News, Articles and Comment

Ed. The author provides an update on the geostrategic energy aspect of the Ukraine War, with the expansion of the conflict in the Middle East in mind. A 5 minute read.

Ed. The practitioner author paints a stark picture of a casualty-intensive opening phase of a near-future Pacific war, employing lessons from the Second World War to argue that depth of capability must be actualised today. Originally published in the USNI’s Proceedings, April 2026. A 10 minute read.

Ed. The author considers RN readiness from the perspective of Military Aid to Civilian Authorities (MACA). As crises accumulate, the temptation to employ the RN to respond where civilian institutions lack support can erode warfighting capacity. 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. Originally published in November 2012 [100/4, p. 363], members may find this article from the NR’s archive instructive as to how geostrategic developments in the Persian Gulf have changed (or not) over the past decade and a half. A 25 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. The author reinforces the case for common sense port infrastructure national security priorities in terms of what he describes as “seamanship applied to national logistics.” A 15 minute read.

Ed. The author provides insight and lessons for project management from the perspective of the Submarine Service. A 5 minute read.