Biography
Dr Andrew Maher is a former Australian military officer with a particular interest in operations conducted by, with and through foreign forces, as a result of operational experience in Afghanistan and Iraq. My research focus has been towards Irregular Warfare, the conduct of competition that leverages non-state actors, which was the anchor for my PhD: The Strategic Logic of Proxy Warfare. I have been a post-graduate course convenor at UNSW...view more
Dr Andrew Maher is a former Australian military officer with a particular interest in operations conducted by, with and through foreign forces, as a result of operational experience in Afghanistan and Iraq. My research focus has been towards Irregular Warfare, the conduct of competition that leverages non-state actors, which was the anchor for my PhD: The Strategic Logic of Proxy Warfare. I have been a post-graduate course convenor at UNSW Canberra for subjects on Irregular Warfare and the Theory of Special Operations for over five years.
Book Chapters:
- ‘Special Operations Developments in the Pacific: Back to the Future?’, Into the Void: Special Operations Beyond the Global War on Terror, Martijn Kitzen and James Kiras (eds.), Hurst, Jun 2024.
- ‘Strategic Planners’, The Long Road: The Long Road: Australia’s Train, Advise and Assist Missions, Tom Frame (ed.), UNSW Press, 2017.
Peer-Reviewed Articles:
- ‘Resistance Strategy: Lessons from the Russo-Ukraine conflict for Europe, Australia and the Indo-Pacific,’ Australian Journal of Defence and Strategic Studies, 5:1, (2023), available at: https://www.defence.gov.au/research-innovation/research-publications/australian-journal-defence-and-strategic-studies-vol-5-number-1.
- ‘Information-Age Proxy Warfare,’ Joint Special Operations University, (Aug 2019), available at: https://jsou.libguides.com/ld.php?content_id=49819511.
- ‘Understanding our Middle-Eastern competitor: The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Quds Force,’ Australian Army Journal, 16:1, (Jun 2018), available at: https://researchcentre.army.gov.au/sites/default/files/aaj_autumn_2018_vol_xiv_no_1.pdf.
- ‘An Australian doctrinal concept for Special Warfare: Lessons and Considerations,’ Directorate of Future Land Warfare, (Sep 2016), available at: https://www.army.gov.au/our-future/australian-army-research-centre/australian-army-research-centre-publications/army-18.
- ‘Strategic Planners: A response to operational complexity’, Australian Army Journal, (Autumn 2016), available at: https://www.army.gov.au/sites/g/files/net1846/f/aaj_2016_1.pdf.
- ‘Counter-Network Operations: insights into the application of complexity theory’, Australian Defence Force Journal, 198, (Nov 2015), available at: www.defence.gov.au/adc/adfj/Documents/issue_198/Maher_Nov_2015.pdf.
- ‘Regional SOF capacity building: An asymmetric Australian maritime strategy’, Australian Army Journal, (Oct 2015), available at: https://www.army.gov.au/sites/g/files/net1846/f/aaj_2015_1.pdf.
- ‘CAS instruction at SFTC’, Australian Defence Force Journal, 193, (Apr 2014), available at: www.defence.gov.au/adc/adfj/Documents/issue_193/193_2014_Mar_Apr.pdf.
Exemplar Blog Posts / Commentary:
- 'The anniversary of war in Ukraine – 10 years, not two years’, The Strategist (7 February 2024), available at: https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/the-anniversary-of-war-in-ukraine-10-years-not-two-years/
- ‘Wither Political Warfare: The Future of Grey Zone Competition,’ Irregular Warfare Initiative, (22 September 2023), available at: https://irregularwarfare.org/articles/wither-political-warfare-the-future-of-grey-zone-competition/.
- Land Power Forum, ‘When Australia went to War in China,’ (25 July 2023), available at: https://researchcentre.army.gov.au/library/land-power-forum/when-australian-went-war-china.
- ASPI Strategist, ‘A ‘Plan B’ for the ADF: Supporting Resistance as a Strategy,’ (21 July 2023), at: https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/a-plan-b-for-the-adf-supporting-resistance-as-a-strategy/.
- Irregular Warfare Initiative, ‘History Rhymes: Lessons from Indo-Pacific Competition and Confrontation in the Grey Zone,’ 18 May 2023, available at: https://irregularwarfare.org/articles/history-rhymes-lessons-from-indo-pacific-competition-and-confrontation-in-the-gray-zone/.
- Modern War Institute, Guerrillas, Revolutionaries, Insurgents, and Militias and Mafiosi: The GRIM Threats of Irregular Strategy, 24 February 2022, available at: https://mwi.usma.edu/guerrillas-revolutionaries-insurgents-and-militias-and-mafiosi-the-grim-threats-of-irregular-strategy/.
My Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy, UNSW CBR, 5 July 2024.
- Master of Terrorism Studies, Charles Sturt University (CSU), 2022.
- Master of Defence Studies, Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA), 2010.
- Certificate in Executive Management and Development, Australian Graduate School of Management, Sep 2018.
- Bachelor of Engineering (Civil) / Bachelor of Business (Management and Leadership), University of Southern Queensland, 2004.
My Research Activities
Completed PhD thesis: The Strategy of Proxy Warfare (2024)
Developing research into the idea of Unconventional Deterrence as a concept (2024-2026).
My Teaching
Post-graduate Co-Course Convenor: GRIM Threats (Irregular Warfare).
Post-graduate Co-Course Convenor: Theory of Special Operations.