Episode
From NATO to the Gulf: Allies, Access, and the Hidden Architecture of American Power
- Podcast
- Irregular Warfare Podcast
- Published
- Jul 7, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 3404
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Summary
Description Episode 159 examines the relationship between alliances, military access, and U.S. global power projection. Summary This episode explores an often overlooked benefit of alliances: wartime access. Dr. Rachel Metz and Ambassador Douglas Lute explain why public debates about allies often focus narrowly on defense spending, while missing the basing, overflight, logistics, intelligence, and political permissions that make U.S. global power possible. The conversation examines how allies and partners enable American military reach, why states may grant, restrict, or deny access, and how domestic politics, retaliation risks, technological change, and shifting global power dynamics can make access harder to secure in future crises. The discussion also considers recent examples from NATO, the Persian Gulf, and Ukraine to show why access is not automatic, why it is a burden allies often bear, and why the United States may need to rethink how it plans, consults, and sustains its alliance relationships. Takeaways Alliances are often judged by burden sharing, but access may be one of their most important strategic benefits. Access includes permission to operate from another state’s land, ports, airspace, territorial waters, or infrastructure. Wartime access allows the United States to project power far from home and sustain operations over time. Allied access helps mitigate the “tyranny of distance” and makes distant theaters militarily reachable. The United States often takes access for granted, but allies and partners can grant, restrict, or deny it. Domestic politics can shape whether a state allows U.S. forces to operate from its territory. Lack of consultation can make allies less willing to support U.S. military operations, especially in wars they view as optional…