News, Articles and Comment

Ed. The author considers the causes and potential remedies for oceanic piracy, a perennial threat requiring both broad and narrow solutions. A 10 minute read.

Ed. “Safe at home, strong abroad” The Chief of Defence Staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin gave his annual RUSI lecture on 4 December 2024. (Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered)

Ed. The author continues his Cassandra call for counter-intuitive solutions targeting RN hull number shortages amidst perilous fiscal conditions. A 15 minute read.

Ed. The author points out the mathematical certainty of RN hull numbers declining as shipyards consolidated after the 1981 Nott Review. A 10 minute read.

Ed. It would be more than fair to say that my editorials over the last two years have been rather gloomy. People often ask for an injection of humour into the Naval Review which is one I fully support so please help me in restoring the wonderful more amusing side of naval life into these hallowed pages. That said, despite my best efforts, I am struggling to spot what we currently have to shout about beyond the awesome exploits of Mr Joesph Root this Summer and Autumn!

Ed. The author, a visiting fellow of the Royal Navy Strategic Studies Centre (RNSSC) and Director of the Centre for Underwater Acoustic Analysis (CUAA), proposes that any future UK grand strategy must be founded on economic intelligence and the knowledge that Britain’s financial and economic power is fundamentally maritime. A 10 minute read.

BRE. The latest book review is now available. It considers Maritime Britain, produced by the Royal Navy Strategic Studies Centre, and as the First Sea Lord writes in his foreword, is intended to “catalyse a renewed national conversation about Britain and the sea”.

Ed. The author takes aim at the lackadaisical MoD approach to the current Strategic Defence Review (SDR), observing that, in comparison to the Australian approach, the British ‘aims’ methodology lacks focus and is unserious about the reality of current threats. A 15 minute read.

Ed. Employing Ken Booth’s model of naval functions as a lens, and with the Russian Federation Navy in his sights, the author argues that modern navies offer policy-makers unique options and variable scaling when addressing regional challenges and crises. A 10 minute read.