Category: Land Warfare Page 1 of 2

New Open Access Book: Russia’s War in Ukraine and Modern Warfare

On 27 July 2026

In Intelligence Analysis, Land Warfare, Modern Warfare, Publication, Russia, Urban Warfare

I am delighted to announce the publication of Russia’s War in Ukraine and Modern Warfare: Strategy, Tactics, and Technology, co-edited with Dr Niklas Nilsson and published by Oxford University Press.

Russia’s war in Ukraine is a defining conflict of our time and a watershed in the evolution of modern warfare. It has challenged established assumptions about how wars are fought, sustained, commanded and understood. Our new volume brings together leading scholars and practitioners to examine what the war reveals about both the enduring nature and changing character of warfare.

The book combines thematic analysis with detailed case studies. Its chapters examine:

manoeuvre warfare and urban warfare;
mission command and command and control;
military logistics and health services;
air and maritime warfare;
force generation and military training;
intelligence collection and sharing;
drones and other emerging technologies;
military learning and adaptation;
gender and the Ukrainian armed forces; and
key phases of the war between 2014 and 2025.

The volume is structured around four parts: dimensions of modern warfare; organisation, technology and training; chronological case studies; and a concluding assessment of the wider lessons of the war.

In addition to co-editing the volume, I co-authored three chapters:

“Russia’s War in Ukraine and the Evolution of Modern Warfare”, with Niklas Nilsson;
“The City as a Battlefield: (Re)Thinking Urban Warfare in the Wake of Ukraine”, with Douglas W. Winton; and
“Russia’s War in Ukraine: Taking Stock”, with Niklas Nilsson.

The book is published Open Access and can be read or downloaded free of charge through Oxford Academic.

Read and download the complete book

The print paperback edition will be published on 30 August 2026 and can be ordered from Oxford University Press.

Reference

Weissmann, Mikael and Niklas Nilsson, eds. Russia’s War in Ukraine and Modern Warfare: Strategy, Tactics, and Technology. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2026.
https://doi.org/10.1093/9780198970903.001.0001

Lecture at NATO Defence College: The Land Domain

By mikaelweissmann

On 19 May 2026

In Conference, Land Warfare, Modern Warfare, Visit

On 18 May 2026, I had the pleasure of giving a lecture at the NATO Defence College in Rome for NATO Senior Course 148 on “The Land Domain: The changing character of war and trends in the land warfighting domain.”

The lecture focused on key trends in contemporary land warfare, including the return of high-intensity industrial war, the increasing transparency of the battlefield, the growing role of drones and artillery, multi-domain pressure on land forces, electronic warfare, urban warfare, and the implications of adversaries disregarding the law of armed conflict and international humanitarian law.

I also discussed emerging developments in land-domain technology and tactics, including UAS, electronic warfare, armour adaptation, robotics, AI-enabled decision support, precision fires, digitalisation, and uncrewed ground systems. The lecture concluded with an assessment of NATO’s land warfighting strengths and areas of concern, including readiness, air defence, industrial capacity, MDO implementation, rear-area resilience, and manpower.

Many thanks to the NATO Defence College for the invitation and for a very good discussion.

New Article: Fågel Fenix: Divisionens strid och taktik i en nutida operativ kontext

By mikaelweissmann

On 1 May 2026

In Land Warfare, Publication, Russia, War Games, Wargames

I am pleased to share a new article co-authored with Lt Col Dr Lars Henåker, published in Kungl. Krigsvetenskapsakademiens Tidskrift, the journal of The Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences. The article appears in issue no. 1/2026, which is a theme issue focusing on the army.

In “Fågel Fenix: Divisionens strid och taktik i en nutida operativ kontext” [Phoenix Rising: Division-level Combat and Tactics in a Contemporary Operational Context], we examine the renewed relevance of the division as a command level in the Swedish Army. Against the background of Sweden’s NATO membership, the war in Ukraine, and the increasing complexity of contemporary land warfare, the article asks what the division adds beyond the brigade level and how it can be used in combat.

The article, written in Swedish, examines the renewed relevance of the division as a command level in the Swedish Army. Against the background of Sweden’s NATO membership, the war in Ukraine, and the increasing complexity of contemporary land warfare, we ask what the division adds beyond the brigade level and how it can be used in combat.

Drawing on observations from the Swedish Army Staff Exercise 2022 (ASÖ22), the article analyses division-level command and tactics through eight tactical elements: deployment, aggressive reconnaissance, manoeuvre, breakthrough, high tempo, surprise, shock, and organisational breakdown. We argue that the division has re-emerged as a critical level for coordinating brigades, enabling manoeuvre, sustaining combat power, and creating the conditions for decisive action in a complex operational environment.

Reference:
Henåker, Lars and Weissmann, Mikael, “Fågel Fenix: Divisionens strid och taktik i en nutida operativ kontext”, Kungliga Krigsvetenskapsakademiens Tidskrift, no. 1, 2026, pp. 52–75. Full text.

New publication: Fältövningshandboken: Att planera och leda en fältövning

By mikaelweissmann

On 15 March 2026

In Land Warfare, Professional Military Education (PME), Publication, Staff Ride, Staff Ride, Teaching and Learning, Wargames

I am pleased to share our new updated and expanded staff ride handbook, Fältövningshandboken: Att planera och leda en fältövning (2026, in Swedish), co-authored with Major Jonas Björkqvist and Major Patrik Wiklund.

The handbook explores field exercises as a central pedagogical tool in officer education. It brings together historical perspective, pedagogy, planning, and execution, and is structured in four modular parts covering:

the field exercise as a method and learning tool,
pedagogical design and constructive alignment,
preparation and planning, and
execution, including hybrid formats and the integration of wargaming.

The book is intended as a practical guide for planning and leading field exercises in professional military education, and for strengthening the link between educational objectives, historical cases, and applied military learning.

Availible as a pdf here: https://doi.org/10.62061/mcji4602/

Lecture at NATO Defence College: The Changing Character of War

By mikaelweissmann

On 25 November 2025

In Conference, Land Warfare, Modern Warfare, Visit

On 25 November 2025, I had the pleasure of giving a lecture at the NATO Defence College in Rome for the NATO Senior Course on “The changing character of war: Trends in the Land Warfighting Domain.”

The lecture addressed strategic trends in modern land warfare, new developments in land-domain techniques and technology, and NATO’s and its member states’ land warfighting capabilities.

Many thanks to the NATO Defence College for the invitation and for a very good discussion.

PhD Defence: Re-thinking Operational Depth — Col Dr Anders Ekholm

By mikaelweissmann

On 8 November 2025

In Land Warfare, Teaching and Learning

On 7 November 2025, my doctoral student Col Dr Anders Ekholm defended his PhD thesis in War Studies at the Swedish Defence University: From the Linear to the Circular: Re-thinking Operational Depth. I had the privilege of serving as main supervisor, together with Docent Niklas Nilsson.

The faculty opponent was Professor Olivier Schmitt professor and head of research at the Institute for Military Operations at the Royal Danish Defence College.

The thesis is an exploratory, concept-developing compilation study on Operational Art, focusing on Depth. Using Israel as a fieldwork-oriented case study, it examines how limited physical depth can be managed effectively and challenges the assumption that a lack of space inevitably leads to military defeat. It also broadens depth to include a cognitive dimension and develops a circular model for generating depth by leveraging existing resources.

Publication
Ekholm, Anders (2025). From the Linear to the Circular: Re-thinking Operational Depth.
👉 Thesis (PDF): https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:2006788/FULLTEXT01.pdf

Keywords (comma-separated)
operational art, operational depth, cognitive depth, operational design, manoeuvre theory, Israel, military theory, war studies

New Role: Acting Director at the Swedish Defence University Land Warfare Centre

By mikaelweissmann

On 1 September 2025

In Land Warfare

I am honoured to share that I have taken up the position of Acting Director of the Swedish Defence University Land Warfare Centre.

The Land Warfare Centre is a key part of the Swedish Defence University Institute for Warfare.

More updates to come as the work progresses.

Affiliated with the Swedish Defence University’s Centre for Wargaming

By mikaelweissmann

On 15 December 2024

In Land Warfare, Professional Military Education (PME), Staff Ride, Staff Ride, Teaching and Learning, War Games, Wargames

As of 1 December, I am pleased to share that I have become an Affiliated Researcher with the Swedish Defence University Centre for Wargaming (CWG). The CWG is dedicated to advancing wargaming-based education, research, and methodology, providing valuable support and expertise to both the academic community and the broader security sector. I look forward to contributing to their efforts and engaging with colleagues and partners in this field.

More information on the centre can be found here: https://www.fhs.se/en/swedish-defence-university/collaboration/specialized-centres/center-for-wargaming.html

Presentation on Urban Warfare and Ukraine at the ISMS Annual Conference 2024

By mikaelweissmann

On 9 September 2024

In Conference, Land Warfare, Urban Warfare

From 10-12 September, the Swedish Defence University is hosting the International Society of Military Sciences (ISMS) Annual Conference 2024, with the theme “Scaling up, Learning Lessons, Ensuring Quality.”

I am pleased to present on “Reevaluating Urban Warfare: Lessons and Strategies from the Ukraine Conflict” together with Prof. Douglas W. Winton from the Dwight D Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy, National Defense University, US.

This presentation explores critical lessons from the Ukraine conflict and proposes strategic insights to rethink urban warfare in the light of Russia’s war in Ukraine.

I look forward to discussing these findings and contributing to the broader conversation on war studies, operations and tactics during the conference.

International Society of MilitarySciences Conference 2024

By mikaelweissmann

On 6 September 2024

In Conference, Hybrid Threats, Intelligence Analysis, Land Warfare, Professional Military Education (PME), Psycological Defence, Russia, Staff Ride, Staff Ride, Teaching and Learning, Urban Warfare

From 10-12 September the Swedish Defence University is host for the International Society of Military Sciences (ISMS) Annual Conference 2024. This years theme is “Scaling up, Learning Lessons, Ensuring Quality.”

I am co-chairing WG 1: War Studies, Operations and Tactics with LtCol Dr Lars Henåker. The program contains a range of interesting papers and presentations on the themes WAR IN UKRAINE, OPERATIONAL ARTS AND STRATEGY, INFORMATION SPACE AND THE COGNITIVE FRONTIERS OF WARFARE, and HYBRID/PRIVATE/AI. Conference Program

I am presenting three papers:

“Reevaluating Urban Warfare: Lessons and Strategies from the Ukraine Conflict” co-authored with Prof. Douglas W. Winton of the Dwight D. David Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy, National Defense University, US.

“From Battlefield to Classroom: Incorporating War Games and Staff Rides in Professional Military Education (PME) to enhance Urban Combat preparedness” co-authored with
Major Jonas Björkqvist of the Land Operations Division, Department of War Studies, Swedish Defence University

“Operationalizing Psychological Defense: A framework for assessing, addressing and evaluating hybrid threats in democratic societies”, discussing the findings of the report Building Resilience and Psychological Defence – An analytical framework for countering hybrid
threats and foreign influence and interference which I have co-authored with Björn Palmertz, Lund University Psychological Defence Research Institute, Docent Niklas Nilsson, Swedish Defence University and Dr Johan Engvall, Stockholm Centre for Eastern European Studies.

Docent Dr Mikael Weissmann is an Associate Professor at the Department of Systems Science for Defence and Security at the Swedish Defence University. He currently serves as Deputy Director of the Swedish Defence University Centre for Land Warfare. He is also an Associate Professor in War Studies and Affiliated Researcher at the university’s Centre for Wargaming (CWG). He co-convenes the Hybrid Threats Research Group (HTRG) and serves as the Principal Investigator of the project “Building Resilience and Psychological Defence: Countering Hybrid Threats and Foreign Influence and Interference.”

Weissmann’s research focuses on Security, Strategy and Intelligence. His work is structured around six themes:
1. Hybrid Threats
2. Resilience & Psychological Defence
3. Strategic Intelligence
4. Technology & Defence
5. Modern Warfare
6. China and the Indo-Pacific

In addition, Weissmann is interested in Teaching & Learning within Professional Military Education (PME), particularly practical and scenario-based exercises and assessments with special emphasis on staff rides and wargames.

He currently pursues research in a number of areas, including:
- Teaching & Learning in PME, focusing on staff rides, wargames, and scenario-based learning approaches.
- Hybrid threats and whole-of-society defence, focusing on foreign influence and interference.
- Psychological Defence, focusing on the building resilience and psychological defence
- Strategic Intelligence, particularly the role of AI and the private sector and the dissemination of intelligence in the information environment in Strategic Early Warning.
- Technology and Defence, focusing on military innovation and the role of AI and autonomous systems in warfare.
- Russian Warfare and Influence, with a particular interest in Ukraine, the Balkans and Central Asia.
- Military Operations and Tactics, in particularly Urban Warfare and the ole of technology.
- China’s foreign policy and role in the world (including its role in Ukraine, the Middle East and the Global South, and the implication of the second Trump Administration).
- Security and Strategy in the Indo-Pacific.
- Foreign Influence and Local Adaptation in Post-Colonial States under Great-Power Influence (focusing on Central Asia and the Middle Corridor).

ABOUT
Dr Mikael Weissmann is an Associate Professor in War Studies and Academic Head & Deputy Head of the Land Operations Division at the Swedish Defence University. He is co-convenor of the Land Warfare Research Group (LWRG) and the Hybrid Threats Research Group (HTRG). He is also a member of CSCAP-EU.

Weissmann’s research on security, strategy and warfare focuses on four research themes:
1) Hybrid Threats and Foreign Interference, 2) Intelligence Analysis, 3) Land Operations and Tactics, and 4) China and East Asian Security and Strategy.

He is also interested in Teaching & Learning with a special interest in practical and scenario-based exercises and examinations as well as Professional Military Education (PME).

His expertise includes:
- Hybrid threats- and warfare
- Land Warfare
- Urban Warfare
- Intelligence analysis
- Russian warfare and influence (particular interest in the Balkans and Eastern Europe)
- Military operations and tactics
- Military tactical thinking
- China and East Asian security and strategy broadly defined.
- Practical and scenario-based exercises and examinations (including staff rides, war games, case studies, scenario exercises, simulations and roleplaying games)
- Professional Military Education (PME)

His research on China and East Asia focuses on:
- China’s foreign policy and role in the world
- the South China Sea
- the North Korean nuclear conflict
- the Taiwan Issue
- Regional and Global Power Shift
- the Belt and Road initiative

Weissmann has also pursued research on track-two diplomacy, conflict management and peacebuilding as well as Sino-Russian and Europe’s relations with China and East Asia.