News, Articles and Comment

Ed. The Naval Staff Research author contends that the current warfare transformation demonstrates a systemic technological model favouring the defensive or, in naval terms, sea denial. How should the RN, which must act offensively to achieve policy objectives, adapt? A 10 minute read.

Ed. This article argues that although the Ukraine War has degraded Russian conventional forces, Moscow’s hybrid and grey zone warfare capability remains a persistent and growing national security concern. A 15 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. With John Mearsheimer’s ultrarealism firmly in mind, the author addresses the logic of abiding by, and violating, the international law of war. A 15 minute read.

Ed. When the 1980s Iran-Iraq War bled into the maritime sphere, the US Navy raced to halt depredations to oil shipments; the mine-warfare factor weighed heavily in the operation and offers lessons for today. Originally published in the USNI’s Proceedings, June 2025. A 15 minute read.

Ed. The author assesses the growing threats to the UK’s subsea infrastructure as a component of hybrid warfare, and makes direct recommendations for reducing grey-zone ambiguity and improving the RN’s capacity to respond. A 15 minute read.

Ed. The author argues that the RN’s shift toward a ‘hybrid’ model of crewed and autonomous systems is necessary but insufficient. As ministers warn of a worsening strategic environment and the need to be ready to fight, the Royal Navy faces an uncomfortable arithmetic: ambition exceeds resources. A 10 minute read.

Ed. With insights from Royal Navy training, the author explores how Sweden’s naval role is evolving as it prepares to operate alongside Allied forces and beyond the Baltic Sea. A 25 minute read.