Sharp lessons in jointness from the Russo-Ukraine War: What Relevance for Ireland?

What emerging lessons can be drawn from the ongoing Russo-Ukraine War about `jointness even for militaries like Irelands Defence Forces for whom territorial defence is a remote contingency? While the ongoing war can be analysed at the strategic and tactical levels, each offering discrete insights, this paper gives attention to the issue of joint logistics at the operational level. However, it is firstly argued that definitional clarity is required about what `jointness entails and here the broader concept of Multi-Domain Operations (MDO) is useful because it draws attention for the need for militaries to operate with civilian actors and friendly states. As regards logistics, the ability to access, direct or even commandeer civilian assets while maintaining secure international supply chains emerges as a critical lesson. Jointness here is then essentially the improvisational ability to manage and leverage civil and military transport, energy and communications flows to maximise national resilience.