News, Articles and Comment

Ed. The RNSSC author provides an appreciation of the strategic situation in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), and endorses an organic ‘multiplex’ as against a hegemonic ‘multipolar’ order for the region. A 35 minute read.

Ed. Churchill’s final volume of his war memoirs is titled Triumph and Tragedy: the theme of the volume is “how the great democracies triumphed and so were able to resume the follies which had so nearly cost them their life.” What did Churchill mean by tragedy? Was he referring to the incredible loss of life caused by the firestorms of Dresden and Tokyo or by the atomic bombs that were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki? Or was he lamenting the tragedy that, for most of Eastern Europe, he foresaw that one jackboot was to be replaced by another. As it wasn’t just the democracies that triumphed, the most successful victor of the Second World War was indeed Stalin claiming territories and spoils both in Europe and in Asia. Once again, we risk another tragedy as it looks increasingly likely the jackboots are on the rise.

Ed. Taking stock of current challenges, with an eye to the strategic decisions made during the Cold War, the author argues that future RN thought leaders must be cultivated today. A 10 minute read.

Ed. Our correspondent responds to Lt Gen Robert Fry’s recent article, sounding a note of caution and encouragement.

Ed. Our correspondent replies to another of Cdre Jermy’s recent articles [112/1, p. 21], with regard to the geopolitical and diplomatic conditions surrounding the origins of the Russo-Ukraine War.

Ed. As the Chairman observes, another three months of hectic activity on the world stage have flown by. We have been reminded of the awesome power of the US military in action and relearned the importance of husbanding realistic and considered intelligence assessments which will take months, not hours, to assess and really need to remain behind the green baize door.

Ed. An important retrospective on the RN’s role in the Pacific, revealing patterns in the history of the last 150 years. Delivered originally as a Royal Navy Club speech onboard HMS Belfast, 6 June 2025. A 20 minute read.

Ed. The author takes another look at the Russo-Ukraine War, critiquing a lack of geostrategic balance-of-power thought amongst Western leadership. Originally published in Brave New Europe. A 10 minute read.

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.