The Maritime Counterinsurgency Project aims to shine a bright light on the People’s Republic of China’s illegal activities to harass, intimidate, and bully other states in the South China Sea region into accepting China’s excessive claims to the entire South China Sea. The project will also develop strategic, operational, tactical, and force structure recommendations on how to thwart China’s illegal efforts.

Ukraine Attack

At War with the Lights Off

By Geoffrey Till
July 2022
As the Ukraine conflict makes plain, the costs of full-scale war can be high and unpredictable. This could reinforce Beijing’s preference for the tactics of insurgency.
Marines from the 2d Marine Division conduct a gap crossing at Camp Lejeune

The Role of Stand-in Forces in Maritime COIN

By Lieutenant Colonel Gary Lehmann and Major Greg Lewis, U.S. Marine Corps (Retired)
July 2022
The U.S. government and its regional partners must harmonize proven COIN strategies with modern military capabilities to defend and maintain the accepted international order.
ships

Dead Men Tell No Tales

By Major Brian Kerg, U.S. Marine Corps
July 2022
A confrontation with China’s maritime militia threatens to explode, and U.S. sailors and Marines must decide how to respond.
Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard participants

Wargame Maritime COIN

By Lesley Wilhelm
December 2022
Insufficient attention has been paid to gaming possible ways of countering China’s harassment of Southeast Asian allies and partners below the threshold of violence.