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School of War

School of War

Hosted by The Free Press

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Episodes

335

Latest episode

Aug 2026

Language

EN

About the show

In School of War, CBS News National Security Analyst and Free Press columnist Aaron MacLean sits down with secretaries of state, top military historians, war planners, and key political decision-makers to help understand the lessons of war. Tune in as School of War takes you to the front lines. Aaron MacLean is a former senior fellow at Hudson Institute. He has worked as a foreign policy advisor and legislative director to Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas and spent seven years in the U.S. Marine Corps. Visit our Substack for episode transcripts Follow along on Instagram

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60 recent
August 14, 202658 min

Tanks vs. Drones

Is the tank obsolete? As drones and precision strikes transform modern battlefields, some have predicted that armored vehicles may soon meet the fate of the cavalry charge. Today on School of War, Colonel Jose A. Reyes and Lieutenant Colonel David “Cam” Smith of the 1st Cavalry Division make the opposite case. Drawing on their experience operating and commanding tanks, they join Aaron MacLean to explain how armored vehicles are adapting to an increasingly drone-centric battlefield—and why the future of warfare may still belong to the cavalry. 3:18 — Reyes and Smith’s Backgrounds 8:40 — The History of Tanks and Maneuver 11:15 — Is the Tank Obsolete? 12:43 — “The Tank Is Alive and Well” 15:17 — Combined Arms at Every Echelon 20:12 — Transforming Armored Warfare 27:02 — The Battlefield Data Problem 30:01 — Ukrainian Innovation and Battlefield Data 33:25 — Electronic Warfare and FPV Drones 38:13 — Cheap Drones and the Cost of Defense 42:44 — Armor and the Problem of Attrition 43:49 — The Future of Unmanned Armor 46:51 — Unmanned Resupply and Medevac 48:25 — Casualty Evacuation in Ukraine 52:16 — What the Army Needs Next This episode of School of War is brought to you by Maven Smart System, the builder platform for the American warfighter, fielded across the force and live on the frontline today. Learn more at palantir.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

August 11, 202657 min

Boris Johnson on Why Europe and America Still Need Each Other

As war in Ukraine grinds towards its fifth year and tensions strain the transatlantic alliance, former British prime minister Boris Johnson says he remains convinced that the West has the power to prevail: “Putin has got to lose.” Today, Johnson joins School of War to discuss how the West can bring the Russian president to the negotiating table, why Europe’s dream of “strategic autonomy” is a “sham, a snare and a delusion,” and why he believes predictions of American decline and Chinese dominance have it backward. 02:20 — When Boris Johnson Knew Putin Would Invade Ukraine 05:46 — Why Europe Didn’t Believe an Invasion Was Coming 09:12 — Did Boris Johnson Stop a Ukraine-Russia Peace Deal? 11:19 — Could Ukraine Trade Land for Peace? 13:43 — What Johnson Saw on Ukraine’s Front Lines 17:06 — How Economic Warfare Could Pressure Putin 18:00 — “Putin Has Got to Lose” 20:00 — The Growing Divide Between America and Europe 22:19 — Can Britain Still Defend Itself? 26:20 —  JD Vance’s Critique of Europe 30:12 — Britain, Free Speech, and the Culture War 34:39 — Can Europe Achieve “Strategic Autonomy”? 39:07 — Why America Should Still Care About NATO 41:01 — The Fight Over the Chagos Islands and Diego Garcia 46:12 — Why Johnson Is Still Betting on America Over China This episode of School of War is brought to you by Maven Smart System, the builder platform for the American warfighter, fielded across the force and live on the frontline today. Learn more at palantir.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

August 7, 202630 min

Ted Cruz’s Plan to Bring Down Iran’s Regime—and Tucker Carlson

As the American right and left are increasingly pulled toward their ideological extremes, many politicians have chosen to appease the loudest voices in their coalitions even when those voices flirt with or openly embrace antisemitism. Senator Ted Cruz says he’s done playing nice. “If we do not defeat this poison,” he warns, “I believe it will consume the Republican Party just like it has consumed the Democratic Party.” Today, Cruz joins School of War to discuss his strategy for bringing down Iran’s regime, what Tucker Carlson’s splinter from the mainstream right means for conservative politics, and the battle he believes will define the future of the Republican Party.  02:08 - The State of Iran After the War 02:46 - Why Trump Struck Iran 04:13 - Why the MOU Was a Disaster 05:39 - The Post That Triggered an Iranian Bot Campaign 07:24 - Why Cruz Opposed the Iran Deal 08:57 - America’s Next Move in Iran 09:29 - Why the Goal Should Be Regime Collapse 12:01 - Cruz’s Strategy to Bring Down the Regime 13:08 - Why He Wants to Arm Iranian Protesters 15:22 - The Future of America’s Foreign Policy 16:27 - Is the Democratic Party Being Taken Over? 21:32 - The Rise of Antisemitism on the Right 22:50 - Why Tucker Carlson Is “Dangerous” 24:06 - “We Have to Defeat This Poison” 26:34 - Could Tucker Carlson Run for President? This episode of School of War is brought to you by Maven Smart System, the builder platform for the American warfighter, fielded across the force and live on the frontline today. Learn more at palantir.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

August 4, 202629 min

Ukraine’s Top Drone Commander on What the Pentagon Keeps Missing

Yuri Fedorenko has spent four years turning a volunteer rifle company into the 429th “Achilles” Brigade, one of the most lethal units in Ukraine’s Defense Forces. Today,  he joins School of War to discuss how the battlefield has evolved since Russia’s full-scale invasion: improvising with commercial drones in 2022, scaling a unit that now hunts targets at an unprecedented scale, what life is like on the front lines, and what the U.S. military can learn from his unit’s drone revolution. This interview was originally conducted in Ukrainian and has been translated and dubbed into English. 02:23 – Yuri Fedorenko on Returning to War 05:08 – Building a Volunteer Unit Overnight 07:37 – Discovering the Power of Drones 09:18 – The Birth of Achilles 11:14 – Ukraine's Drone Revolution 13:12 – How the Unmanned Systems Force Works 17:43 – Why Drone Forces Punch Above Their Weight 18:59 – Inside Russia's Rubicon Drone Unit 21:35 – Beating Rubicon 23:04 – Lessons America Must Learn From Ukraine 25:29 – Why the West Should Train in Ukraine 26:54 – Why 20th Century Warfare Is Obsolete 27:20 – Drones Alone Cannot Win Wars 28:14 – Ukraine's Final Message to America This episode of School of War is brought to you by Maven Smart System, the builder platform for the American warfighter, fielded across the force and live on the frontline today. Learn more at palantir.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

July 31, 202649 min

What It’s Really Like Inside Ukraine in 2026, with Aidan Stretch

For months, it was conventional wisdom among large swaths of the American right that Ukraine would inevitably have to cede its Donbas region to Russia to end the war. Now, with Russian morale flagging, “that assumption is just no longer true,” says Aidan Stretch, a CBS News international reporter based in Kyiv. Today, Stretch joins School of War to discuss the state of play on the battlefield, Laura Loomer’s recent change of heart about the war, and how drone warfare has transformed the very idea of the front line as we know it. 02:36 - Is Ukraine Really Winning? 05:58 - Political Turmoil in Kyiv 06:51 - The Fedorov–Syrskyi Power Struggle 12:06 - The Protests That Changed Ukraine's Military 13:11 - Why Drapatyi Replaced Syrskyi 14:07 - Meeting President Zelensky 17:42 - Asking Zelensky if Ukraine Is Winning the War 20:00 - How Ukrainian Protests Force Political Change 24:29 - The Power of Ukrainian Civil Society 27:10 - Laura Loomer's Visit to Ukraine 28:50 - Ukraine's Military Innovation 30:48 - How Ukraine's Military Really Works 33:58 - Ukraine's Mobilization Challenge 37:24 - Why Drone Warfare Is Only the Beginning 41:34 - How the Middle East and Ukraine Wars Intersect 44:47 - Reporting From the Front Lines of Ukraine This episode of School of War is brought to you by Maven Smart System, the builder platform for the American warfighter, fielded across the force and live on the frontline today. Learn more at palantir.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

July 28, 202640 min

The Dangerous Pause in Iran, with Mark Montgomery

Mark Montgomery, senior director of the Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and a retired U.S. Navy rear admiral, returns to School of War to analyze the latest military developments across the world. Why has the Iran war entered such a dangerous and uncertain phase? What role will the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea play in its next stage? And what do Iran and Ukraine reveal about the changing shape of global conflict? 02:22 - Why the Iran War Suddenly Paused 04:44 - An Uneasy Ceasefire and Dueling Blockades 05:35 - The Challenge of Escorting Ships Through Hormuz 07:19 - Why America's Convoy Strategy Isn't Working 09:15 - The Navy's Readiness Dilemma 09:59 - Blockade vs. Convoy 12:08 - Why the U.S. Must Take More Risk at Sea 14:10 - America's Munitions Problem 15:05 - The Weapons Shortages Shaping the War 16:29 - America's Drone Defense Gap 21:11 - The Electronic Warfare Deficit 23:13 - The Red Sea and the Houthi Threat 26:15 - How Iran and Ukraine Are Connected 30:37 - Russia's Options for Escalation 35:04 - Is a Long Blockade Better Than Escalation? This episode of School of War is brought to you by Maven Smart System, the builder platform for the American warfighter, fielded across the force and live on the frontline today. Learn more at palantir.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

July 24, 20261 hr 1 min

The Rise of the Navy SEALs, with Ben Milligan

Ben Milligan, a former U.S. Navy SEAL, Bronze Star recipient, and author of By Water Beneath the Walls: The Rise of the Navy SEALs, joins School of War to discuss the origins and evolution of one of America's most storied special operations forces. How did the Navy SEALs grow out of the Underwater Demolition Teams of World War II? What does it take to become a SEAL? How did the Vietnam War shape the institution into the force we know today? And what role should the SEALs play as the U.S. military shifts its focus from the war on terror to great power competition? 02:10 – Why Ben Became a SEAL 03:34 – Joining Before 9/11 05:17 – Inside BUD/S 09:17 – Who Makes It Through? 11:26 – What Elite Training Builds 14:29 – The Origins of the SEALs 23:18 – The Origins of UDT 27:10 – Korea Changes the Mission 38:06 – Birth of the SEALs 43:36 – Vietnam Transforms the SEALs 47:33 – The Capture-Kill Raid 49:50 – Lessons for the War on Terror 54:36 – Great Power Competition 56:13 – What Makes Special Operations "Special"? 59:31 – The Future of the SEALs This episode of School of War is brought to you by Maven Smart System, the builder platform for the American warfighter, fielded across the force and live on the frontline today. Learn more at palantir.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

July 21, 202636 min

How Trump Decided to Go to War with Iran, with Jonathan Swan

Jonathan Swan, a White House reporter for The New York Times, joins School of War to discuss the reporting behind his new book, Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump, co-authored with Maggie Haberman. How does Donald Trump make geopolitical decisions? What drove him to join Israel’s war against Iran? How has his thinking on Ukraine evolved? And how does China fit into all of this? 02:23 - Inside Regime Change 05:29 - Trump's View of the World 09:04 - Why Trump Sees Iran Differently 11:25 - Trump's Proxy Strategy 12:44 - Steve Witkoff's Worldview 13:43 - The Principles Behind Iran Policy 14:45 - North Korea vs. Iran 16:15 - Ron Dermer's Prediction 17:58 - Why the 12-Day War Matters 20:48 - Netanyahu's Case for War 25:20 - Trump's Inner Circle on Iran 28:01 - Trump's Turn on Ukraine 30:36 - Trump's Approach to China 31:55 - Taiwan and the China Challenge 33:16 - The Future of Trump's Foreign Policy Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast, or at The Free Press This episode of School of War is brought to you by Maven Smart System — the builder platform for the American warfighter, fielded across the force and live on the frontline today. Learn more at https://www.palantir.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

July 17, 20261 hr 5 min

‘The Odyssey’ and the Search for Historical Truth, with James Diggle and John Underhill

James Diggle, emeritus professor of Greek and Latin at Cambridge University, and John Underhill, professor of geoscience and energy transition at the University of Aberdeen, join School of War to discuss their decades-long search for the real Ithaca of Homer’s Odyssey. Based on their recent Antigone journal article, “In Search of Ithaca,” they explain why the island we’ve called Ithaca for centuries may actually be the wrong one. Can modern geology solve a 3,000-year-old mystery? Have we finally found the true home of Odysseus? And what would that mean for one of the greatest stories ever told? 02:44 – The mystery of Homer's Ithaca 04:45 – Can Homer be treated as history? 06:19 – The Bronze Age world of Odysseus 09:25 – Why modern Ithaca doesn't fit Homer's description 12:02 – Robert Bittlestone's hypothesis 17:15 – The geology expedition begins 23:17 – The million-euro search for Ithaca 28:37 – Disproving the original theory 31:19 – The geological breakthrough 35:09 – The discovery that changes everything 37:22 – Homer never actually calls Ithaca an island 41:24 – Solving a 3,000-year-old mystery 46:22 – Telemachus' journey finally makes sense 50:54 – Would Robert Bittlestone have agreed? 57:43 – The hidden cave Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more at The Free Press. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

July 14, 202652 min

America’s Iran Problem Isn’t Going Away, with Mike Doran

Mike Doran, senior fellow and director of the Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East at the Hudson Institute, returns to School of War to examine why the war with Iran continues despite devastating military setbacks for Tehran. Is President Trump’s Iran strategy truly different from President Obama’s, or are the similarities overstated? What does the fight over the Strait of Hormuz reveal about the limits of American power? And what does this war tell us about the future of U.S. strategy in the Middle East—and its broader competition with China? 01:22 - Recap of the Iran War 06:03 - Iran's Leverage 09:05 - MoU Misunderstandings 12:28 - The Crux of the MoU Dispute 15:42 - The Nuclear Status Quo 17:58 - Iran's Degradation Since October 7 21:13 - The Democrats' View 22:02 - The Right's View 23:25 - Trump's "Obama-Style" Rhetoric 28:10 - Should America Reimpose the Blockade? 28:53 - The Drone and Ballistic Missile Problem 31:10 - Drone Warfare Has Changed Everything 32:01 - The Vulnerability of America's Gulf Allies 37:21 - Is the MoU Still in Effect? 39:34 - Why Nobody Is Buying Iranian Oil 46:32 - China and the Bigger Picture Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more at The Free Press. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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