Irregular Warfare Podcast The Future of War Part III: Strategic Sabotage in an Era of Great-Power
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Jan 9, 2026 Rear Admiral Mark Schaefer, leading Special Operations Command South, delves into strategic nuances in South America, emphasizing partnership operations and adapting to regional threats. August Cole, a futurist and author, explores future warfare through his short story, 'Special Delivery,' highlighting the significance of sabotage in deterring conflict. Together, they discuss the evolution of sabotage tactics, the vital role of emerging technologies, and the importance of human adaptability in strategic operations, while stressing the need to understand adversary perception to mitigate escalation risks.
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South America's Strategic Leverage
- South America is a strategic vulnerability in U.S.–China competition due to Belt and Road infrastructure there.
- Sabotage in that region can create strategic doubt in Beijing without large-scale war.
Sabotage Is Multi-Domain and Cognitive
- Effective sabotage blends cyber, physical infiltration, logistics disruption, and information effects.
- The aim is to shape adversary decision-making, not merely to destroy hardware.
Build Plans On Realistic Tech
- Use only realistic, fielded technologies when planning future operations to avoid 'vaporware' assumptions.
- Focus on what technologies change: situational awareness, cyber effects, and how those shift local context and sentiment.