare really demands of the people involved, this one's for you.

How do historical assumptions shape strategic decisions and what happens when we get them wrong?In this episode, Phillip Colon, a wargame analyst at Group W, part of Systems Planning and Analysis, joins the podcast to explain why understanding China requires more than analyzing current events. We explore how China’s pre-modern political traditions, the Century of Humiliation, and the Chinese Communist Party’s interpretation of history continue to shape Beijing’s strategic behavior today.Phillip discusses the enduring influence of Confucianism and Legalism, the operational lessons of the Opium Wars and China’s internal conflicts, and why historical memory remains central to issues like sovereignty, legitimacy, and competition below the threshold of armed conflict.For military professionals, strategists, and anyone seeking to better understand China as a long-term competitor, this episode is essential to understanding the context behind modern Chinese decision-making.

What does it actually take to fight and win in a world where every domain is contested, data moves at machine speed, and decisions matter more than platforms?In this first part of a two part episode, we sit down with Colonel Elizabeth Pham, Director of Joint Plans and Operations at the NATO School in Oberammergau, Germany, to unpack how Multi-Domain Operations (MDO) is moving from concept to execution. Drawing on her experience from early U.S. Marine Corps experimentation with information warfare and “kill web” design to building NATO’s cutting-edge MDO course, Col Pham breaks down the real challenges of connecting sensors to shooters across cyber, space, maritime, land, and air, fast enough to matter in a fight.We explore the gap between doctrine and reality, why traditional planning processes fall short in contested environments, and how AI, data, and resilient networks are reshaping the modern battlespace. She also shares how her team partnered with the Naval Postgraduate School to build a course that doesn’t just teach theory, but forces warfighters to think, adapt, and fight under pressure.This conversation goes beyond buzzwords like “convergence” and “synchronization” to answer the hard question: how do you actually achieve decision advantage in real time?If you’re interested in the future of warfare, NATO transformation, or how leaders are preparing forces to operate in denied, disrupted, and degraded environments, then this episode is for you.

What happens when a small team of Ukrainian soldiers outperforms two NATO battalions in a major military exercise?In this episode, we sit down with defence expert Bryan Daugherty to unpack his provocative War on the Rocks article of NATO’s recent training with Ukrainian forces, and why it reveals the importance of training to failure to adapt and innovate.Bryan explains how Ukraine has developed a faster, more adaptive way of fighting, one built on rapid innovation, decentralized decision-making, and real-world combat feedback. During our discussion, we explore NATO's Exercise Hedgehog 2025, where expectations diverged from reality, and why that gap matters far beyond the training environment. The conversation also dives into the evolving NATO–Ukraine partnership, the challenges of integrating hard-earned battlefield lessons, and the risks of misinterpretation.

Further Reading & ReferencesManoeuvre Warfare in the BalticRevisiting the Idea of Sanctuary RussiaTargeting the Russian Rear Zone in a Hypothetical Baltic WarStrategic Theory and Clausewitz’s Trinitarian TestIn this episode, we sit down with Lukas Milevski to discuss his 2024 RUSI Journal article on manoeuvre warfare in the Baltic region. Together, we explore how geography, force posture, and geopolitical constraints shape the challenges of modern warfare on NATO’s northeastern flank.Lukas breaks down the core principles of manoeuvre warfare and examines whether they remain viable in the uniquely constrained and contested environment of the Baltics. From questions of speed, surprise, and initiative to the realities of terrain, logistics, and adversary capabilities, this conversation dives into the tension between theory and practice.Whether you're a student of military history, a defence professional, or simply interested in contemporary security issues, this episode offers a jarring look at one of today’s most strategically significant regions.

In the inaugural episode of Think. Fight. Learn. Repeat., host Lex Luciak speaks with Ed Farren, co-founder of Fight Club International, a global network dedicated to improving how professionals think about conflict through wargaming and debate. In Part 1 of this conversation, they explore the origins of Fight Club and why critical thinking and wargaming matter more than ever in defence and today's strategic environment.