News, Articles and Comment

Ed. Two letters reflecting on cultural and doctrinal transformation in the NATO naval realm.

Ed. By the time you read this in the hardcopy, the NATO Summit in Ankara will have taken place. However, this article by the Naval Review’s Chairman gives a clear indication, and a warning, of the general direction in which the United States wishes to steer the Alliance. A 15 minute read.

Ed. A letter reflecting on the profound transformation taking place in terms of Defence, and the RN’s role therein.

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

Ed. Originally published in two parts in 1999 [87/1, p. 3 & 87/2, p. 105], the author elaborated with particular clarity the strategic, operational and doctrinal rationale for what is now the current RN carrier aviation capability in the Joint Armed Forces post-Cold War environment. A 50 minute read.

Ed. Two letters highlighting institutional learning, whether for better in the service of ceremonial fleet reviews or for worse in terms of political-bureaucratic stagnation.

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. If the recent conflict in the Middle East has confirmed anything, it is that sea power remains essential to our nation’s prosperity. Much has been written about Operation EPIC FURY, the rapidly evolving threats we face and our ability to counter them, and how advances in drones, uncrewed and autonomous systems have forever changed the way we fight. But some things remain constant, as evidenced by Iran shutting the Strait of Hormuz, the vital maritime chokepoint through which a fifth of the world’s oil transits.

Ed. Originally published in November 2013 [101/4, p. 325], the author’s concluding comments from his series [101/1, p. 10], [101/2, p. 132], [101/3, p. 230], on long-term budget trends during the Great Depression and Great Recession eras provides a framework for where the RN stands today. A 20 minute read.