News, Articles and Comment

Ed. With the Royal Navy declaredly pushing towards a ‘Hybrid’ fleet utilising several classes of complex ‘ship-like’ uncrewed vessels, the author, Associate Professor of International Security and Strategy at the University of Exeter, identifies key limitations of such autonomous naval systems and proposes that a lean-crewed model may instead offer distinctive advantages. A 25 minute read.

Ed. It will come as no surprise to the NR’s readership that Lord Cochrane, when he was faced with an amphibious problem, intended to attack with dogged determination. The author, Master in International Studies at the University of Santiago, Chile, examines two of Cochrane’s amphibious operations during the Chilean campaign of 1820, revealing the diametric results of Cochrane’s method. A 15 minute read.

Ed. Does the RNZN have its sights set on the right future frigate class? The author believes the answer requires asking difficult questions about force structure and doctrine rather than purely technical specifications. A 25 minute read.

Ed. With the precedent of HMS Ocean in mind, the author argues that the RN’s future Amphibious Transport Ships (ATS) should be through-deck and built to a mixed standard. A 30 minute read.

Ed. The author’s straightforward study of naval strategy in the Great War, comparing British, US and German approaches. In the final analysis, quantity produced a quality all of its own. A 15 minute read.

BRE. The latest book review is now available. It considers an edited volume, featuring an eminent selection of contributors, examining the development of maritime strategy from the 17th century through to the present.

Ed. Our correspondent questions the Continuous At Sea Deterrent (CASD) from a perspective of cost and strategic choice for the future of the Submarine Service.

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.