Ben Connable, a former US Marine and leader of the Battle Research Group, discusses the realities of ground combat and their implications for future warfare. We explore the importance of studying battles like Ukraine’s Irpin River clash to understand tactics, human will, and war’s evolving nature, drawing on his team’s fieldwork in Iraq and Ukraine to fill gaps in modern military history often lost to digital records or overshadowed by high-tech solutions.

We discuss how shrinking militaries and reliance on technology impact risk and decision-making, emphasising the need to preserve primary sources to prepare for future conflicts.

Key moments

1:11 - The Battle Research Group

7:37 - Tactical Level Studies

14:12 - Adaptability in Military Culture

16:23 - Evolving Military Forces

19:12 - The Role of Leadership

20:57 - Understanding Civilian Perspectives

32:54 - Civilian Impact in Warfare

34:46 - Fighting in Industrialized Cities

39:42 - Knowledge Gaps in Military History

40:26 - The Character of War

48:16 - The Need for Accurate Recordkeeping

Facing Coming Storms is brought to you by the British Army’s Centre for Historical Analysis and Conflict Research, in partnership with the Project for the Study of the 21st Century, and produced by Urban Podcasts.