What
Unconventional Nuclear War (UNW) is designed to start a conversation about new ways nuclear weapons might be used.
Who
The National Security Desk (NSD) is the nom de guerre of a strategist who has lived, studied, and worked across the Indo‑Pacific, Europe (UK & NL), and now the United States. Educated at Cambridge (PhD), the Australian National University’s Research School of Asia Pacific Studies, and the University of Sydney, NSD has served as a defense official for both the Australian and U.S. governments. His roles have included Special Director for Strategic Policy at RAAF Headquarters, and U.S. War College Professor. Specifically in the nuclear domain, NSD was Principal Strategist for Counter Weapons of Mass Destruction for US Special Operations Command, and thereafter, Director of a classified US Navy intel-planning-ops cell dedicated to assessing future enemy WMD concepts of operations and charged with devising innovative ways of deterring and defeating such threats.
Why
The West has been engaged in a Hybrid World War for over a decade — a conflict whose contours remain obscure not only to the public but to many strategists. UNW exists to illuminate that reality and to build the tools required to navigate it. NSD’s work is driven by anticipatory intelligence and serious analytical tradecraft — not novelty for its own sake, but disciplined creativity grounded in empirical evidence, logical structure, alternative sensing methods, and rigorous scientific method. The aim is to confront groupthink, expose cognitive blind spots, and generate practicable strategic solutions for a world already in motion.
Freedom Isn’t Free
Almost no one in media, academia, or the think‑tank world can write with the freedom I have. Many know what’s coming but silence themselves out of fear — fear of losing a job, fear of being labeled extreme, fear of calling the moment for what it is. But time is running out.
Every Substack I write is free. I do this because I believe in the Constitution, I see the path to war, and I feel a responsibility to warn.
If you choose to support the work with a subscription, thank you.
And if a subscription is too much, a one‑off tip is always welcome — caffeine and amber nectar help keep the lights on.
Join the Crew
We really want to hear from you. Your feedback will help us shape our content. No one has a corner on the UNW market. We want this substack to be a shared resource for the best ideas in the community for improving our national security.
We welcome recommendations for topics and submissions from others interested in guest posting on our site
Contact us here:
NationalSecurityDesk@pm.me
