Podcasts about integrated review

In this episode host Iain Ballantyne and returning guest Dr Gary Blackburn convene to discuss the substance, or otherwise, of the UK's recently published Strategic Defence Review (SDR) paper. They also tackle topics relating to the Israel-Iran War, the British reaction to it and also what President Donald Trump may or may not do next. Gary proposes that the UK SDR paper was more of a template than anything else, and in fact amounted to a rather big fudge.  Iain suggests that UK politicians have not yet woken up the to the sheer scale of effort needed - and also urgency required - to properly defend the nation. For example, submarines appear fundamental to the SDR's vision of national defence and yet the Submarine Service itself is not really getting what it needs to be ready to operate future vessels. In sharing his considerable expertise on how Defence economics work, Gary touches on the UK's creative accounting - ‘cooking the books'. It sees things that are not really part of Defence slotted into the UK's supposed proportion of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) devoted to creating robust and capable military forces (plus what it needs to qualify for NATO membership). The worth of drones and A.I. versus the need for more frigates and submarines is among other things weighed up during a lively chat that also considers the viability of the UK's new ‘Atlantic Bastion' concept. •Dr Gary Blackburn is an honorary fellow of the Centre for Security Studies at the University of Hull. He has taught Security Studies and Military History at the Universities of Leeds and Hull, respectively - and has written for Defence Studies and The Critic, and for the latter about aspects of the UK's 2021 Integrated Review of Defence and Security. Follow him on X at @gjb70 •Iain Ballantyne is the founding and current Editor of Warships IFR (first published in 1998) along with its ‘Guide to the Royal Navy' (since 2003) and ‘Guide to the US Navy' (since 2018). Iain is also author of the books ‘Hunter Killers' (Orion) and ‘The Deadly Trade' (Weidenfeld & Nicolson), both about submarine warfare, plus ‘Arnhem: Ten Days in The Cauldron' (published by Canelo). In 2017 Iain was awarded a Fellowship by the British Maritime Foundation, which promotes awareness of the United Kingdom's dependence on the sea and seafarers. Visit his web site Bismarckbattle.com and follow him on X @IBallantyn For more on Warships IFR www.warshipsifr.com 

In this episode of the Warships Pod Dr Gary Blackburn returns to have a chat with host Iain Ballantyne about the impact of the second presidency of Donald Trump. Topics discussed include the transactional fashion in which the returning POTUS runs domestic and foreign policies along with defence matters, plus how he seems intent on creating a tripolar world in which the USA, Russia and China have their spheres of influence and every other nation must fall in line. Gary points out that none of it should be a shock and while a sense of moral outrage is understandable over some aspects, Trump made no secret of what he intended to do and why. Touching on NATO and its future, Gary suggests it may not be ‘a dead duck'. Iain asks Gary if a major difference between how the Trump administration operates and other US Presidents (and their teams) is that they put everything out there, rather than have big falling outs with allies behind closed doors? Among the other things Iain and Gary talk about are: the UK's habit of taking ‘capability holidays' and expecting the USA in years past to fill in the gaps; concerns about UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer's ‘boots on the ground and jets in the air' proposal for peace-keeping in Ukraine; the UK defence budget and its inclusion of sea-based nuclear weapons and military pensions to ‘cook the books'; the global proxy war between the West and its allies on the one hand and Russia/China/N. Korea on the other; the importance for the UK staying militarily engaged beyond Suez. Looking at the UK's new Strategic Defence Review, Gary ponders whether or not raising the defence budget to 2.5 per cent by 2027 is enough and the dubious move to cut amphibious warfare vessels from the Royal Navy at this turbulent time. The April 2025 edition of Warships IFR magazine, which is mentioned during this podcast episode, is out on March 21st. For more details of Warships IFR and its various editions visit http://bit.ly/wifrmag  Dr Gary Blackburn is an honorary fellow of the Centre for Security Studies at the University of Hull. He has taught Security Studies and Military History at the Universities of Leeds and Hull, respectively - and has written for Defence Studies and The Critic, and for the latter about aspects of the UK's 2021 Integrated Review of Defence and Security. Follow him on X at @gjb70 Iain Ballantyne is the founding and current Editor of Warships IFR (first published in 1998) along with its ‘Guide to the Royal Navy' (since 2003) and ‘Guide to the US Navy' (since 2018). Iain is also author of the books ‘Hunter Killers' (Orion) and ‘The Deadly Trade' (Weidenfeld & Nicolson), both about submarine warfare, plus ‘Arnhem: Ten Days in The Cauldron' (published by Canelo). In 2017 Iain was awarded a Fellowship by the British Maritime Foundation, which promotes awareness of the United Kingdom's dependence on the sea and seafarers. Visit his web site Bismarckbattle.com and follow him on X @IBallantyn

Third Place (Joint) LH(EW) Lewis Batch, Northwood HQ It is more than 40 years since the Falklands conflict. Evaluate the challenges the Royal Navy face if it was to engage in a non-UN/NATO supported conflict in the Southern hemisphere. Context On 05 April 1982 the aircraft carriers HMS HERMES, HMS INVINCIBLE and their escort vessels, sailed from Portsmouth for the South Atlantic as part of the UK governments response to the Argentine invasion of the Falkland Islands. Then, as would apply now, the UK was not afforded protection under NATO's Article 5 'collective self-defence' (valid only for territories north of the Tropic of Cancer) and a solely British Military operation was initiated. Given the need to carry an invasion force over some 8,000 miles, the Royal Navy (RN) was to act as the main military apparatus in the transportation of the invasion force south: this was codenamed OPERATION CORPORATE. Forty-one years later and Argentina has elected a new president in Javier Milie, who is keen to re-open questions over the future of the Falklands sovereignty. This, coupled with the RN's recovery from a period of austerity-driven defence cuts, provides comparisons which are eerily reminiscent of the state of the RN in 1982. It is therefore appropriate to discuss whether the RN in 2024 could replicate a similar response to that that was launched in 1982. To make fair assessment, the following areas will be discussed: political appetite (and foreign policy), fleet size, technology, defence procurement, as well as the UK's relationship with her allies and the role of overseas bases. Political Appetite The UK government does and continues to demonstrate its desire to play a global role, meeting its commitment to international partners and defending peace and stability. This is evident from the UK's leading role in both the training and delivery of equipment to Ukraine since 2022; the commitment through OPERATION PROSPERITY GUARDIAN to ensure freedom of navigation through areas littoral to Yemen; notwithstanding swift responses to the 2021 Kabul Airlift, the evacuation of UK nationals from Sudan in 2023 and most recently, the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza. Importantly, it was the release of the 2021 Integrated Review and Defence Command Paper which reiterated the appetite for 'global Britain'. This manifested itself in a commitment to respond to both concurrent and new and emerging threats, focussing largely on the following methods: the need for a more forward based Navy, the ability to deploy one functioning aircraft carrier and investment in future technology, such a direct energy weapons and artificial intelligence. In short, the UK has demonstrated it maintains the political will to remain a global power in protecting its interests at home and abroad. However, this has been conducted with ever stretching resources, most notably, fewer available capital ships and a creaking support structure. Fleet Size With it established that the UK has the political will power to react to a theoretical conflict in the southern hemisphere, the next area of discussion lays with the current RN footprint and whether there is appropriate number of capital ships, auxiliary ships and supply chain to support extended deployment at high readiness. If we compare the current RN fleet with that of the task force sent in 1982, we can see numbers are significantly lower and this has continued to decrease in size. The OPERATION CORPORATE task group comprised of 127 ships: 43 RN vessels, (2 aircraft carriers, 15 frigates, 6 destroyers, 2 LPD's and 6 submarines), 24 Sea Harrier and 22 Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA). The 62 merchant vessels were British-registered vessels requisitioned by the Ministry of Defence (MoD), otherwise known as 'Ships Taken Up From Trade' (STUFT). In contrast, the current RN in its totality encompasses 66 vessels, drastically reducing to 21 when listing only capital ships:11 frigates, 6 destroyers, 2 aircraft carriers, 2 LPDs an...

Back for a second discussion of hot topics are guests Dr Gary Blackburn and Dr David Blagden. With host Iain Ballantyne, they weigh up the prospect of European NATO nations being forced to cope with a bigger burden of defence, if a re-elected President Trump decides to to pull American land forces out of the Continent. It is a policy that is being called ‘Dormant NATO' by some commentators. They also consider whether or not the confrontation between missile-firing Houthi rebels and Western navies in the Red Sea is becoming a forgotten contest, with warships that were once committed to protecting sea trade now diverted elsewhere. With European taxpayers getting a subsidy on their own defence - due to the USA carrying the NATO burden -  it is suggested that (even if America did not pull out or scale back forces in annoyance) its strategic and military rivalry with China - which is building a huge navy - may force Washington to concentrate even more on Asia-Pacific. In discussing the fact that certain sanctions on Russia, for invading Ukraine in 2022, may be less than waterproof, the subject of whether to directly confront Moscow or stick to a long, hard policy of containment - in ‘Cold War 2' - is also touched upon by the trio. •The next (July) edition of Warships IFR is published on June 21 in the UK and globally. Visit the magazine web site http://bit.ly/wifrmag  Also, follow us on X @WarshipsIFR Facebook @WarshipsFR and Warships IFR TV on YouTube @warshipsifrtv3668 For more on various editions of the magazine https://bit.ly/wifri •Dr Gary Blackburn is an honorary fellow of the Centre for Security Studies at the University of Hull. Gary has taught Security Studies and Military History at the Universities of Leeds and Hull, respectively - and has written for Defence Studies and The Critic, and for the latter about aspects of the UK's 2021 Integrated Review of Defence and Security. Follow him on X at @gjb70 •Dr David Blagden, is Senior Lecturer in International Security at the Strategy and Security Institute (SSI) and in the Department of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Exeter. Dr Blagden has worked in - and subsequently consulted for - the UK Cabinet Office, provided evidence for a number of Parliamentary Select Committees and HM Government policy reviews.  He is also a Visiting Fellow of the Royal Navy Strategic Studies Centre, an Associate of the Corbett Centre for Maritime Policy Studies. He has written for outlets including The Guardian, The Spectator and the New Statesman. Follow him on X @blagden_david •Iain Ballantyne is the founding and current Editor of Warships IFR (first published in 1998) along with its ‘Guide to the Royal Navy' (since 2003) and ‘Guide to the US Navy' (since 2018). Iain is also author of the books ‘Hunter Killers' (Orion) and ‘The Deadly Trade' (Weidenfeld & Nicolson), both about submarine warfare, plus ‘Arnhem: Ten Days in The Cauldron' and ‘Bismarck: 24 Hours to Doom' (published by Canelo). In 2017 Iain was awarded a Maritime Fellowship by the British Maritime Foundation. Visit his web site Bismarckbattle.com and follow him on X @IBallantyn

Our guests for this episode are Dr Gary Blackburn and Dr David Blagden who, with host Iain Ballantyne, discuss a recent proposal by the UK Government to introduce a new National Service scheme for 18-year-olds. Iain asks if it is just a case of blatant electioneering by the incumbent Sunak administration, which looks set to lose a summer General Election to the Labour Party? Or does the proposal offer some merit amid a recruitment crisis for the Royal Navy? Likewise, was the other recent big defence announcement by the Conservative government - of taking Defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2030 - another gambit to try and win votes? Also discussed is the state of the Royal Navy, with frigate and destroyer levels now cut to just 15 and yet with warnings of the UK being confronted by a pre-war state. Things may improve in the 2030s, with new warships entering service, but in the meantime it leaves Britain with a small, tired ‘jam tomorrow' Navy. The effect of sea blindness is also touch upon during the conversation. And can drones really replace people and warships? Or are they just a seductive illusion? This is just the first helping of discourse between the trio as in the next episode – out very soon – they tackle the topics of ‘Dormant NATO' (under a possible second Trump presidency), the wars in the Red and Black seas and whether to directly confront Russia or contain that nuclear state. •The next (July) edition of Warships IFR is published on June 21 in the UK and globally. Visit the magazine web site http://bit.ly/wifrmag  Also, follow us on X @WarshipsIFR Facebook @WarshipsFR and Warships IFR TV on YouTube @warshipsifrtv3668 For more on various editions of the magazine https://bit.ly/wifri •Dr Gary Blackburn is an honorary fellow of the Centre for Security Studies at the University of Hull. Gary has taught Security Studies and Military History at the Universities of Leeds and Hull, respectively - and has written for Defence Studies and The Critic, and for the latter about aspects of the UK's 2021 Integrated Review of Defence and Security. Follow him on X at @gjb70 •Dr David Blagden, is Senior Lecturer in International Security at the Strategy and Security Institute (SSI) and in the Department of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Exeter. Dr Blagden has worked in - and subsequently consulted for - the UK Cabinet Office, provided evidence for a number of Parliamentary Select Committees and HM Government policy reviews.  He is also a Visiting Fellow of the Royal Navy Strategic Studies Centre, an Associate of the Corbett Centre for Maritime Policy Studies. He has written for outlets including The Guardian, The Spectator and the New Statesman. Follow him on X @blagden_david •Iain Ballantyne is the founding and current Editor of Warships IFR (first published in 1998) along with its ‘Guide to the Royal Navy' (since 2003) and ‘Guide to the US Navy' (since 2018). Iain is also author of the books ‘Hunter Killers' (Orion) and ‘The Deadly Trade' (Weidenfeld & Nicolson), both about submarine warfare, plus ‘Arnhem: Ten Days in The Cauldron' and ‘Bismarck: 24 Hours to Doom' (published by Canelo). In 2017 Iain was awarded a Fellowship by the British Maritime Foundation, which promotes awareness of the United Kingdom's dependence on the sea and seafarers. Visit his web site Bismarckbattle.com and follow him on X @IBallantyn

Author: Sam Hilton, AIM Director of Research In March 2021 I received an odd letter. It was from a guy I didn't know, David Quarrey, the UK's National Security Advisor. The letter thanked me for providing external expertise to the UK government's Integrated Review, which had been published that morning. It turns out that the Integrated Review has made a public commitment to "review our approach to risk assessment" ... "including how we account for interdependencies, cascading and compound risks". This is something I'd been advocating for over the previous few months by writing a policy paper and engaging with politicians and civil servants. It's hard to know how much my input changed government policy but I couldn't find much evidence of others advocating for this. I had set myself a 10-year goal to "have played a role in making the UK a leader in long-term resilience to extreme [...] --- First published: April 2nd, 2024 Source: https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/RmZWjTLNTg4hby7pz/aim-s-new-guide-to-launching-a-high-impact-non-profit-policy --- Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

Welcome to The Nonlinear Library, where we use Text-to-Speech software to convert the best writing from the Rationalist and EA communities into audio. This is: AIM's new guide to launching a high-impact non-profit policy organization, published by CE on April 2, 2024 on The Effective Altruism Forum. Author: Sam Hilton, AIM Director of Research In March 2021 I received an odd letter. It was from a guy I didn't know, David Quarrey, the UK's National Security Advisor. The letter thanked me for providing external expertise to the UK government's Integrated Review, which had been published that morning. It turns out that the Integrated Review has made a public commitment to "review our approach to risk assessment" ... "including how we account for interdependencies, cascading and compound risks". This is something I'd been advocating for over the previous few months by writing a policy paper and engaging with politicians and civil servants. It's hard to know how much my input changed government policy but I couldn't find much evidence of others advocating for this. I had set myself a 10-year goal to "have played a role in making the UK a leader in long-term resilience to extreme risks, championing the issue of extreme risks on the global stage." and I seemed to be making steps in that direction. After a few years working on, and, I believe, successfully changing UK policy a number of times I came away with the view that policy change is really just not that hard. You think carefully about what you can change, tell policy people what they need to do, network a lot to make sure that they hear you, and then sometimes they listen and sometimes they don't. But when they do you have pushed on a big lever and the world moves. It has surprised me a bit being at CE (now AIM) and finding that our incubatees are not that keen on this indirect approach to changing the world. Policy work has slow feedback loops, can be hard to measure, and what are you even doing in a policy role anyway?! And I get that. But it is a damn big lever to just ignore. So, firstly, I would like to share AIM's guide to launching a policy NGO. This is a document I and others have been working on internally for AIM to help founders understand what policy roles are like, how to drive change, what works and what does not, how to measure impact, and so on. This is not the full program content but should give you a decent taste of the kind of support we can provide. Secondly, I would like to note that AIM wants more founders who would be excited to start a policy organisation. If you think you could be plausibly excited about founding a policy organisation (or any of our upcoming recommended ideas!), I encourage you to apply for the Incubation Program here. Thanks for listening. To help us out with The Nonlinear Library or to learn more, please visit nonlinear.org

A National Audit Office (NAO) report on ‘The Equipment Plan 2023 - 2033' in the UK makes for grim reading, revealing a massive so-called ‘black hole' in the Defence budget, which means there is apparently no money for key projects, including future warships. In part two of the discussion, host Iain Ballantyne and guests Gary Blackburn and James Bosbotinis weigh up the shortfall in funding. They also ponder what the Labour Government-in-waiting might do to fill in the ‘black hole' if it succeeds in coming to power in 2024.  Are we going to see the Navy-led Indo-Pacific ‘tilt' by the UK axed and would that be a wise move in our interconnected world? Surely there cannot be another British retreat from East of Suez?  With so many threats looming globally, might a UK government be foolish enough to follow the example of the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review and further hollow out the Armed Forces to save money with big item cuts?  Aside from contemplating the above issues, the discussion addresses whether or not the long-feared New Cold War is here, with the Western liberal democracies confronted by a global existential threat from authoritarian states (not least Russia and Iran). • For more on Warships IFR magazine http://bit.ly/wifrmag  Follow it on Twitter @WarshipsIFR and on Facebook @WarshipsIFR The topics discussed during our podcast episode are often also looked at in the magazine itself. It is available in digital and hard copy formats. To find out where it is available from UK shops bit.ly/searchdist  Our new Warships IFR 'Guide to the Royal Navy 2024' is out now in the UK in shops bit.ly/searchdist or order direct from Sundial Magazines https://bit.ly/GRN24e  Guests: • Dr Gary Blackburn is an honorary fellow of the Centre for Security Studies at the University of Hull, which seeks to enhance understanding on the nature of war and strategy while also providing guidance on best practice in war and strategy to professional stakeholders. Gary has taught Security Studies and Military History at the Universities of Leeds and Hull, respectively - and has written for Defence Studies and The Critic, and for the latter about aspects of the UK's 2021 Integrated Review of Defence and Security. Follow him on Twitter @gjb70 • Dr James Bosbotinis is a freelance defence and international affairs analyst, specialising in maritime strategy and force developments. He is a regular contributor to Warships International Fleet Review, and is the Book Reviews Editor of The Naval Review. For more information about Dr Bosbotinis visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesbosbotinis He is on twitter @JamesBosbotinis Warships Pod host: • Iain Ballantyne is the founding and current Editor of Warships IFR (first published in 1998) along with its ‘Guide to the Royal Navy' (since 2003) and ‘Guide to the US Navy' (since 2018). Iain is also author of the books ‘Hunter Killers' (Orion) and ‘The Deadly Trade' (Weidenfeld & Nicolson), both about submarine warfare, with his most recent books being ‘Bismarck: 24 Hours to Doom' and ‘Arnhem: Ten Days in The Cauldron' (Canelo History).  For more details on Iain and his books visit the web sites  http://iainballantyne.com and https://www.bismarckbattle.com/ Follow him on Twitter @IBallantyn

This episode begins with a discussion by host Iain Ballantyne and guests Dr Gary Blackburn and Dr James Bosbotinis about the bid by Venezuela to annex a major part of neighboring Guyana. How might navies attempt to prevent escalation as the communist client state of Russia and Iran considers its next move against an oil-rich Commonwealth nation? How the Venezuelan Navy stacks up against Guyana's forces is part of the discussion. Then there is the Red Sea situation where the Houthi faction in Yemen is letting fly with Iranian-supplied drones and missiles against merchant ships and warships in international waters.  Do the Houthis have the capacity in weaponry and also the capability to cause serious damage and disruption? Gary and James provide their perspectives on the above issues and more including the broader canvas of the Iranian-led resistance to Western involvement in the Middle East. The historical context of today's events is also considered, with reference to the Tanker War of the 1980s and the importance of Red Sea trade to the global economy. • For more on Warships IFR magazine http://bit.ly/wifrmag  Follow it on Twitter @WarshipsIFR and Facebook @WarshipsIFR Guests: • Dr Gary Blackburn is an honorary fellow of the Centre for Security Studies at the University of Hull, which seeks to enhance understanding on the nature of war and strategy while also providing guidance on best practice in war and strategy to professional stakeholders.  Gary has taught Security Studies and Military History at the Universities of Leeds and Hull, respectively - and has written for Defence Studies and The Critic, and for the latter about aspects of the UK's 2021 Integrated Review of Defence and Security. Follow him on Twitter @gjb70 • Dr James Bosbotinis is a freelance defence and international affairs analyst, specialising in maritime strategy and force developments. He is a regular contributor to Warships International Fleet Review, and is the Book Reviews Editor of The Naval Review.  For more information about Dr Bosbotinis visit  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesbosbotinis He is on twitter @JamesBosbotinis Warships Pod host: • Iain Ballantyne is the founding and current Editor of Warships IFR (first published in 1998) along with its ‘Guide to the Royal Navy' (since 2003) and ‘Guide to the US Navy' (since 2018). Iain is also author of the books ‘Hunter Killers' (Orion) and ‘The Deadly Trade' (Weidenfeld & Nicolson), both about submarine warfare, with his most recent books being ‘Bismarck: 24 Hours to Doom' and ‘Arnhem: Ten Days in The Cauldron' (Canelo History). For more details on Iain and his books visit the web sites  http://iainballantyne.com and https://www.bismarckbattle.com/ Follow him on Twitter @IBallantyn

This episode explores the future of UK–EU relations in the light of current challenges. In the spring of 2021, the Integrated Review signalled the UK's future approach to European security post-Brexit, with an ambitious agenda for 'Global Britain'. Over two years on, there is a palpable sense that the UK may have turned a corner in its relations with the EU, with the ‘Windsor Framework' agreement in early 2023 ending the most bitter Brexit dispute. Perhaps for the first time since the 2016 vote to leave the EU, the UK can begin to look ahead with greater confidence to its place in Europe and the wider world. Host Neil Melvin ponders with Richard Whitman, Director of the Global Europe Centre and Professor of Politics and International Relations at the University of Kent, whether the UK has found a new post-Brexit foreign and security policy, and discusses how the UK is approaching wider European security framework questions such as NATO and the Joint Expeditionary Force.

In part two of their podcast discussion Iain Ballantyne and Gary Blackburn provide their opinions on the Hollywood movie ‘Oppenheimer', about J. Robert Oppenheimer, the so-called ‘father of the atom bomb.' It includes a discussion on the historical context of The Bomb's use to end WW2, especially in light of the US Navy already bringing Japan to the brink of surrender via a blockade enforced by its submarines. So, what were the motivations for dropping the Fat Man and Little Boy nuclear weapons on Hiroshima in 1945? Iain and Gary also weigh up the worth of the latest revelations in the story of UFOs (aka Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena, or UAPs) and how some mystery craft have interacted with the US Navy's jets and warships. The testimony of two US Navy pilots and an ex-US Air Force intelligence officer to the USA's House Oversight Committee in the House of Representatives has produced some fascinating details about the encounters. It even raised the possibility that the mystery craft may have been piloted by “non-human biologics,” according to one of the officers. Might the Warships Pod one day feature an alien life form as a special guest!? The new (September) edition of Warships IFR magazine is OUT NOW!  It includes Iain Ballantyne's reviews of both ‘Oppenheimer' and the latest ‘Mission: Impossible' movie, the latter featuring dramatic scenes involving a Russian nuclear-powered attack submarine. And the September edition offers so much more besides. Warships IFR is available in shops and direct as both a hard copy mag and digital edition. You can make sure that you receive a regular delivery of global naval news and features by subscribing bit.ly/wifrsub  For more information on Warships IFR magazine http://bit.ly/wifrmag  Follow it on X (formerly known as Twitter) via @WarshipsIFR and on Facebook @WarshipsIFR • Dr Gary Blackburn is an honorary fellow of the Centre for Security Studies at the University of Hull, which seeks to enhance understanding on the nature of war and strategy while also providing guidance on best practice in war and strategy to professional stakeholders. Gary has taught Security Studies and Military History at the universities of Leeds and Hull, respectively - and has written for Defence Studies and The Critic, and for the latter about aspects of the UK's 2021 Integrated Review of Defence and Security.  Follow him on the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) via @gjb70 • Iain Ballantyne is the founding and current Editor of Warships IFR. He is also author of the books ‘Hunter Killers' (Orion) and ‘The Deadly Trade' (Weidenfeld & Nicolson), both about submarine warfare, with his most recent books being ‘Bismarck: 24 Hours to Doom' and ‘Arnhem: Ten Days in The Cauldron' (new editions for Canelo History).  For more details on Iain and his books visit the web sites http://iainballantyne.com and https://www.bismarckbattle.com/  Follow him on the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) via @IBallantyn

In part one of this discussion between Dr. Gary Blackburn and host Iain Ballantyne, they investigate the recently published UK Defence Command Paper (DCP).  It was meant to lay out how British national defence and security will be achieved, especially in light of the on-going Ukraine War. However, it is regarded by some as nothing more than a ‘word salad' - an opaquely worded smokescreen to hide the fact that Britain doesn't have enough money to defend itself properly. Gary highlights valid points made by the DCP, while also suggesting its weaknesses. Iain proposes the DCP should actually be called the ‘No Money Command Paper.' Iain and Gary look at ‘wonder technologies' versus traditional combat mass (and how the former has for decades been used as a mask for defence cuts in various UK defence reviews). Other things touched on during Gary and Iain's chat include Russia's moves in Africa and China's ability to build as many warships as it likes with no regard for the sort of political-economic imperatives that Western democracies have to take into account. A hot topic also considered is the Ukraine War at sea, including attacks by maritime drones on Russian vessels and Moscow's ‘Black Sea Grain Gambit' - the weaponization of grain exports to the rest of the world (or lack of them). When it comes to sea drone attacks on Russia's ships, some historical context is provided – basically, the use of such equalising weapons by weaker nations against stronger ones is nothing new, as Gary and Iain point out. So-called ‘kamikaze' maritime drones are just the latest variation on an old weapon… Aspects of this fascinating discussion are covered also in the new (September) edition of Warships IFR magazine, which is OUT NOW!  Warships IFR is available in shops and direct as a both a hard copy mag and digital edition. You can make sure that you receive a regular delivery of global naval news and features by subscribing bit.ly/wifrsub  For more information on Warships IFR magazine http://bit.ly/wifrmag  Follow it on X (formerly known as Twitter) via @WarshipsIFR and on Facebook @WarshipsIFR • In part two of their podcast discussion Iain Ballantyne and Gary Blackburn provide their opinions on the Hollywood movie ‘Oppenheimer', about J. Robert Oppenheimer, the ‘father of the atom bomb.' It includes a discussion on the historical context of The Bomb's use to end WW2, especially in light of the US Navy already bringing Japan to the brink of surrender. Finally, in part two Iain and Gary also weigh up the worth of the latest revelations in the story of UFOs (aka UAPs) and how the mystery craft have interacted with the US Navy. Might the Warships Pod one day feature an alien lifeform as a special guest!? • Dr Gary Blackburn is an honorary fellow of the Centre for Security Studies at the University of Hull, which seeks to enhance understanding on the nature of war and strategy while also providing guidance on best practice in war and strategy to professional stakeholders. Gary has taught Security Studies and Military History at the Universities of Leeds and Hull, respectively - and has written for Defence Studies and The Critic, and for the latter about aspects of the UK's 2021 Integrated Review of Defence and Security.  Follow him on the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) via @gjb70 • Iain Ballantyne is the founding and current Editor of Warships IFR. He is also author of the books ‘Hunter Killers' (Orion) and ‘The Deadly Trade' (Weidenfeld & Nicolson), both about submarine warfare, with his most recent books being ‘Bismarck: 24 Hours to Doom' and ‘Arnhem: Ten Days in The Cauldron' (new editions for Canelo History).  For more details on Iain and his books visit the web sites http://iainballantyne.com and https://www.bismarckbattle.com/  Follow him on the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) via @IBallantyn

In part two of a discussion by Mark Grove and Dr Gary Blackburn with host Iain Ballantyne, the tasty and varied menu includes naval aspects of the Ukraine War and whether or not a new Battle of the Atlantic is shaping up as Russia seeks to win its so-called ‘special military operation' in Ukraine it has sought to establish stronger links with China, so this begs the question, which Iain puts out there: what does Moscow have to offer Beijing? Does the answer possibly lie in naval technology? After also touching on Russia reinforcing its submarine forces in the Pacific, the chat turns to the Ukraine War itself. Among the topics touched on are Moscow effort's to impose a distant blockade in the Black Sea and the use of drones, plus implications for the Royal Navy as it struggles to achieve critical mass in aerial capabilities. The discussion turns to the new contest in the Atlantic between Russia and the West. Bearing in mind this is the 80 th anniversary year of the Allies gaining a decisive upper hand in the WW2 struggle for that vast and strategically vital ocean, does naval history offer anything relevant to where we are now? Would convoys of merchant vessels need to make a comeback if the 21 st Century Atlantic contest turns hot? And, as a worthwhile digression, what about the importance of safeguarding seabed infrastructure - especially in the wake of the Nord Stream sabotage attack - and how to avoid dangerous escalation? The expert analysis and commentary of Mark and Gary on all the above subjects is well worth a listen. Also touched on in this episode is China seeking to exert sea control in oceans off its shores, via land-based ballistic missiles, but why? The conundrum of prioritising UK army or naval expenditure is mentioned, along with the folly of the UK's notorious 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review. Mark Grove is a Senior Lecturer in Strategic Studies specialising in Maritime Strategy, Warfare, and Security at the University of Lincoln's Maritime Studies Centre at the Royal Naval College in Dartmouth, where he has taught for 24 years, originally working directly for the Ministry of Defence. Mark has written on amphibious warfare, the naval history of the Second World War, and the Falklands. Over the last decade or more has spent most of his research time examining the threats posed by the Russian and Chinese navies, on which he has provided briefings for several UK and NATO Headquarters and Government Departments. Follow him on Twitter @MarkJGrove Dr Gary Blackburn is an honorary fellow of the Centre for Security Studies at the University of Hull, which seeks to enhance understanding on the nature of war and strategy while also providing guidance on best practice in war and strategy to professional stakeholders. Gary has taught Security Studies and Military History at the Universities of Leeds and Hull, respectively - and has written for Defence Studies and The Critic, and for the latter about aspects of the UK's 2021 Integrated Review of Defence and Security. Follow him on Twitter @gjb70 • For more on Warships IFR magazine http://bit.ly/wifrmag Follow it on Twitter @WarshipsIFR and on Facebook @WarshipsIFR • Iain Ballantyne is the founding and current Editor of Warships IFR. He is also author of the books ‘Hunter Killers' (Orion) and ‘The Deadly Trade' (Weidenfeld & Nicolson), both about submarine warfare, with his most recent books being ‘Bismarck: 24 Hours to Doom' and ‘Arnhem: Ten Days in The Cauldron' (new editions for Canelo History). For more details on Iain and his books visit the websites http://iainballantyne.com and https://www.bismarckbattle.com/ Follow him on Twitter @IBallantyn

In part one of a two-part special, guests Dr Gary Blackburn and Mark Grove discuss an array of hot topics with host Iain Ballantyne. Iain asks Gary and Mark to give their perspectives on submarine aspects of the Australia- United Kingdom-USA (AUKUS) defence pact following the recent big announcement on the way ahead in San Diego. They consider the implications, along with the scale and nature of the challenge, both industrially and strategically. The UK's Integrated Review 23 Refresh' (IR23) comes under scrutiny to assess what we know so far and what may be to come, including naval cuts/or reshaping that will be revealed in the forthcoming Command Paper. How the UK might weight its defence forces is considered. Britain's much-vaunted Pacific Tilt in relation to China v. West tensions is also discussed, along with the prospect of a retreat from major naval commitments in Indo-Pacific - under a possible new Labour Government - as the Army lobbies for a return to a focus on a new ‘Central Front' on land against Russia. • Part two will look at naval aspects of the Ukraine-Russia War and what a future Battle of the Atlantic may be like. It is an apt topic in the 80th anniversary year of the culmination in the WW2 struggle for the Atlantic. Mark Grove is a Senior Lecturer in Strategic Studies specialising in Maritime Strategy, Warfare, and Security at the University of Lincoln's Maritime Studies Centre at the Royal Naval College in Dartmouth, where he has taught for 24 years, originally working directly for the Ministry of Defence. Mark has written on amphibious warfare, the naval history of the Second World War, and the Falklands. Over the last decade or more has spent most of his research time examining the threats posed by the Russian and Chinese navies, on which he has provided briefings for several UK and NATO Headquarters and Government Departments. Follow him on Twitter @MarkJGrove Dr Gary Blackburn is an honorary fellow of the Centre for Security Studies at the University of Hull, which seeks to enhance understanding on the nature of war and strategy while also providing guidance on best practice in war and strategy to professional stakeholders. Gary has taught Security Studies and Military History at the Universities of Leeds and Hull, respectively - and has written for Defence Studies and The Critic, and for the latter about aspects of the UK's 2021 Integrated Review of Defence and Security. Follow him on Twitter @gjb70 • For more on Warships IFR magazine http://bit.ly/wifrmag  Follow it on Twitter @WarshipsIFR and on Facebook @WarshipsIFR • Iain Ballantyne is the founding and current Editor of Warships IFR. He is also the author of the books ‘Hunter Killers' (Orion) and ‘The Deadly Trade' (Weidenfeld &  Nicolson), both about submarine warfare, with his most recent books being ‘Bismarck: 24 Hours to Doom' and ‘Arnhem: Ten Days in The Cauldron' (new editions for Canelo History). For more details on Iain and his books visit the web sites http://iainballantyne.com and https://www.bismarckbattle.com/ Follow him on Twitter @IBallantyn

Today Rishi Sunak's diplomacy is taking centre stage. He is currently in San Diego for talks with President Biden and the government has just released its refreshed Integrated Review, which includes strengthened language on China, the Russia-Ukraine war and science and tech. Cindy Yu speaks to Katy Balls and Sophia Gaston, head of foreign policy at the think tank Policy Exchange.  Produced by Cindy Yu and Oscar Edmondson.

The Gary Lineker row continues as the Director General of the BBC rows back and apologises for the weekend sports outage. Meanwhile Suella Braverman orders police to protect free speech while the Ministry of Defence secures an extra £5bn in this week's Budget. Elsewhere Rishi Sunak enlists spies to help business counter Chinese tech threat on the eve of the Integrated Review being published while backbench Tory MPs express their unease of the Illegal Migrant bill to detain and deport child refugees. Mike gives his unique take on Netflix covering Prince Harry's Nazi uniform shame in next series of The Crown. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The momentous geopolitical and economic events of 2022 posed fundamental challenges to UK defence policy.  The Government set out its defence priorities in the Integrated Review and the Defence Command Paper in March 2021.  Even at the time, these documents did not give enough of a sense of priorities; now,... The post From aspiration to reality: updating UK defence policy for 2023 appeared first on Wavell Room.

The shock and surprise expressed by Western politicians after Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine heralded reviews of defence policies across Europe. The UK was amongst those states that committed to refresh their policies in light of Russian actions – a process that is underway and due to produce recommendations sometime in early 2023. Ben Barry talks to Peter about some of the inconvenient truths that have got to be addressed, and what needs to change. While the discussion is largely UK centric, the same considerations are valid in many European capitals.

These are uncertain and changing times for UK politics and defence strategy. So much has changed — domestically and in the world at large — since the UK government released the Integrated Review and MoD Command Paper in early 2021. Shephard Media's news editor Ben Vogel sits down with General Sir Richard Barrons, former commander of the UK's  Joint Forces Command, to discuss whether the Integrated Review's assumptions remain valid in today's changed security and defence climate. The discussion forms part of a wider package of content delivered by the Shephard Media editorial team.

So much has changed — domestically and in the world at large — since the UK government released the Integrated Review and MoD Command Paper in early 2021. In this special podcast episode, Shephard Media's team of subject-matter experts looks into the key points in these documents, and ask if the assumptions behind them remain valid in the changed security and defence climate today.The discussion forms part of a wider package of content delivered by the Shephard Media editorial team.

Leslie Vinjamuri, the Director of the US and the Americas programme and Dean of the Queen Elizabeth II Academy for Leadership in International Affairs at Chatham House, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss what a new monarch, a new prime minister, and the legacy of Brexit mean for Britain's future.   Mentioned on the Podcast   Charles A. Kupman and Leslie Vinjamuri, eds., Anchoring the World: International Order in the Twenty-First Century   Leslie Vinjamuri, “How Brexit and Boris Broke Britain,” Foreign Affairs   The Government of the United Kingdom Cabinet Office, Global Britain in a Competitive Age: the Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy

As the British Army looks into Europe, we are no doubt considering our design, purpose, training and equipment. The Integrated Review and the Future Solider proposition are significant steppingstones to the future but from an academic perspective, I wonder if we are being truly transformational. What do we really mean... The post What is Transformation appeared first on Wavell Room.

To kick off the episode, Dr Alex Bristow speaks to ASPI newcomer Bec Shrimpton, who will head up this year's Sydney Dialogue. They discuss the strategic threats Australia faces, including the challenges posed by emerging tech, and the Australia-China relationship. With so much of our data online, and a growing reliance on technology in our daily lives, we are left vulnerable to cyber-attacks. Karly Winkler speaks to Google's Shane Huntley about the work of the Google Threat Analysis Group and the current cyber threat landscape. In the Integrated Review 2021, the UK Government detailed its vision of the UK's role in the world over the next two decades, outlining a tilt to the Indo-Pacific. Dr Marcus Hellyer speaks to Professor Alessio Patalano about the Indo-Pacific tilt, the UK's naval strategy and defence capability priorities. Guests (in order of appearance): Dr Alex Bristow: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/dr-alex-bristow Bec Shrimpton: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-shrimpton-09233265/?originalSubdomain=au Karly Winkler: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/karly-winkler Shane Huntley: https://twitter.com/ShaneHuntley Dr Marcus Hellyer: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/marcus-hellyer Professor Alessio Patalano: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/people/dr-alessio-patalano

A conversation about: surveillance behaviour - in a connected world, being watched all the time, what does it mean in terms of behaviour? How could AI and machine learning be used to improve national security? What's expected from people's behaviour when it comes to interacting on the Metaverse? Impacts of Quantum Computing when it comes to gathering & using data, processing information and generating intelligence. Digital authoritarianism, dictatorship as a service, surveillance capitalism. What role is technology playing in the Future of War? Keith is Director of Artificial Intelligence Innovation at Fujitsu Defence & National Security. He served as an Expert Advisor to the UK Prime Minister on Defence modernisation & the Integrated Review, leading also on UK space strategy in No10, and advising on national strategies on emerging technology. Keith is CEO of Airbridge Aviation, a not-for-profit devoted to using uncrewed cargo aircraft for the delivery of humanitarian aid. He holds a doctorate in Experimental Psychology from the University of Oxford.

A conversation about: surveillance behaviour - in a connected world, being watched all the time, what does it mean in terms of behaviour? How could AI and machine learning be used to improve national security? What's expected from people's behaviour when it comes to interacting on the Metaverse? Impacts of Quantum Computing when it comes to gathering & using data, processing information and generating intelligence. Digital authoritarianism, dictatorship as a service, surveillance capitalism. What role is technology playing in the Future of War? Keith is Director of Artificial Intelligence Innovation at Fujitsu Defence & National Security. He served as an Expert Advisor to the UK Prime Minister on Defence modernisation & the Integrated Review, leading also on UK space strategy in No10, and advising on national strategies on emerging technology. Keith is CEO of Airbridge Aviation, a not-for-profit devoted to using uncrewed cargo aircraft for the delivery of humanitarian aid. He holds a doctorate in Experimental Psychology from the University of Oxford.

Host Iain Ballantyne is joined by two of the UK's big thinkers on naval strategy, namely Dr Gary Blackburn and Mark Grove, for a wide-ranging and fascinating discussion of hot topics. The subjects they tackle include who is winning the Ukraine War at sea, plus its implications for navies long and short term, not least a worrying lack of lethality in British warships and the mystifying absence of urgency in doing anything about it. The chat also looks at the lessons provided by the Falklands War of 1982 and how they remain ultra-relevant to today.  Whether or not the UK is maximising the potential of its new aircraft carriers is discussed. Are split priorities between maritime defence needs and the RAF's land-based air aims undermining the carriers' ability to act as a proper deterrent to Russian aggression?  Then there's the matter of whether or not British politicians who are bogged down in Westminster Village squabbling - over the so-called cakegate, beergate and currygate scandals - are paying attention to threats like the long reach of Russia's cruise missile-armed submarines.  The expanding fire power of the Chinese Navy is touched upon in the podcast too, while the discussion also weighs up where we are in the new Cold War - and asks if the West has the luxury of time to hang around in bolstering its defences. • Dr Gary Blackburn is an honorary fellow of the Centre for Security Studies at the University of Hull, which seeks to enhance understanding on the nature of war and strategy while also providing guidance on best practice in war and strategy to professional stakeholders.  Gary has taught Security Studies and Military History at the Universities of Leeds and Hull, respectively. He has written for ‘Defence Studies' and ‘The Critic', and for the latter about aspects of the UK's 2021 Integrated Review of Defence and Security. He can be found on Twitter @gjb70 • Mark Grove is Senior Lecturer in Strategic Studies specialising in Maritime Strategy, Warfare, and Security at the University of Lincoln's Maritime Studies Centre at the Britannia Royal Naval College Dartmouth, where he has taught for 24 years, originally working directly for the Ministry of Defence. Mark has written on amphibious warfare, the naval history of the Second World War and the Falklands War. Over the last decade or more he has spent most of his research time examining the threats posed by the Russian and Chinese navies, on which he has provided briefings for several UK and NATO Headquarters and Government Departments. Mark is also on Twitter @MarkJGrove • Iain Ballantyne is the Editor of WARSHIPS International Fleet Review magazine and the author of numerous naval history books. These include ‘Hunter Killers' and ‘The Deadly Trade', both of which include chapters on the Cold War, Falklands War and naval operations today.  • For more details on WARSHIPS IFR magazine http://bit.ly/wifrmag   Follow it on Twitter @WarshipsIFR and on Facebook @WarshipsIFR   

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.

After the long years of counter-insurgency operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, Russia's invasion of Ukraine means the United Kingdom once again faces a conflict in Europe. At the same time, China is taking an increasingly assertive approach to Taiwan. The government's response to this era of renewed global competition is the Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy. One year on from its publication, the Institute for Government was delighted to host MoD Permanent Secretary David Williams alongside Chief of the Defence Staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin to discuss their priorities for the Ministry of Defence and what reforms will ensure the civil service and armed forces are able to meet the threats the UK faces in the world. The event was chaired by Bronwen Maddox, Director of the Institute for Government #IfGUKdefence

After the long years of counter-insurgency operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, Russia's invasion of Ukraine means the United Kingdom once again faces a conflict in Europe. At the same time, China is taking an increasingly assertive approach to Taiwan. The government's response to this era of renewed global competition is the Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy. One year on from its publication, the Institute for Government was delighted to host MoD Permanent Secretary David Williams alongside Chief of the Defence Staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin to discuss their priorities for the Ministry of Defence and what reforms will ensure the civil service and armed forces are able to meet the threats the UK faces in the world. The event was chaired by Bronwen Maddox, Director of the Institute for Government #IfGUKdefence

Policy Exchange is hosting a series of podcasts on Russia's invasion of Ukraine and its broader consequences.  In this episode Michael Mosbacher asks Air Marshal Edward Stringer (Ret'd) – Senior Fellow at Policy Exchange and former Director General of the Defence Academy and Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff – about the military consequences of the invasion and what its likely repercussions are: 1. Is this a military crisis Britain had planned for? Had we war gamed it? 2. Russia has made nuclear threats. How seriously should they be taken? Are they just sabre rattling or are the risks high due to Russia's strategy risks? 3. Is the use of battlefield nuclear weapons by Russia a real possibility? 4. Britain's nuclear strategy – does the fact that we purely rely on Trident for our nuclear deterrent limit our room for manoeuvre? 5. What does the war mean for last year's Integrated Review? Do its conclusions need revisiting? 6. Is a No Fly Zone over Ukraine militarily feasible and would it make a real difference to the war?

In light of the Integrated Review this year, what other military reviews have there been and what was their impact? Peter Watkins (former Director General in the UK MoD) looks back at previous military reviews and discusses continuing themes. Peter Watkins became an associate fellow for Chatham House in June 2019. Before that, from 2014 to 2018, he was Director General (DG) in the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) responsible for strategic defence policy, including key multilateral and bilateral relationships (such as NATO), nuclear, cyber, space and prosperity (latterly this post was known as the DG Strategy and International). Previously he served as DG of the Defence Academy, Director of Operational Policy, Director responsible for the UK share of the multinational Typhoon combat aircraft programme and as Defence Counsellor in the UK Embassy in Berlin. He is a frequent participant in conferences on defence and security in the UK and overseas. He was awarded the CB (2019) and CBE (2004) for services to defence. He has an MA from Cambridge University.

What is better integration? More integration may not be the simple answer for militaries like the US and UK. The Integrated Review, Multi-Domain Integration, The Integrated Operating Concept, Multi-Domain Battle,, the list goes on. These concepts define US and UK ideas of how to fight and win in the future, and they all have a common underpinning premise: integrate better. But what is ‘better' integration? Counter-intuitively to many, better integration is not as simple as more integration. ‘Better' integration doesn't just enable efficient communications, it enables systemic learning and memory, collective intelligence, speed of response, and effective adaption. Increased integration, but done badly, induces blindness, slower responses, bloat, and systemic stupidity. In an era where how data flows across a military system is going to matter more, what are the lessons from DeepMind's research, paper plates, cats, the P-38 Lightning, the biggest theoretical artificial intelligence, the disaster that is the human eyeball, and even how you are sitting in that chair. Lieutenant Colonel Al Brown is a Visiting Research Fellow at Oxford. In addition to all the things one might expect in a twenty-year military career in the post-9/11 era, Al was previously the lead for Defence on the study of global trends in robotics and artificial intelligence and their impacts on conflict. He has been one of the group of government experts providing advice to and speaking at the United Nations, and an occasional guest lecturer at various universities, the Royal United Services Institute, and the Alan Turing Institute.

The response and recovery to COVID-19 has been a whole-of-society effort where every community has played a crucial role. To maintain this outpouring of goodwill, local government and voluntary organisations have been discussing how to renew their efforts on community resilience to ensure that a positive legacy of the pandemic is a more cohesive, risk-aware, and prepared society that can work with local government to enhance its own local resilience. In the UK, this ambition was galvanised by the government's recent Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy which outlined ambitions on ‘whole-of-society resilience' and which encouraged an integrated approach to building national resilience. In response, a National Consortium for Societal Resilience [UK+], abbreviated to NCSR+, has now been initiated by Professor Duncan Shaw from Alliance Manchester Business School and Ben Axelsen from the Thames Valley Local Resilience Forum to pursue the ambition of whole-of-society resilience outlined in the Integrated Review. Membership of the consortium includes almost all local authorities in the UK along with key resilience partners. To mark its official launch - which was held on the same day as the UN's International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction - this special panel debate discusses the reasons behind the launch and hear from members on why it is such an important initiative and what they hope to achieve. Panellists: Professor Duncan Shaw, Alliance Manchester Business School Ben Axelsen, Co-Chair of NCSR+, Thames Valley Local Resilience Forum, England Joan McCaffrey, Local Government Civil Contingencies, Northern Ireland Kevin Murphy, The Office of the Committee for Home Affairs, States of Guernsey Ellie Greenwood, Senior Adviser, Local Government Association Clare Rudall, Business in The Community Wales Marie Hayes, British Red Cross, Scotland Director

Cyber and Cyber deterrence featured heavily in the Integrated Review published recently, with 114 individual mentions.  The review emphasises the UK's ambition to the deter, disrupt and deter adversaries in cyberspace.  Along with repetition of previously announced developments, like the creation of the National Cyber Force and the establishment of... The post The Problem with Deterrence appeared first on Wavell Room.

Siliconpolitik: Where Do We Go Now?— Pranay KotasthaneI have a follow-up paper for NUS-ISAS discussing the next steps for the Quad Semiconductor Supply Chain initiative. I argue that the Quad Principles Document on Technology Design, Development, Governance and Use is a good reference point for the collaboration on semiconductors.An initiative to map capacity and identify vulnerabilities is a welcome first step. However, a lot more needs to be done to create a secure, resilient semiconductor supply chain. Another vital document released on 24th September — the Quad Principles on Technology Design, Development, Governance, and Use document — serves as a helpful guide for realising the ultimate goal. This section maps key principles in the document to potential initiatives in the semiconductor domain.One, the document on principles argues that resilient, diverse, and secure technology supply chains are vital to the shared national interests of the Quad countries. To achieve this goal, the document advocates "close cooperation on supply chains with allies and partners who share our values” since this “will enhance our security and prosperity, and strengthen our capacity to respond to international disasters and emergencies."A way to map this principle to the semiconductor domain would be to form a Quad semiconductor consortium that manages a jointly held Quad Supply Chain Resilience Fund. This consortium can then create a roadmap for new semiconductor manufacturing facilities across the Quad countries. The goal should be to ensure redundancy in the ecosystem such that this supply chain is not susceptible to geopolitical or geographic risks. For instance, while the US focuses on restarting manufacturing at leading-edge nodes (5 nanometres and below), the consortium could work together to build specialised analog, memory foundries operating at trailing-edge nodes (45nm and above) in India, Japan, or Australia.Another way to realise this principle is for the consortium to create one centre for excellence (CoE) in each Quad country in an area of its immediate interest. For example, Australia could host the CoE for new materials in electronics, Japan could host the CoE for silicon manufacturing equipment, while the US and India could host CoEs on fabless design architectures.Two, the principles document recognises the importance of "international standards development that foster interoperability, compatibility, and inclusiveness." This principle can translate into cooperation on developing new standards for open-standard instruction set architectures such as RISC-V and for manufacturing on semiconductor composites such as Gallium Nitride.Three, the principles document underscores that the Quad countries are "committed to facilitating the exchange of researchers and movement of highly skilled personnel to enhance science and technology collaboration". This applies well to semiconductor R&D cooperation, where governments can do a lot to foster technology exchange, visitation and research participation, and joint development between companies in the Quad countries. For instance, lowering employment barriers for semiconductor professionals in the Quad countries could facilitate more joint development. Beyond skilled personnel movement, lowering investment barriers and export controls within the Quad bubble can facilitate more cross-licensing arrangements.Further, I identify three key factors that could determine how far this initiative goes:One, the US needs to review its approach to technology protection in the semiconductor domain. Given that US-headquartered companies alone account for 62 per cent of global fabless firm revenues and 51 per cent of global integrated design manufacturers (IDM) revenues, the US role in creating a resilient supply chain is critical.In the past, the US government adopted strict trade and regulatory mechanisms restricting technology transfer. This restrictive approach needs to give way to a collaborative mode in the Quad. In a paper titled "An Allied Approach to Semiconductor Leadership", Stephen Ezell lists some measures that the US could take. These include enrolling partner countries in trusted foundries programmes, co-investing in semiconductor moonshots, reducing export controls, lowering foreign investment screening barriers with like-minded countries, and sharing information on intellectual property theft. Just as the US is now willing to share critical technologies with partners through the AUKUS defence arrangement, an allied approach should be adopted in the semiconductor domain.Two, all four Quad countries need to work to increase trust in each other's legal enforcement mechanisms. The four members need to harmonise their contract enforcement, regulatory practices, and patent protection mechanisms. Such measures will encourage companies to collaborate across borders.Three, the Semiconductor Supply Chain Initiative should become a platform that coalesces other powers in this domain, such as Taiwan, South Korea, Israel, Singapore, and the European Union (EU). The larger the grouping of like-minded countries, the more resilient and secure the semiconductor supply chain is likely to be. What do you think?Antriksh Matters #1:Lab On A Chip for Space Missions— Ruturaj GowaikarIndian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have jointly prepared a device to conduct cell biology-based experiments in space. The device, called MANAS, Sanskrit for Mind  stands for Microbial Analysis in Space. It  is a technology demonstrator and uses the lab-on-a-chip (LOC) concept. The details of this device were published in the Journal Acta Astronautica.Cell-biology experiments in spaceMicrogravity, as experienced in space, be it in low earth orbit (LEO) or outer space, can affect various cell processes at the cellular and subcellular level. These effects can vary from alteration to the cytoskeleton and shape of a cell, to alteration in the metabolism of cells. The effect of this is that pathogenic microbes might behave differently in space and insight into their growth dynamics can have a bearing on the health of personnel involved in manned-space missions. Altered growth rates  also affect microbial output of space bioreactors being developed for manned missions. The aim of these bioreactors is to produce protein-based medicines, help in recycling water on-board etc.  in order to reduce frequency of re-supply missions. India’s manned space mission- Gaganyaan – is underway and platforms like MANAS are useful to conduct preparatory experiments for future missioClonger durations.Design of MANASMANAS is a milli-fluidic device that was fabricated using 3D printing while some components were CNC machined. It consists of a cylindrical cavity in an aluminum block called the bacterial chamber and some smaller antechambers. It is surrounded by optically transparent material (PMMA) plates. This allows the LED and photo-diode sensors to measure optical cell density-the standard way to count cells using principles of spectroscopy. It has a modular design so multiple such chambers can be housed together to form cassettes designed specifically to conduct one experiment. Such multiple cassettes can also be loaded as cartridges to perform different experiments. The device has a microcontroller to initiate the experiment remotely, measure the optical density (OD), and store data on-board.MANAS was tested using the spore forming bacteria Sporosarcina pasteurii. The bacteria were deactivated metabolically by converting them into spores. Spores were then lyophilized and suspended in a sucrose solution and loaded into MANAS, while the nutrient media was kept in a different chamber separated by a NC solenoid. The OD scores were a readout for the growth and were used to prepare growth curves. The growth curves were cross-validated using electron-microscopy. MANAS was tested under vacuum conditions and altered atmospheric conditions as well.The bacteria chosen is also significant because it is an ureolytic bacteria and thus can prepare calcium carbonate crystals. ISRO research on this bacterium has made it a contender to form space bricks for lunar habitation.Thus, this self-contained, leak proof, orientation-agnostic, remotely operable LOC platform is one small step in the right direction  for India’s space research programme. The next step is to test it in flight mode and design more complex experiments.Antriksh Matters #2: Lessons from UK’s National Space Strategy— Aditya PareekThe UK has come out with its first ever national space strategy document. The document builds on the UK’s Integrated Review and Defence Command Paper that came out earlier this year and featured space prominently.The strategy document has several aspects which any similar strategic publication on space by India could also take inspiration from and integrate:1. A focus on “Whole Ecosystem Approach” for the advancement of the Indian space sector.2. Focus on procurement of dual-use space technologies and platforms for the fulfilment of national space goals - without compromising on the deliverable specs.3. Focus on making space sustainable by actively contributing to space debris removal, and explore technologies and services that may extend the service life of satellites and other space objects while in orbit.4. Earmarking a venture capital fund for private finance access to New Space sector companies - along the lines of UK’s Seraphim Space Investment Trust.5. Acknowledge the operating environment vis a vis adversarial counterspace capabilities and include a back-of-the-envelope estimate for potential damage they can inflict on Indian economy.Check out the All Things Policy Podcast featuring our take on the UK’s national space strategy here.If the content in this newsletter interests you, consider taking up Takshashila’s short course on Evidence-based policy-making for responding to COVID-19. The course introduces participants to the various public policy aspects of managing recurring COVID-19 waves. Topics will include the role of the government, tackling misinformation, ethical decision-making during a pandemic, and the adoption of emerging technologies to fight the pandemic. You can register yourself for this course on or before 21st October 2021. To know more, click here.Yogakshema: An US-EU Tech Partnership in the Making— Arjun GargeyasOfficials from both the European Union (EU) and United States (US) met in Pittsburgh a couple of weeks back for the first-ever meeting of the “EU-US Trade and Technology Council” (TTC). This comes on the back of the Quad summit, where technology played an important role in the discussions, especially in outlining the main objectives of the ‘Critical and Emerging Technologies Working Group’ by the alliance. It is also following the declaration of the AUKUS pact, with the US and UK signing agreements to transfer nuclear submarine technology to Australia. The rise of China and its influence on the global technology ecosystem through its tech giants have made the West, and especially the United States, take a fresh look at mechanisms for regulating and using critical technologies. Despite sharing concerns with regard to China’s technological growth and the global semiconductor chip shortage, the US and EU have very differing views on how to regulate the use of technology. The new EU-US technology council will have a hard time navigating the partnership as it looks to counter China’s tech dominance. Trying to Find a Middle GroundThe European Union’s approach to regulating and governing technology has evolved from an individual-centric approach keeping in mind the rights of its citizens. Fundamental rights like privacy have been accorded the greatest importance when it comes to framing laws related to technology. This can be seen from the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Act, which addresses data protection and privacy in the European Union along with protecting personal data from being shared outside the EU area. The EU has been willing to intervene when it feels that the rights of European citizens have been infringed upon by any public or private entity. The United States, on the other hand, has always followed a minimal regulatory framework on technology. It has stressed how multiple rules and regulations might hamper the growth of emerging technologies. Following a market-driven and hands-off approach to governing technology, the United States has let the private sector and institutions take the lead while providing just minimal responsibilities to the state. This makes it necessary for both the actors to arrive at a compromise. But this kind of differential pattern also allows for both to complement each other’s strengths. The partnership can eventually help the EU obtain the geopolitical relevance that the US owns in the field while the US can obtain the rights and freedoms relevance that the EU policies champion. However, this requires political alignment which is yet to be seen between the two. Time will tell whether both will compromise on the principles they follow while regulating technology.The French Reservation While the first summit of the US-EU TTC focused on the ongoing semiconductor shortages, regulation of artificial intelligence technology, and the upholding of competition in tech, reports said that there were some grumblings from a certain EU member regarding the discussions which took place at the summit. French diplomats specifically asked to remove certain clauses and language which referred to a proposed semiconductor supply chain that mentioned the mutual dependency between the US and EU.France also has differing opinions when it comes to the security of supply aspects with it looking beyond just semiconductor chips as a potential shortage of supply. This has made the French stress on a rather cautious approach towards a potential US-EU partnership, with it emphasising the need to rebuild transatlantic trust.The French anger over the AUKUS deal seems to have subsided but the overall reservation they hold can put the brakes on the working of the TTC, which looks to take off soon.What will the focus be on?The EU comprises over 25 different countries with contrasting views and interests. Other than the China-centric focus, the EU partnership with the US should be driven by easier access to and dissemination of technology. Foreign investments in each other’s regions and reducing dependencies on global supply chains of critical technologies should be the focus of the TTC. Better collaboration in the research and development field of emerging technologies between technically advanced blocs like the US and EU can eventually act as a counterbalancing measure against the increasing Chinese influence.The question which remains is, will the US and EU’s common anxieties and fears help to forge a credible working partnership or will the dream of a transatlantic technology group remain just a dream? George W. Bush and Barack Obama, during their time in office, tried bringing the EU to the table for better cooperation on technology but eventually failed. Will the rapid rise of China in the technology space during the past decade possibly provide a new impetus to the partnership?CyberPolitik : DCNs are trying Regulatory Fixes (Again, and again)— Sapni G KOver the past few editions, we have presented our working idea of what a Digital Communications Network is. Commentators across the globe have identified the difficulty in finding adequate regulatory responses to the fissures that appear in our lives that are intertwined with DCNs. We have also warned that regulatory fixes for the troubles of (some may say troubles caused by) DCNs are not easy to find. While policymakers across the globe scratch their heads looking for solutions, these DCNs have suggestions to offer. It is not the first time suggestions come from the very platforms that are due for regulation. Such overtures into policymaking have been attempted by every industry that attracted global attention, from telecom to tobacco. The technology industry itself has ventured into designing regulatory solutions. As governments are evidently not keen on this sort of self-regulation to continue, new tactics emerge from the playbooks of tech giants. Twitter released a position paper titled “Protecting the open Internet” on 13 October 2021. It outlines five broad guiding principles for the regulation of the internet. In short, it calls for the adoption of universal standards for the internet and its regulation, while adhering to established norms of human rights. It recasts the decades-old vision of a cyber utopia, which has sadly come crumbling down. Trust, competition, and transparency are central to Twitter’s recommendations. It proclaims that this vision would help big and small players alike, and honour the vision of the internet. Such documents or recommendations, called by their myriad titles, have been produced by every tech company and the multitude of people who helm them.However, things are different in practice. In response to regulatory warnings in Australia, a misinformation oversight committee was created within the Digital Industry Group Inc. (DIGI), an industry body publicly backed by Facebook, Google, and Twitter. This contradicts Twitter’s proclamations for open standards and giving space to smaller players. As India moves ahead in regulating DCNs, this experience gives us two valuable lessons. Firstly, taking the proclamations they make at face value might not be in the best interest of our society or the regulatory regime that we intend to create. Secondly, DCNs should have access to the policymakers’ tables, but it must be as limited as any other stakeholder group such as civil society or law enforcement agencies. Devoting more attention, time and regard may give way to them usurping the process to the possible loss of other stakeholders and industry players. Antriksh Matters #3: ISpA a new beginning? — Aditya RamanathanOn 11 October, India’s Prime Minister made a clear indication of the importance the government attaches to India’s commercial space sector. Launching the industry body, the Indian Space Association, the Prime Minister identified four “pillars” of space reform: freedom of innovation for the private sector, the role of the government as an enabler, preparing India’s young workforce for the future, and to see the space sector as a resource for the development of the wider populace. The founding members of the Indian Space Association are largely established vendors for ISRO. For instance, last year, Larson & Toubro provided a booster segment for ISRO’s Gaganyaan Launch Vehicle, that is key to India’s human spaceflight programme. Another long-time ISRO vendor is Walchandnagar Industries, which is presently helping to develop solid propellant boosters for the GSLV Mk III launchers. One of the newer companies on the list of founding members is OneWeb, the satellite internet company backed by a consortium of investors led by Bharti Enterprises. During the launch of the Indian Space Association, Bharti Enterprises chairman Sunil Mittal announced that OneWeb would soon become ISRO’s first private Indian customer for satellite launches. Other core members of the association include Hughes India, Centum Electronics, state-owned BEL, and Maxar India. That the Indian Space Association is dominated by ISRO’s vendors (barring exceptions like OneWeb), is a natural result of the way India’s space sector has evolved for decades, with private players simply acting as suppliers. The Indian Space Association will also presumably complement and compete with existing representative bodies like the Satcom Industry Association and Association of Geospatial Industries. Given the Indian Space Association’s backing from industry and the government (it will be headed by Lt. General A.K. Bhat, a decorated officer who retired from service last year), it will not be surprising if it supersedes the existing organisations.While the Indian Space Association will provide commercial space players a mechanism to both consult each other and approach the government, its success will ultimately depend on the receptiveness of the government. If India is to achieve the vision laid out by the Prime Minister, it will need to move faster. In 2020, it set up the regulatory body INSPACe under the Department of Space. However, it took until September this year to appoint Pawan Goenka, the former managing director of Mahindra & Mahindra as its chairperson. While the appointment of an auto industry stalwart (rather than a government official) was widely welcomed, it took too long, suggesting resistance from within the system. The government must now work to staff up INSPACe and respond quickly to what is reportedly a growing pile of pending applications from private players. More broadly, it provide a fresh set of regulations and policies that will allow India’s space industry to grow from vendors into world-class spacefarers. Our Reading Menu[Opinion] Robert Reich characterises the Supreme court of USA, Facebook, and the Fed as the horsemen of democracy’s apocalypse drawing a thread of unaccountability from them as wielders of great power. [Book] “On Operations” by Capt. B. A. Friedman USMC Reserve.[Book] Klimat: Russia in the Age of Climate Change by Thane Gustafson.[Policy Communique] detailing the EU’s Arctic Strategy. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hightechir.substack.com

With the UK's Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy signalling an increased  focus on building the capacity of foreign security forces, through the generation of a new Ranger Regiment, the UK has an opportunity to take stock of lessons from recent campaigns. According to the Integrated Review, the... The post The UK's Ranger Regiment: An opportunity appeared first on Wavell Room.

As part of the Integrated Review published earlier this year, the UK formalised its tilt to the Indo-Pacific. Our panel discussion with Claire Coutinho, Michael Auslin and Sophia Gaston provided insight and analysis of one of the generational changes in British foreign policy. How should the UK maintain its interests and deepen its engagement with the region? What can it realistically seek to achieve and which relationships should it be prioritising? And what has it achieved so far?

In this week's episode, Justin Bronk (Research Fellow at RUSI for Combat Airpower & Technology) discusses the past, present and future of the United Kingdom's Combat Aviation Brigades. I ask him about the different roles for support and attack helicopters, the implications of planned cuts to the budget, their role in the UK's long-term strategic vision, and the impact of the 2021 Integrated Review. Lastly, we go over what successful combat aviation scenarios of the future might look like.

Announced on 16 March, The Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy (IR) affirms the UK's security-related policy decisions for the next decade.  As anticipated post-Brexit, mentions of the EU are sparse and stated priorities include a more active role in NATO.  This compartmentalisation of allies neglects to... The post Legal tiptoeing: the Integrated Review, Data-Sharing, and the EU appeared first on Wavell Room.

The direction of Britain's future foreign strategy, as outlined in the Integrated Review, is all about balancing values with pragmatism.  It should be commended for its surprisingly candid nature about wanting to be a force for good that nonetheless has limits to its own ability.  In it, there is an... The post Credit Where Credit is Due – China and the Integrated Review appeared first on Wavell Room.

In this episode, hosted by Dr Neil Melvin, Director RUSI International Security Studies, Richard G Whitman, Professor of Politics and International Relations and a member of the Global Europe Centre at the University of Kent, and Sophia Gaston, Director of the British Foreign Policy Group, discuss how the UK has navigated European issues post-Brexit and what the 2021 Integrated Review signals about the UK's future approach to European security.

In this episode of The Weekly Defence Podcast we explore the potential impact of armed UAVs on naval strategies worldwide; we bring the views of two industry experts on the impact of the Integrated Review on the British Army following the cancellation of the Warrior programme; and with our sponsor Raytheon Intelligence & Space, we discuss the increasing use of small satellites for civil and military missions. Newsround [01:08] Industry proposals for Increment 2 of the US Army's Indirect Fires Protection Capability are expected by 4 June. Israel Aerospace Industries is exploring the potential of nanosatellites and microsatellites to deliver persistent overhead surveillance of threat areas. Saab is to upgrade the BOW radar warning equipment on German Air Force Tornado fighter aircraft in a new multiyear contract. In the UK, the long-awaited restart of the Fleet Solid Support ship programme was confirmed on the 21 May by Defence Secretary Ben Wallace. Fincantieri subsidiary Marinette Marine will build the second vessel in the Constellation class of guided-missile frigates. Construction of the future USS Congress is scheduled for completion in January 2027. In focusDefence Journalist Alix Valenti, News Editor Ben Vogel and Senior Land Reporter Tim Fish discuss how armed drones with stand-off attack capabilities could be used in the naval domain. From Turkey to the US, the potential increase in the use of UCAVs could mark a change in naval doctrine.  Interview – IR and British Land forces [21:27]Tim Fish speaks to Ben Barry, Senior Fellow for Land Warfare at IISS, and Nicholas Drummond, a defence industry analyst and former British Army officer, for in-depth analysis of how the cancellation of the Warrior programme and the wider Integrated Review will shape the British Army of the future and its role within the NATO alliance.  Industry voice [50:50] The small satellite revolution has dramatically lowered the barrier to entry for those wanting to put payloads into orbit.Creative Director Tony Skinner sits down with Ron Fehlen, Director for ISR and Communications for Raytheon Intelligence & Space, and Matt Magana, President of Blue Canyon, to discuss the increasing use of small satellites for civil and military missions.This episode was produced by Noemi Distefano with music and sound mixing by Fred Prest. 

This episode is supported by private equity platform Moonfare. Sajid is currently the Conservative Member of Parliament for Bromsgrove. He has held two of the four ‘Great Offices Of State’ in the UK government: Chancellor of the Exchequer and Home Secretary. He was first elected to Parliament in 2010. Before that, he worked at Deutsche Bank and Chase Manhattan Bank. At Deutsche Bank, he helped build their emerging market businesses. Sajid was born in Rochdale (Manchester) and was raised in Bristol. He read Economic and Politics at Exeter University. In the podcast, we talk about: How has the UK handled the pandemic so far? The UK fiscal outlook – spending focuses and taxes How pandemic shocks differ from wars Why inflation could pick up The importance of climate change and the UK track record Results of the UK’s Integrated Review and centrality of climate change Why biodiversity also matters Will UK parliament’s unanimous support for climate change policy continue? UK’s global role in a post-Brexit world New measures to attract international talent to UK Possible future global alliances

In the fourth episode of the Warpod, Abigail Watson and Delina Goxho are joined by: Wayne David, Shadow Minister of State for the Middle East and North Africa, Lewis Brooks, Policy and Advocacy Coordinator at Saferworld and Dr Kate Ferguson is Co-Executive Director and co-founder of the human rights NGO Protection Approaches. They discuss their takeaways from the UK Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy, including reflecting on the gap between rhetoric and reality on conflict and atrocity prevention. Wayne also lays out the plans for Labour’s own foreign policy review and Lewis and Kate explain how this review could avoid some of the same mistakes as the Integrated Review.

Jack Welch, CEO of General Electric, once wrote, ‘We've long believed that when the rate of change inside an institution becomes slower than the rate of change outside, the end is in sight.  The only question is when.'  To avoid this fate, the Ministry of Defence must align its spend... The post Innovation and the Integrated Review appeared first on Wavell Room.

In this episode of The Weekly Defence Podcast, our team of subject matter experts delves into stories from the land and air domains, and in an interview with Supacat we look at the wider impact of the Integrated Review on some key British Army programmes.Newsround [00:55] French company Dassault confirmed on 4 May  a follow-on order from Egypt for 30 Rafale multirolefighter aircraft in an estimated €4 billion deal. The delivery schedule for the 30 extra Rafales was undisclosed at the time of the announcement, and Shephard has since learned that the contract has still not officially been signed as a bank loan needs to be finalised that is 85% guaranteed by the French state.Boeing is poised to provide India with six additional P-8I Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, after the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress that the State Department approved the potential sale.Elbit Systems has successfully completed acceptance tests for combat suites aboard the Hellenic Coast Guard's new patrol vessels in the Aegean. Trials included integration level tests of the combat systems and subsystems onboard the vessel as well as live firing tests from the onboard remote-controlled weapon stations.Sergey Chemezov, CEO of Russian conglomerate Rostec, recently warned that his companies are accelerating the development of domestic microelectronics ‘as foreign deliveries can be stopped at any time'. The need to ensure technological independence from foreign suppliers requires Russia to spend big over an extended period of time. Yet it is debatable whether Russia can guarantee stable funding in the post-COVID Russian economy.In focus Air Editor Tim Martin reports on the latest news concerning the US Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) programme. Ahead of a FLRAA contract award to Bell or a joint Boeing and Sikorsky team, the US Army has decided to keep manufacturing costs and programme risks confidential.Senior Land Reporter Tim Fish looks at potential delays in Canada on the Long-Range Reconnaissance System for the LAV, amid reports that one of the companies involved in the programme is suffering severe financial issues.And as the Australian  government seeks FMS approval from the US for an upgrade to its Abrams tank fleet, Tim also looks at what this means for the country's land forces.Interview – Supacat [19:00] News Editor Ben Vogel is on the line with Phil Applegarth, director and head of Supacat, and Steve Austin, engineering director of the company, to dive into how UK industry reacts to the Integrated Review and MoD Command Paper.  

The UK government's 2021 Integrated Review of security and defence outlines Russia as the "most acute threat to our security". This follows the rise of an increasingly resurgent and highly unpredictable Russia under Putin, with many in the West raising the spectre that Russia’s military actions are leading to a restoration of the former Soviet Union in a new shape and form. But how credible is this interpretation of Russian foreign policy over the last 30 years and how careful should we be before jumping to conclusions about what lies behind the Russian state’s actions? In this episode, Dr Domitilla Sagramoso, Lecturer in Security and Development at the Department of War Studies, shares insights from her recently published book 'Russian Imperialism Revisited: From Disengagement to Hegemony'. Offering rigorous and objective analysis of Russia’s policies in its closest neighbourhood over a 30 year period up to 2017, she hopes to provide a closer look at the drivers and motivations behind foreign-policy formulation and provide accurate analysis of Russian actions in the former Soviet space. An invaluable resource to anyone grappling with the increasing tensions in Western-Russian relations, her findings highlight the missed opportunities for building bridges between Russia and the West, and underline how and why Russian foreign policy took a different, more assertive tack under Putin.

In March 2021, the UK published its Integrated Review of security, defence, development and foreign policy, entitled Global Britain in a Competitive Age, which presents a vision for the UK to 2030. In her address to the IIEA, Minister Morton discusses the Review, and examines how the UK will work with its international partners, including Ireland, for a secure, prosperous and resilient future. About the speaker Wendy Morton is the UK Minister for European Neighbourhood and the Americas at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). She was first appointed as a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development on 13 February 2020. She was first elected as Conservative MP for Aldridge-Brownhills in May 2015.Minister Morton was Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Ministry of Justice from 26 July 2019 to 13 February 2020 and Assistant Government Whip from 9 January 2018 to 26 July 2019.

In the third episode of WarPod, Abigail Watson and Delina Goxho are joined by Sarah Kreps, Director of the Cornell Tech Policy Lab, and Maysa Ismael from Airwars. In the episode, we discuss why and how the secrecy surrounding warfare has increased. Sarah and Maysa explain what this secrecy may mean for discussing the true risks of contemporary conflict and why Western publics and parliaments often fail to understand these risks. This episode was recorded before the Integrated Review was published and discusses how it should incorporate the protection of civilians. Please note the views and opinions expressed during the podcast are those of the contributors featured. They are not the views or opinions of Saferworld.

Hugo Bromley speaks with James Crabtree, the incoming executive director of the International Institute for Strategic Studies Asia, about the role of financial services in supporting the ‘tilt to the Indo-Pacific' outlined in the UK's recent Integrated Review.

This is a crucial year for British foreign policy. The government has recently published its plans for ‘Global Britain’ in the Integrated Review for Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy. The UK holds the G7 presidency and, in June, the prime minister will host the leaders of the other G7 countries for a summit in Cornwall. The government has promised that the UK’s departure from the EU will allow Global Britain to flourish. But what does the integrated review mean for the UK’s place in the world? What can the UK achieve during its G7 presidency? How should the prime minister approach the G7 summit? The Institute for Government was delighted to bring together the following panel to discuss these issues: Chernor Bah, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Purposeful Elizabeth Dibble, Chief Operating Officer at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Sir David Lidington, Chair of the Royal United Services Institute and former Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister of State for Europe The event was chaired by Bronwen Maddox, Director of the Institute for Government.

Two documents - the Integrated Review of Security, and the Defence Command paper - mark a change in tact for UK security. They map out investments in new defence technology, a National Cyber Force and a downsizing of the armed forces.Will the British Army now be fit for 21st century combat?On the Sky News Daily podcast, host Dermot Murnaghan speaks to our defence correspondent Alistair Bunkall as he takes us through the main developments for UK security policy. Plus, former specialist advisor and Professor of War Studies Michael Clarke describes what the future of warfare will look like.

In this second episode of the six-part series, we discuss the implications of the UK Government's Integrated Review for Tempest and the aerospace industry, and speak with industry experts on the concept of ‘Information Advantage', where having better information provides an edge in combat. Part 1 – The impact of the UK Government's Integrated Review and the UK MOD's Defence Command Paper With the title ‘Global Britain in a Competitive Age', the Integrated Review has been described as the most radical assessment of the UK's place in the world since the end of the Cold War and reveals a seismic shift in emphasis towards science and technology. We discuss the implications of these publications for Tempest and the wider aerospace industry. Host Zevi Watmough is joined by Richard Berthon OBE, Director Future Combat Air at the Ministry of Defence; Tim Ripley, freelance journalist and a prolific author on military and defence subjects; and Phil Townley, Director Future Programmes, Rolls Royce Defence. Part 2 – Claiming the Informational Advantage in an Information Age (starting at 33:50) In an information age, where the development of the human-machine interface is gathering pace like never before, having a sound command of data and information is vital to a pilot's decision-making process. The digital race is on to acquire and process more and more information at lightning speed. With daily advances in digital technology, how do we take the right action to ensure the UK armed forces maintain an informational advantage?  We speak to Steve Formoso, Chief Test Pilot at BAE Systems and Lukas Chamberlain, Tempest Project Chief Engineer at Leonardo.   Find out more about Team Tempest Follow us on Twitter for the latest news on Team Tempest Learn more about the opportunities for #GenerationTempest on Instagram Catch up our story so far on YouTube

This is a crucial year for British foreign policy. The government has recently published its plans for ‘Global Britain' in the Integrated Review for Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy. The UK holds the G7 presidency and, in June, the prime minister will host the leaders of the other G7 countries for a summit in Cornwall. The government has promised that the UK's departure from the EU will allow Global Britain to flourish. But what does the integrated review mean for the UK's place in the world? What can the UK achieve during its G7 presidency? How should the prime minister approach the G7 summit? The Institute for Government was delighted to bring together the following panel to discuss these issues:Chernor Bah, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of PurposefulElizabeth Dibble, Chief Operating Officer at Carnegie Endowment for International PeaceSir David Lidington, Chair of the Royal United Services Institute and former Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister of State for EuropeThe event was chaired by Bronwen Maddox, Director of the Institute for Government#IfGG7 See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The UK's recently published but long-awaited Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy, is being hailed as a visionary document. It made headlines across the world with the revelation that there will be a 40% increase in the UK's nuclear warhead stockpile. The document identifies Russia as an active threat and identifies other areas of focus for Britain in the coming years. Aditya Pareek joins Aditya Ramanathan to discuss the various contours of the document and its reception around the world.Links to the resources referenced in the episode:The UK's Integrated Review (https://bit.ly/3u7aShY)(https://bit.ly/3cH3fsF)The Hydrographic Race in the Indo-Pacific (https://bit.ly/3mcPfKv)You can follow Aditya Pareek on twitter: @CabinMarine(CabinMarine)You can follow Aditya Ramanathan on twitter: @adityascripts(adityascripts)You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the IVM Podcasts app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

This week on Geostrategy360, host Viktorija speaks to The Rt. Hon Tobias Ellwood MP, Chairman of the Defence Select Committee and member of parliament for Bournemouth East, about the recently released Defence Command Paper, the Integrated Review and what all this means for Britain and the British military.

In this episode of The Weekly Defence Podcast, we go in-depth into the recently released MoD Command Paper, which sets out how the concept of a 'Global Britain in a competitive age' will be achieved from a military/strategic standpoint.Integrated Review- In focus [00:30]In this special edition of the podcast Senior Editor Naval Richard Thomas and News Editor Ben Vogel are joined by Air Vice Marshal John Stringer, Director of Strategy at UK Joint Forces Command, and Gary Waterfall, retired AVM in the RAF and ex-Operations Chief of Staff in Permanent Joint Headquarters, now in post as the Senior Military Advisor to DSEI.In a roundtable discussion, we explore the implications of the Command Paper for the UK armed forces and look into broader strategic objectives that the MoD wants to achieve. Integrated Review – focus on Air, Land and Sea programmes [34:52]  Richard Thomas, Ben Vogel and Air Editor Tim Martin engage in an in-depth conversation about significant outcomes from the IR for key air, land and sea programmes.The first part of the Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy confirmed the UK carrier strike programme will progress with at least 48 F-35s to equip the RAF by 2025. The second part of the Command Paper released on 22 March raised some questions about what the actual number of aircraft will be.The MoD will expand nuclear weapons stockpile up to 260 warheads, and the National Shipbuilding Strategy will undergo an updates for vessels manufacturing, maintenance, subsystems and design. Type 26 , Type 31 and Type 32 frigates and the Fleet Solid Support Ship programme should go ahead, securing naval manufacturing through the 2020s.As for the British Army, procurement of Ajax and Boxer as well as the Challenger 2 upgrade are set to progress. This comes at the expense of the Warrior programme, which the MoD will terminate.This episode was produced by Noemi Distefano with music and sound mixing by Fred Prest 

This week the UK government launched it's long awaited Integrated Review. In the second of two interviews for #BritainDebrief​​ for the Atlantic Council on how the government's long awaited outline for Global Britain went down in DC, I spoke to Damon Wilson, Executive Vice President of the Atlantic Council and a former National Security Council official. What did Washington make of its "total strategy" approach? Has the Integrated Review put the Brexit debate behind us in Washington? What should Britain do now to demonstrate seriousness and intent? Damon laid out his view on the Integrated Review and post-Brexit Britain in the world for #BritainDebrief​.

This week the UK government launched it's long awaited Integrated Review. In the first of two interviews for #BritainDebrief​ for the Atlantic Council on how the government's long awaited outline for Global Britain went down in DC, I spoke to Dr. Kori Schake, the director of foreign and defense policy at the American Enterprise Institute and a former State Department, Pentagon and National Security Council Official. What does Washington think of the document? How does she rate Boris Johnson's foreign policy? What was missing from the Integrated Review? And what does the administration expect from future UK ties with the EU? Kori unpacked this and more for #BritainDebrief​.

In the third episode of the Geostrategy360 podcast, host Viktorija questions China expert Charles Parton on what the Integrated Review has to say about China, the UK's Indo-Pacific 'tilt', the issue of Taiwan and what China wants to get out of Britain.

Week 12 2021 | 15 March - 21 March This episode will cover three key selected geopolitical events. 1. US intelligence report on 2020 foreign election interference triggers row between the US and China. 2. British government issues new defence Integrated Review. 3. Diplomatic spat between Philippines and China, over contested South China Sea's reef. Find us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter | @varemeng #Informationmatters

On this episode of The Global Exchange, Colin Robertson speaks to the UK High Commissioner to Canada, Susan le Jeune d'Allegeershecque, about the UK's Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy. Participant Bio: Susan le Jeune d'Allegeershecque was appointed British High Commissioner to Canada in August 2017. https://www.gov.uk/government/people/susan-le-jeune-dallegeershecque Host bio: Colin Robertson is a former diplomat, and Vice President of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, https://www.cgai.ca/colin_robertson What Susan Susan le Jeune d'Allegeershecque is reading: Douglas Stuart, Shuggie Bain, https://bookshop.org/books/shuggie-bain-a-novel-booker-prize-winner/9780802148506 Read “Global Britain in a Competitive Age: the Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy”: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/global-britain-in-a-competitive-age-the-integrated-review-of-security-defence-development-and-foreign-policy The Global Exchange is part of the CGAI Podcast Network. Subscribe to the CGAI Podcast Network on SoundCloud, iTunes, or wherever else you can find podcasts! If you like our content and would like to support our podcasts, please check out our donation page www.cgai.ca/support. Recording Date: 19 March 2021. Give 'The Global Exchange' a review on iTunes! Follow the Canadian Global Affairs Institute on Facebook, Twitter (@CAGlobalAffairs), or on Linkedin. Head over to our website www.cgai.ca for more commentary. Produced by Charlotte Duval-Lantoine. Music credits to Drew Phillips.

This week, Geostrategy360 welcomes Tom Tugendhat MP, chair of the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee and Member of Parliament for Tonbridge and Malling. Interviewed by the Council on Geostrategy's Viktorija Starych-Samuoliene, Tom talks about the Integrated Review, the future of British foreign policy and the challenges of environmental diplomacy.

This is a brilliant analysis of the Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy from the chair of the Defence Select Committee. Covering everything from nuclear weapons to why China isn't mentioned as much as it should be, from the soft power of the Premier League to why Brexit isn't mentioned as much as it should be, from the weaponisation of space to the 'Indo-Pacific Tilt', it's all in here. Ultimately it's about what Britain's role in the world should be. This is a riveting breakdown of geopolitics from someone who has personal experience of both serving in the military and seeing the horror of terrorism first-hand. Read the Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/969402/The_Integrated_Review_of_Security__Defence__Development_and_Foreign_Policy.pdf Follow Tobias on Twitter: @Tobias_Ellwood Email the show: politicalpartypodcast@gmail.com Apply to vote by post here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apply-for-a-postal-vote Order 'Politically Homeless' here: https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/2100000262618 Follow Matt on Twitter: @mattforde For the latest UK Government advice on coronavirus go to: https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode of The Weekly Defence Podcast, we discuss UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Integrated Review announcement in the House of Commons on Tuesday 16 March ahead of the MoD Command Paper to be released next week; and we look at attitude of the Biden administration to Indo-Pacific partnerships. Newsround [00:48]Raytheon Missiles & Defense claims to have successfully completed the ‘first-ever demonstration' for the US Army of a Stinger missile fired from a Javelin Lightweight Command Launch Unit.US Army artillery planners are working with small businesses to come up with innovative solutions to the challenge of increasing cannon firing rates.The Indian Navy submarine fleet received a shot in the arm last week, when the third Project 75 diesel-electric boat was commissioned in Mumbai.In focus:In news from the air desk, Air Editor Tim Martin looks at the Integrated Review in the context of  additional funding for F-35B fighter aircraft.Tim also looks at a new contract for the UK to procure Aerovironment Switchblade loitering munitions.Senior Editor Naval Richard Thomas looks at the plan in the Integrated Review to increase the maximum number of nuclear warheads in the UK arsenal. What is the reasoning behind the decision? Land Reporter Flavia Camargos Pereira dives into the future of major UK armoured vehicle programmes. Does the IR's focus on other areas such as cyber mean the government could neglect, slow down, or even cut the Ajax, Boxer, and Challenger 2 programmes?Flavia also reports on last week's latest House of Commons Defence committee, which expressed concerns over the obsolescence of the British Army armoured fleet. Interview- US strategy in the Asia- Pacific [27:44] Richard Thomas is on the line with Editor and podcast host Duncan Bartlett to discuss recent visits to Tokyo and Seoul of US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, and the meeting between the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the Chinese Foreign Minister. What are the US plans for future partnerships in the Indo-Pacific?What does China's 6.8% rise in defence spending mean for the US and neighbouring countries?Industry Voice-  Wӓrtsilӓ Defence Solutions Ltd [49:49]Shephard Media's creative director Tony Skinner talks to Chris Rowlands, Managing Director of Wӓrtsilӓ Defence Solutions Ltd (WDSL) about the role of shaft line solutions in ensuring naval readiness. To learn more, go to: https://www.wartsila.com/insights/whitepaper/improving-seal-reliabilityThis episode was produced by Noemi Distefano with music and sound mixing by Fred Prest 

Analysis and expert commentary on the Integrated Review - described as the biggest Review of Defence and Security policy since the Cold War -with former CDS Lord Richards, Professor Michael Clarke, Bronwen Maddox, Director of the Institute for Government and chair of the For Affairs Comm Tom Tugendhat. Also, flexible working in the armed forces with MOD's Helen Helliwell and Royal Marines on night exercises.

Join Alex Ming as she talks to Dods policy experts, Tessa Corina and Michael Thorogood, about what the Integrated Review meant for climate change and the Government's latest plans for the energy sector.

Analysis and expert commentary on the Integrated Review - described as the biggest Review of Defence and Security policy since the Cold War -with former CDS Lord Richards, Professor Michael Clarke, Bronwen Maddox, Director of the Institute for Government and chair of the For Affairs Comm Tom Tugendhat. Also, flexible working in the armed forces with MOD's Helen Helliwell and Royal Marines on night exercises.

A document laying out the country’s post-Brexit foreign policy priorities says Britain wants to expand its influence among democratic nations in the Indo-Pacific region while preserving strong ties with the United States.The biggest review of British foreign and defence policy since the end of the Cold War three decades ago will set out how Prime Minister Boris Johnson wants to be at the forefront of a reinvigorated, rules-based international order based on cooperation and free trade.The government highlighted a British aircraft carrier deployment to the region and announced a previously postponed visit to India will go ahead in April.Johnson’s government has vowed the Integrated Review will show Britain still had clout on the world stage and define a new era for the country.

On Tuesday 16th March, the Government will publish its long-awaited Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy. In this podcast, Dean Sabri talks to Nabil Rastani and Laura Hutchinson about what to expect from the Review and what it means for the G7

The government is set to publish its Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy. Its conclusions will shape the UK's approach to national security and determine how the government sees the UK's place in the world but the review's impact goes beyond foreign policy.This Institute for Government event discussed how the review will shape the government's domestic agenda, what it means for the UK's economic prosperity and stability, and the UK's readiness to meet security threats to the international order such as climate change, cyber attacks, and pandemics.On the panel were:Rt Hon Tobias Ellwood MP, Chair of the House of Commons Defence Select CommitteeShashank Joshi, Defence Editor at The EconomistCiaran Martin, former Chief Executive of the National Cyber Security Centre; now Professor of Practice in the Management of Public Organisations at Blavatnik School of Government, Oxford UniversityCate Pye, Partner, Cyber Security and Public Sector at PA ConsultingThe event was chaired by Alex Thomas, Programme Director at the Institute for GovernmentWe were grateful for the support of PA Consulting in staging this event.#IfGIntReview See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode of The Weekly Defence Podcast, we go in-depth with Defence Insight's Senior Land Analyst on the Middle Eastern and North African armoured vehicle market, and the head of CAE's defence division casts an eye over the military simulation and training sector.Newsround: (00:41)Iran last week unveiled a large multipurpose combat vessel called Shahid Rudaki, although official claims that this is an ‘ocean-going aircraft carrier' appear no more than an exaggerated description of a repurposed roll-on/roll-off merchant vessel.In the air domain, Airbus and the German government have submitted a formal offer to provide Eurofighter Typhoon for the Swiss Air2030 fighter modernisation programme. Switzerland intends to buy up to 40 aircraft to replace F/A-18 Hornets and F-5 E/F Tigers. In Norway, the MoD will choose between the South Korean K2 Black Panther and the German Leopard 2 A7  to improve the army's main battle tank fleet. The MoD expects to send a procurement proposal to the Norwegian Parliament for approval in 2021.News in focusSenior Editor Naval Richard Thomas digs deeper into last week's UK defence spending announcement with Air Editor Tim Martin and Land Reporter Flavia Carmargos Pereira.The unexpected announcement of a new Type 32 ‘frigate' during caught naval analysts by surprise. The Type 32 will likely have a focus on mine countermeasure capabilities, acting as motherships for unmanned systems currently under development.Major British Army vehicle programmes were absent from the announcement: is this an ill omen for when the Integrated Review comes out in early 2021?There was also little to cheer the RAF, although further investment in FCAS/Tempest is promised and a new Space Command will be established. Deep Dive: Armoured Vehicles (18:08) Shephard Defence Insight Senior Land Analyst Sonny Butterworth talks to Richard Thomas about the factors and influences shaping demand for armoured vehicles in the Middle East and North Africa. What are the mid- and long-term prospects for this market?What's the role of the UK space sector in the ‘Global Britain' envisioned for the future? Listen to Shephard Studio's Defining the Future podcast, sponsored by our partner Raytheon UK . What connectivity issues are the US military facing? Listen to Shephard Studio's podcast series on Five Eyes Connectivity, sponsored by our partner Viasat. Interview- CAE (38:55)Military Training Editor Trevor Nash talks with Dan Gelston, President of CAE's Defence & Security business, about future strategy and how the simulation and training industry is coping with the COVID pandemic.This episode was produced by Noemi Distefano with music and sound mixing by Fred Prest.

In this episode of The Weekly Defence Podcast we speak with UK-based company Iceni Labs on its work with the UK MoD to develop a range of technologies including the SafeScan Tactical Sense-Through-The-Wall radar, and we catch-up on all the news from the Asia Pacific.Newsround (00:38)UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on 19 November a £16.5bn defence spending injection, the biggest boost for the sector since the Cold War. The new package includes a new focus on the space domain.In the same statement to the House of Commons, he also provided an update on the Integrated Review and said its results would be released in early 2021. The US Missile Defense Agency and industry partners are claiming a breakthrough in defence against long-range ballistic missiles after conducting an interceptor test against an ICBM target on 17 November.The Aegis Combat System on the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS John Finn was upgraded to integrate the Standard Missile 3 Block 2A missile. The Pakistan Navy commissioned into service the newest member of its fleet, PNS Tabuk, at a ceremony at the port of Constanza, Romania on 12 November, before it begins its transit home to begin operations in 2021. News in FocusLand Reporter Flavia Camargos Pereira reports on the Brazilian MoD's new line of investments which calls for higher defence spending across the country's military forces. Can Brazil afford to make plans for the procurement of new capabilities? The US Army has awarded Lockheed Martin a $339 million contract to field a prototype Mid-Range Capability battery by 2023 to integrate the Tomahawk cruise missile and Standard Missile-6 into a new ground-launch system. News Editor Ben Vogel looks at what the US Army is looking to achieve with this new capability.A report from the UK Public Accounts Committee has raised questions about the UK's carrier strike capabilities. The 13 November report claims that the Crowsnest AEW radar system has been subjected to ‘poor contractor performance and inadequate departmental oversight.' Air Editor Tim Martin reports on the matter. Deep Dive – News from the Asia Pacific (25:50)Senior Editor Naval Richard Thomas is on the line with Asia Pacific Editor Gordon Arthur to discuss the major defence headlines from the past month in the region.Interview- Iceni Labs (47:12)Ben Vogel speaks with Alexander Giles, Chief Commercial Officer at UK- based enterprise Iceni Labs, about the newly developed SafeScan Technology. This Sense-Through-The-Wall (STTW) capability allows operators to identify individuals through barriers such as walls and doors without the requirement to physically penetrate a structure.This episode was produced by Noemi Distefano with music and sound mixing by Fred Prest

In this episode of The Weekly Defence Podcast, we bring together our team of journalists and editors to discuss the influence and impact of the result on the defence sector, the potential policy implications for the US military, and the potential effects of the result on European defence and relations with NATO countries; and we get the perspective of a former US Army Lieutenant General.NewsroundIn Japan, the MoD has picked Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to lead the effort to produce the F-X sixth-generation fighter. Prime contractor Mitsubishi is expected to work with a foreign partner – strong contenders are BAE Systems, Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman. In Australia, the Bluebottle unmanned surface vessel is to conduct a series of tests next year that will enable it to carry out a wider series of tasks for the Royal Australian Navy. In Russia, military scientists from the 38th Research Test Institute for Armoured Equipment are promoting the idea of a twin-chassis main battle tank to replace the Armata T-14 in the 2040s – but is it realistic?In the UK,  the MoD has declined to share a specific date for publication of the forthcoming Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy.In focusSenior Editor Naval Richard Thomas is joined by News Editor Ben Vogel, Air Editor Tim Martin and  Land Reporter Flavia Camargos Pereira for a round table discussion on potential changes to air, land in sea plans for the US and its allies that will follow after the presidential race winner will be named.What's the role of the UK space sector in the ‘Global Britain' envisioned for the future? Listen to Shephard Studio's Defining the Future podcast, sponsored by our partner Raytheon UK . What connectivity issues are the US military facing? Listen to Shephard Studio's podcast series on Five Eyes Connectivity, sponsored by our partner Viasat. Interview – The Heritage FoundationTim Martin is on the line with  Thomas Spoehr former US Army Lieutenant General who now works as Director of the Heritage Foundation's Centre for National Defence for an insight on potential changes to military sales, particularly those agreed with the Middle East and to dive into the strategies that the US is willing to adopt to counter Russian and Chinese threats. This episode was produced by Noemi Distefano with music and sound mixing by Fred Prest. 

Integrated Review; Drone technology; GCHQ history. The future of the Integrated Security and Defence Review. Why is NATO planning to open a new Space Centre ? How will Drone technology change combat? And what impact did GCHQ have in the Falklands War?

Originally released 21 October 2020 In this first episode of Bridging the Oceans, Veerle is joined by Dr. Neil Melvin, Director of RUSI's International Security Studies department and Aaditya Dave, Research Analyst in the Navigating the Indo-Pacific Programme of the ISS department. Together, they explore the Indo-Pacific concept and region, why the concept of the Indo-Pacific is catching on, what some of the key defence and security questions in the region will be, and what this means for UK foreign and security policy as it undergoes its Integrated Review process. The idea of the Indo-Pacific as a theatre for influence and power is gaining prominence among governments and expert communities across the world.   A number of regional and global powers with interests in the region, as well as groupings like ASEAN, have presented their own unique interpretations of the Indo-Pacific as a strategic concept that connects the Indian and Pacific Oceans along with their littoral states as an integrated arena for competition and collaboration.  Running from 2020 to 2023, Bridging the Oceans aimed to create a platform to discuss the key defence and security questions of the world's most dynamic region: the Indo-Pacific. Hosted by Veerle Nouwens, it explored what the Indo-Pacific is, where its limits lie, and what the fast-evolving defence and security issues are in this dynamic part of the world.

In this first episode, Veerle is joined by Dr. Neil Melvin, Director of RUSI's International Security Studies department and Aaditya Dave, Research Analyst in the Navigating the Indo-Pacific Programme of the ISS department. Together, they explore the Indo-Pacific concept and region, why the concept of the Indo-Pacific is catching on, what some of the key defence and security questions in the region will be, and what this means for UK foreign and security policy as it undergoes its Integrated Review process.  

On this episode of the Defence Deconstructed Podcast, David Perry is joined by Fellow Prof. Julian Lindley-French and CSIS's Rachel Ellehuus to discuss the UK Defence Review at a time of Brexit, COVID-19, and U.S. overstretch. Participant Bios: - Prof. Julian Lindley-French is a Senior Fellow of the Institute of Statecraft, Director of Europa Analytica, and Distinguished Visiting fellow at the National Defence University (https://www.cgai.ca/julian_lindley_french) - Rachel Ellehuus is Deputy Director of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies' Europe Programme. (https://www.csis.org/people/rachel-ellehuus) Host Bio: 

- Dave Perry (host): Senior Analyst and Vice President with the Canadian Global Affairs Institute (https://www.cgai.ca/david_perry) To go further: - Rachel Ellehuus, "The UK Integrated Security and Defense Review" Opportunity Amid Chaos?," CSIS Brief: https://www.csis.org/analysis/uk-integrated-security-and-defense-review-opportunity-amid-chaos - Julian Lindley-French, "Integrated Review 2020 and the United Kingdom Future Force," http://lindleyfrench.blogspot.com/2020/09/integrated-review-2020-and-united.html R & R - Michael Korda, With Wings Like Eagles: The Untold Story of the Battle of Britain: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/with-wings-like-eagles-michael-korda?variant=32130032500770 - Barbara W. Tuchman, The Guns of August: The Outbreak of World War I https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/180851/the-guns-of-august-by-barbara-w-tuchman/ - Chimanda Ngozi Adichie, Americanah: https://www.chimamanda.com/book/americanah/ Recording Date: 16 Sep 2020 Defence Deconstructed is part of the CGAI Podcast Network and is brought to you by the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries (CADSI). Follow the Canadian Global Affairs Institute on Facebook, Twitter (@CAGlobalAffairs), or on Linkedin. Head over to our website at www.cgai.ca for more commentary. Produced by Charlotte Duval-Lantoine. Music credits to Drew Phillips

We look at the options facing the government as part of their Integrated Review of foreign policy, defence and security. Lord Dannatt, former Chief of the General Staff, tells us that the government must find more money for defence.  We ask what will be the impact of the recent coup in the West African state of Mali on plans to send 250 British troops there as part of a UN mission?   Sitrep reports on how German soldiers are using the British run Sennelager training area to prepare for a mission in Afghanistan next year - and we hear how the last surviving landing craft from D-Day has finally reached its new home.  

Defence Review; Mali deployment; Sennelager training We look at the options facing the government as part of the Integrated Review of foreign policy, defence and security. Lord Dannatt, former Chief of the General Staff, tells us that the government must find more money for defence We ask what will be the impact of the recent coup in the West African state of Mali on plans to send 250 British troops there as part of a UN mission? Sitrep reports on how German soldiers are using the British run Sennelager training area to prepare for a mission in Afghanistan next year. And we hear how the last surviving landing craft from D-Day has finally reached its new home.

This week in SF history— December 30, 1995, launch of Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (wikipedia.org) (nasa.gov)Spaceflight news— More Starship photos and tweets. (teslarati.com) (twitter.com/elonmusk) — Technical presentation promised (twitter.com/elonmusk) — Comparison to publicity photos (nasaspaceflight.com) — New metallurgy (twitter.com/elonmusk) (twitter.com/elonmusk)Short & Sweet— SpaceX reveals first completed Crew Dragon spaceship. (teslarati.com)— New Shepard is scrubbed until early 2019. (spaceflightnow.com)— Dream Chaser passes Integrated Review 4 (spacenews.com)Questions, comments, corrections— /u/Bananas_on_Mars: Resin sample testing for cover-up glue! (reddit.com/r/orbitalpodcast)— Show notes mailing list (eepurl.com)— Space is Cool As Fk (ltpbooks.com)