Underground Strategy

• Operation Boleas: The SANDF’s Trial by Fire

  In this episode, we’re joined again by Lieutenant Colonel Dr. Jean-Pierre Scherman of the South African National Defence Force—a returning guest with deep operational experience and a sharp eye for military history. This time, we turn to Operation Boleas: the 1998 intervention in Lesotho that tested the SANDF just four years after its formation.We get into the real story behind the headlines—why the mission was launched, how it rapidly escalated, and what it exposed about South Africa’s new defense force. From unexpected combat to political constraints and mission creep, Boleas became a crash course in regional military operations.More than two decades later, the mission remains misunderstood. We unpack why it faded from public view—and what its legacy reveals about South Africa’s approach to hard power.Jean-Pierre Scherman’s linksInstagram – https://www.instagram.com/schermanjeanpierre/X – https://x.com/schermanjp74LinkedIn – https://za.linkedin.com/in/jean-pierre-schermanMore from Underground StrategyJoin the mission – https://undergroundstrategy.comDiscover Number 788 – https://amzn.to/3BQGmm7 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Operation Eland with Andy Balaam – Part 2

  This week on the Underground Strategy Podcast, Max Lauker continues the conversation with Andy Balaam, former Selous Scout and veteran of some of the Bush War’s most daring missions.In Part 2, Balaam walks us through the attack on Nyadzonya itself — from the buildup on the parade ground to the destruction of the camp, the clearing of huts, and the tense withdrawal across the border. He also reflects on the aftermath, the claims of controversy, and how he saw the operation at the time.Stay tuned for future episodes with Balaam, where we’ll continue exploring his experiences in the Scouts and beyond.Warning: this episode contains graphic combat detail.Andy's Workpseudobalaam.comInstagram – instagram.com/pseudobalaam More from Underground StrategyDiscover Number 788 - https://amzn.to/3BQGmm7Join the mission - https://undergroundstrategy.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Operation Eland with Andy Balaam – Part 1

  This week on the Underground Strategy Podcast, Max Lauker is joined once again by Andy Balaam, former Selous Scout and veteran of some of the Bush War’s most daring missions.After walking us through Operation Long John, Balaam now turns to Operation Eland. In August 1976, fewer than a hundred Scouts crossed into Mozambique in a flying column, targeting a ZANLA base at Nyadzonya.Stay tuned for Part 2, where Balaam walks through the battle itself and the aftermath.Andy's Workpseudobalaam.comInstagram – instagram.com/pseudobalaamMore from Underground StrategyDiscover Number 788 - https://amzn.to/3BQGmm7Join the mission - https://undergroundstrategy.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• This Is Not a Drill: Listener Q&A with Amos Fox

  In this episode, we’re joined once again by military scholar and practitioner Amos Fox for a fast-paced listener Q&A tackling some of the most pressing questions in contemporary warfare.From the blurred lines between war and peace to the myth of maneuver and the limits of tech, this one hits hard. We talk endurance, positional warfare and why most armies still get strategy wrong. Fox brings sharp analysis and field-smart insight to a global discussion that’s still struggling to catch up with battlefield reality.Expect clarity, hard truths, and zero buzzwords.Amos Fox´s WorkConflict Realism – https://amzn.to/4jc1mmQRevolution in Military Affairs (podcast) – https://shows.acast.com/revolution-in-military-affairsX – https://x.com/AmosFox6LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/amoscfoxWant to read like Amos Fox?The Foundations of the Science of War by JFC Fuller (page 65 if you want to pass his class) – https://amzn.to/3F5QitHUrban Warfare in the Twenty-First Century by Anthony King – https://amzn.to/4kssNK2More from Underground StrategyJoin the mission – https://undergroundstrategy.comDiscover Number 788 – https://amzn.to/3BQGmm7 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Why Soldiers Fight: History, Power, and the Ritual of War

  In this episode, we’re joined by Professor Tarak Barkawi—an international relations scholar, military historian, and sharp critic of the way we often misunderstand war.We talk about everything from colonial troops and battlefield ritual to the power of memoirs and the global legacy of regimental tradition. From the jungles of Burma to the camps of Korea, Barkawi explores what really drives soldiers to fight—and why the stories we tell about war often miss the point.We also get into his groundbreaking book Soldiers of Empire, the myth of the “martial race,” and the deeper, often uncomfortable truths behind military discipline, nationalism, and the afterlives of imperial armies.Tarak Barkawi’s WorkSoldiers of Empire – https://amzn.to/3Hh7MDOOrientalism and War – https://amzn.to/4kqGYQ3Globalization and War – https://amzn.to/3YR281qMore from Underground StrategyJoin the mission – https://undergroundstrategy.comDiscover Number 788 – https://amzn.to/3BQGmm7 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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