School of War Ep 228: Brad Bowman and Ryan Brobst on “Axis” Military Cooperation
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Sep 7, 2025 Brad Bowman and Ryan Brobst, experts in national security and military affairs from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, delve into the growing military cooperation among China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. They discuss the implications of these alliances for U.S. interests and explore the complexities of military procurement, especially the delays in delivering crucial weapon systems like the Harpoon missile to Taiwan. The conversation also highlights lessons from Ukraine's military innovations and the urgent need for a strategy shift in defense production.
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Measured Growth In Axis Cooperation
- The FDD team found 530 discrete instances of security cooperation among China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea since 2019.
- They see growing capability, capacity, readiness, and resilience from that cooperation.
Performative Vs Substantive Cooperation
- Not all cooperation is equal: FDD distinguishes performative acts from substantive military integration.
- Substantive cooperation increases interoperability and creates real dilemmas for U.S. planners.
Ukraine Facing Multi-Source Support For Russia
- Ukraine is effectively facing support from all three other axis members in different forms, including munitions, missiles, and personnel.
- Those transfers have measurably increased Russian capacity and resilience on the battlefield.
