The Russia Contingency with Michael Kofman

A bi-weekly podcast featuring in-depth analysis of Russia's military power and the war in Ukraine, with your favorite expert on the topic.

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Can War Games Predict Wars?

The Russia Contingency with Michael Kofman
November 2, 2026

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Episode Notes:

Mike sits down with Jacquelyn Schneider, the Hargrove Hoover Fellow at the Hoover Institution and director of its Wargaming and Crisis Simulation Initiative, to examine one of the most widely used and least understood tools in defense analysis. They discuss what separates a war game from an exercise or simulation, why games so often confirm what their sponsors already believe, and how political will tends to get lost at the table. Drawing on examples from Vietnam-era games to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, they consider what war games can realistically offer those planning for future conflict with Russia, and where their limits lie.

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