RUSI Journal Radio

Alessio Patalano discusses the maritime dimensions of the Ukraine conflict and the shifting dynamics of naval strategy globally. There are many lessons to be learned from the maritime dimension of the ongoing war in Ukraine. Alessio explores maritime security and resilience, assessing both the operational dynamics and wider economic implications of the war at sea. He examines the challenges faced by NATO members and the broader international community in adapting their naval capabilities. He talks about the future of maritime security, including advancements in undersea warfare and the evolving role of drones and other technologies in naval operations. Alessio Patalano is Professor of War and Strategy in East Asia and Co-Director of the Centre for Grand Strategy at King's College London, where he specialises in maritime strategic issues.

British Army officer Major Jon Armstrong discusses how resistance networks are formed and utilised, particularly in the current Russo-Ukraine war. From the makeshift resistance efforts seen in Ukraine to Sweden's carefully structured Total Defence approach, resistance networks can play a crucial role in a country's defence strategy. Armstrong talks about the different elements of resistance activities, focusing on Ukraine, and examines their successes and limitations. He addresses the challenges in controlling these networks, along with the potential post-conflict difficulties of reintegration; warning of the risk of civil strife if such groups are sidelined. As nations plan for future conflicts, Armstrong argues that they must not only build resistance networks, but also integrate them within the broader operational strategy. Jon Armstrong is a British Army officer with over 20 years of experience. His research interests include land operations and irregular warfare. He holds a BA in War Studies and an MA in Military and Security Studies from King's College London. The views expressed in this podcast are the authors', and do not represent those of RUSI or any other institution.

Paddy Walker and Elke Schwarz discuss the operational and ethical implications of autonomous systems in warfare. Paddy and Elke highlight the gap between expectations and reality, arguing that while AI-enabled technologies are often marketed as revolutionary, their real-world effectiveness remains uncertain due to data limitations, technical vulnerabilities and the challenges of human–machine integration. Dr Paddy Walker is an Associate Fellow at RUSI and a Senior Research Fellow at the Humanities Research Institute at the University of Buckingham. His latest book, War Without Oversight, was published in January 2025. Professor Elke Schwarz is Professor of Political Theory at Queen Mary University of London and the author of Death Machines: The Ethics of Violent Technologies.

Patrick Bury, Reader in Warfare and Counter-Terrorism at the University of Bath, discusses the trade-offs, policy considerations, and potential solutions shaping the future of national security. With evolving geopolitical tensions, recruitment difficulties, and shifting societal attitudes, the UK armed forces currently face pressing challenges. Patrick explores the key trends shaping UK defence, from NATO's uncertain future and the UK's shrinking force size to the future of conscription and the disconnect between the public and the military. Patrick is a Reader in Warfare and Counter-Terrorism at the University of Bath. He has over 20 years' experience of working in the security sector as a practitioner, analyst and academic, and is a former British Army Captain and NATO analyst.

In this episode, Jamie Gaskarth and Laura Southgate discuss the evolving dynamics of the Indo-Pacific region. They talk about the region's economic importance and growing tensions due, at least in part, to the strained relationship between China and the US. They also discuss the implications for other powers, especially the UK, in seeking to balance security interests in both Europe and the Indo-Pacific. Jamie is Professor of Foreign Policy and International Relations at the Open University. Laura is Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Relations at Aston University.

In this episode, US and Royal Navy officers examine the mental health challenges experienced by the surviving crew following a mass casualty event. US Navy officer Ryan Easterday and Royal Navy Medical Officer Charlotte Evans use the tragic collision of USS John S McCain in 2017 as a case study to discuss the actions taken to address such mental health challenges. Ryan is an officer in the US Navy and has helped return USS John S McCain to warfighting readiness as Executive Officer and then Commanding Officer from late 2017 until early 2021. Charlotte is a Royal Navy Medical Officer and Consultant Psychiatrist. Related article: Learning From the USS John S McCain Incident | Royal United Services Institute

In this special episode, author August Cole and Professor David Gioe FRHistS reflect on the tumultuous events of 2024. They discuss the books, films and exhibitions that have helped make sense of the year's key defence and security developments, and share their insights on what the future might hold in 2025.

RUSI researcher Maria Nizzero talks about the growing problem of illicit finance and its shift from a domestic policy issue to a security threat. She explains the process of the securitisation of illicit finance, what it means and the impact and challenges that will arise from it. Maria Nizzero is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Finance and Security at RUSI and was previously Associate Professor of EU Politics and Institutions at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona, Spain.

Albin Östervall and Charlotte Wagnsson explain malign information influence and discuss how one key social factor – loneliness – is contributing to its pervasiveness in Western societies. They share why democracies are particularly vulnerable and suggest ways that how governments can mitigate this. Albin Östervall holds an MSc in Political Science from Uppsala University; Charlotte Wagnsson is Professor of Political Science at the Swedish Defence University. Related article: https://www.rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/rusi-journal/how-russian-malign-information-influence-exploits-western-loneliness

Elena Grossfeld and Magda Long discuss the evolution of Russian sabotage activities, from traditional sabotage to the current ‘gig-economy' era. They also discuss how intelligence agencies can adjust their response to these covert actions, and whether the general public should be made more aware of them. Elena Grossfeld is a PhD candidate at the Department of War Studies, King's College London, researching intelligence organisations, their strategic culture and technologies. Magda Long is a Visiting Research Fellow at the King's Centre for the Study of Intelligence at King's College London. Russian Sabotage in the Gig-Economy Era | Royal United Services Institute

Major Patrick Hinton, Former Chief of the General Staff's Visiting Fellow at RUSI, discussed how AI can be used in military wargaming, recruitment and retention and procurement.

Ingvild Bode, Associate Professor of International Relations at the University of Southern Denmark, talks about the integration of AI in military systems and discusses the emergence of norms and standards about the use of AI technologies in conflict.

Carlos Solar discusses how shifting domestic politics influence the way Latin American countries behave on the international stage, and analyses their divergent narratives about conflict and the future of the international order. Dr Carlos Solar is Senior Research Fellow in the International Security Studies team at RUSI. His current research is focused on security dynamics in the Americas, notably on military, human security and international relations issues that connect with the West. He is the author of Cybersecurity Governance in Latin America (SUNY Press), Governing the Military (Manchester University Press) and Government and Governance of Security (Routledge), and co-edited Violence, Crime and Justice in Latin America (Routledge).

Tim Edmunds, Professor of International Security and Director of the Global Insecurities Centre at the University of Bristol, traces how maritime security – and our understanding of it – has changed over the past few decades. Joining Emma and Ed, Tim looks at how geopolitics, climate change and technology are changing both the threats and the opportunities at the heart of the maritime security agenda.

Harriet Gray, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Politics and International Relations at the University of York, mental health nurse Nicola Lester and Emma Norton, lawyer and Director of the Centre for Military Justice, talk about their research on sexual violence in the British Armed Forces and discuss cultural and institutional responses.

Professor David Ucko, Professor at the College of International Security Affairs, National Defense University, in Washington, DC, discusses the history of counterinsurgency and irregular warfare, and the role of special operation forces in contemporary conflict.

Hosts Emma and Ed talk to Dr Jennifer Cole, Senior Lecturer in Global Planetary Health at Royal Holloway, and Dr Ivica Petrikova, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Politics, International Relations and Philosophy at Royal Holloway, discussing how the global food chain is affected by changing geopolitics, and how the UK can work to build a more resilient and fairer approach to food production and consumption.

A preview of the season's upcoming episodes with RUSI Journal Editor Emma De Angelis and Deputy Editor Edward Mortimer.

In the second of two episodes on moral injury in the military, hosts Demi, Emma and Ed are joined by Katharine Campbell, a writer and neuroscientist. Katharine's biography of her late father Sholto Douglas, Marshal of the Royal Air Force Lord Douglas of Kirtleside, was published in 2021. It highlights his lifelong battle with post-traumatic stress disorder and was shortlisted for the 2018 Tony Lothian Prize.  Katharine collaborates with historians across Europe and with world experts on PTSD and has participated in the Australian Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. She also campaigns for the charity Combat Stress.

Academic Andrea Ellner and author Katharine Campbell discuss the concept of moral injury. In the first of two episodes on moral injury in the military, hosts Demi and Emma are joined by Andrea Ellner, a Lecturer in Defence Studies at the Defence Studies Department at King's College London, based at the Joint Services Command and Staff College in Shrivenham. Andrea's work focuses on gender and security, and civil-military relations and ethics, with a particular interest in moral injury. She is a Member of the Board of Directors for the Society of Military Ethics in Europe (EURO-ISME).

August Cole, best-selling author of Ghost Fleet, highlights the value of science fiction for military leaders. In this episode of RUSI Journal Radio, hosts Demi, Emma and Ed are joined by August Cole in a discussion on science fiction, future warfare and national security. August is a Non-Resident Fellow at the Brute Krulak Center for Innovation and Creativity at Marine Corps University and a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the Scowcroft Center on Strategy and Security at the Atlantic Council in Washington, DC.. He also leads the Strategy team for the Warring with Machines AI ethics project at the Peace Research Institute of Oslo. He is the co-author, with Peter W Singer, of the best-selling Ghost Fleet: A Novel of the Next World War (2015) and Burn In: A Novel of the Real Robotic Revolution (2020).

How do public perceptions of foreign policy issues change in times of uncertainty, and what can they tell us about wider trends in defence and security? In this episode of RUSI Journal Radio, hosts Demi, Emma and Ed are joined by Catarina Thomson for a discussion on foreign policy attitudes and public opinion across NATO. Catarina is Associate Professor of Political Science and International Relations at the University of Exeter. Her background is in clinical psychology and international relations, and her approach to security studies incorporates political psychology and domestic factors to understand the strategic behaviour of state and non-state actors in times of international conflict.

An intelligence expert reflects on the facts and fictions inherent in the UK's perception of secret intelligence and proposes a move away from unhelpful stereotypes. In the first episode of RUSI Journal Radio's third season, Demi, Emma and Ed are joined by Dan Lomas, a Lecturer in Intelligence and Security Studies at Brunel University. Dan's research specialises in the use of intelligence to support policymaking, and the history of the UK's intelligence community. He has written for RUSI on several occasions, and his most recent contribution to the RUSI Journal – co-authored with Stephen Ward – looks at public perceptions of UK intelligence.

In this episode of RUSI Journal Radio, hosts Demi, Emma and Ed reflect on the second season and share some of their favourite moments. During Season 2 of the RUSI Journal's inaugural podcast, they were joined by guests ranging from a Russian Studies expert to lecturers and research fellows, all of whom have contributed to the journal. RUSI Journal Radio returns later in the year and will explore topics including using fiction to understand strategy, the interplay between public opinion and foreign policy, PTSD in the armed forces and more.

Two counter-extremism experts revisit their international fieldwork on radicalisation, gender and countering violent extremism. In this episode of RUSI Journal Radio, hosts Demi and Ed are joined by Emily Winterbotham and Elizabeth Pearson for a wide-ranging discussion on radicalisation and gender. Emily is the Director of Terrorism and Conflict at RUSI, and her research focuses on (counter)terrorism, preventing violent extremism, and international interventions in conflict and fragile states. Elizabeth is a Lecturer in Criminology with the Conflict, Violence and Terrorism Research Centre at Royal Holloway, University of London, and specialises in gender, masculinities and (counter)extremism, with an interest in Islamist and far-right movements. Co-authored with Katherine E Brown, their book Countering Violent Extremism: Making Gender Matter (2020) offers a critical analysis of gender and terrorism.

Three strategy and policy experts from the US Naval War College explore the potential of an American defeat in a conflict with China. In this episode of RUSI Journal Radio, hosts Demi, Emma and Ed are joined by Anand Toprani, Nicholas Murray and Michael Dennis, who co-authored an essay in the RUSI Journal earlier this year on confronting the possibility of defeat. Recorded in February 2022, their conversation covers topics ranging from military wargaming to the resilience of the US political system.

How will the development of AI and the 'metaverse' impact security, defence and innovation? In this episode of RUSI Journal Radio, hosts Demi, Emma and Ed are joined by Keith Dear for a discussion on all things 'metaverse'. They explore the term's sci-fi origins, its application in security and defence, and whether creativity is a uniquely human activity. Keith is Director of Artificial Intelligence Innovation at Fujitsu Defence and Security, and has served as an expert adviser to the UK government on defence modernisation and the Integrated Review. He has written for the RUSI Journal on the digital transformation of power, AI and decision-making, and was joint guest editor of a special issue on AI in 2019.

US federal attorney and former Army Judge Advocate, Jody Prescott, explores how security concerns are weaved together. In this episode of RUSI Journal Radio, hosts Demi, Emma and Ed are joined by Jody Prescott for a wide-ranging conversation that covers climate change, morals in the military, Jackie Kennedy's iconic style, and more. Jody Prescott is a Lecturer at the University of Vermont, where he teaches Cyber Security Law and Policy, Environmental Law, and Energy Law and Climate Change. Jody served 25 years as a US Army Judge Advocate. His final operational assignment was in 2008, as Chief Legal Advisor to the NATO International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.

How do historians approach the study of conflicts still within living memory? And where do personal and professional histories intertwine? In this episode of RUSI Journal Radio, hosts Demi, Emma and Ed are joined by Helen Parr. Helen is a Professor of Modern and Contemporary History at Keele University and author of Our Boys: The Story of a Paratrooper (Allen Lane, 2018), which won RUSI's Duke of Wellington Medal for Military History in 2019. The episode complements a special issue of the RUSI Journal marking the 40th anniversary of the Falklands War.

How does the Russian state use 'history as a tool' to construct narratives in times of conflict? In this episode of RUSI Journal Radio, hosts Demi, Emma and Ed are joined by Julie Fedor for a reflection on the use of national histories and war memory in contemporary conflict and security narratives, and Russian state efforts to shape collective identity. Julie is a Senior Lecturer in Modern European History at the University of Melbourne. Her work on contemporary Russian militarism and identity featured in the RUSI Journal in 2018.

Launching RUSI Journal Radio's second season, hosts Demi, Emma and Ed discuss Russian grand strategy and its evolution over time with Andrew Monaghan, a Russian Studies expert. Against the backdrop of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, this episode reflects on the principles that underpin contemporary Russian strategy, Vladimir Putin's political ascendancy, and the dangers of relying on historical analogies. Andrew is Founding Director of the Russia Research Network, a Non-Resident Associate Fellow of the NATO Defense College, a Senior Associate Fellow at RUSI, and a George F Kennan Fellow at the Wilson Center's Kennan Institute.

In this episode of RUSI Journal Radio, hosts Demi, Emma and Ed reflect on the show's first season and share some of their favourite moments. During Season 1 of the RUSI Journal's inaugural podcast, they were joined by guests ranging from an award-winning photojournalist to professors and research fellows, all of whom have contributed to the journal. RUSI Journal Radio returns in March and will explore topics including climate change, great power confrontations, radicalisation and more.

Award-winning photojournalist Susan Schulman discusses documenting the experience of conflict over the past two decades. In this episode of RUSI Journal Radio, hosts Demi, Emma and Ed are joined by Susan Schulman, an award-winning video, photo and print journalist. The RUSI Journal has published Susan's photo essays since 2004. During this time, she has documented experiences of conflict and climate change across the globe.

In this episode of RUSI Journal Radio, hosts Demi, Emma and Ed explore decision theory and the application of algorithmic tools in intelligence with Peter Phillips, Associate Professor of Finance at the University of Southern Queensland, Australia. In 2020, Peter and his colleague, Gabriela Pohl, wrote for the RUSI Journal on countering intelligence algorithms. 

In this episode of RUSI Journal Radio, hosts Demi, Emma and Ed are joined by Martin Bricknell for a discussion on healthcare, resilience and future challenges. Martin is a Professor in Conflict, Health and Military Medicine at King's College London, and a Visiting Fellow at the Centre for Global Development. He served 34 years in the UK Defence Medical Services, culminating in his post as the Surgeon General.

Threat actors' toolkits have evolved in the digital age. How can we respond effectively to manipulative messaging and the data that drives it? In this episode, hosts Demi, Emma and Ed are joined by David Gioe, Alicia Wanless and Daniel Dobrowolski to discuss the challenges facing the information environment and the measures that might protect it.

How can emotions inform better decision-making? And what do gothic novels and national security policies have in common? In this episode of RUSI Journal Radio, hosts Demi, Emma and Ed are joined by Claire Yorke for a discussion on atmospherics, the pandemic response, post-9/11 policymaking and more. Claire is a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow in the Center for War Studies at the University of Southern Denmark, where she leads a new project on empathy and international security.

What does contemporary information warfare look like, and are democracies equipped to cope with the consequences? In the first episode of RUSI Journal Radio, Haroro Ingram, a Senior Research Fellow with the Program on Extremism at George Washington University, talks about his research on malign influence activities and the Islamic State's information warfare. Joined by hosts Demi Starks, Emma De Angelis and Ed Mortimer, Haroro examines the complexities at the heart of these issues today.

RUSI Journal Radio offers thought-provoking conversations with academics, decision-makers and practitioners to lay out the defence and security debate for familiar and new audiences alike. The RUSI Journal has been a staple of the defence and security debate since 1857. As its inaugural podcast, RUSI Journal Radio features discussions with experts who have written for the journal on a diverse range of contemporary issues. Whether you're a seasoned expert or simply interested in finding out about the big issues in defence and security, there is sure to be something for you.