News, Articles and Comment

Ed. The author’s investigation into the history of maritime strait multilateralism, a pertinent example of the ad hoc nature of sea control resulting from a rules-based vacuum, and the alternatives available to regional powers. A 25 minute read.

Ed. Originally published in July 2000 [88/3, pg. 204], this far-sighted article took aim at the inherent risk of ‘peace dividend’ logic in the increasingly volatile post-Cold War world, in which missile defence and nuclear proliferation were certain to become strategic concerns. A 15 minute read.

Ed. As firepower and lethality increasingly become central to warfighting doctrine and escalation at sea, the reintroduction of ship and submarine tactical nuclear weapons has been proposed as a means of closing the gap. The author takes the argument for carrier-based nuclear weapons to task. Originally published in the USNI’s Proceedings, July 2026. A 10 minute read.

Ed. This article explores some of the undiscussed issues and challenges facing the introduction of large-scale autonomous vessels under the ‘hybrid navy’ plan. The aim of this article is not to nay say and stick one’s head in the sand, but rather to identify the very real challenges facing implementation, their limits, and the importance of maintaining capable crewed warships to restore the RN fleet as a capable naval force. A 20 minute read.

Ed. As military escalation increasingly takes centre stage, the author asks if Treasury intransigence has shifted the Defence goalposts. A 10 minute read.

Ed. The expert authors investigate the history of 21^st century space warfare, a legally undefined arena for grey zone conflict. A 25 minute read.

Ed. The author examines the state-of-the-art with regard to Polar icebreaker investment and development, and considers the relative cost for future RN procurement in increasingly competitive theatres. A 30 minute read.

Ed. With due regard to technological evolution, geostrategy, and climate change, the author contemplates the historical trajectory of sea power theory, law, and its future. A 15 minute read.

Ed. Originally published in November 2012 [100/4, p. 363], members may find this article from the NR’s archive instructive as to how geostrategic developments in the Persian Gulf have changed (or not) over the past decade and a half. A 25 minute read.