News, Articles and Comment

Ed. The author revisits the status of the Ukraine War, a year after his initial analysis [111/2, p. 18]. The failure of either side to deliver a knockout blow, and the systemic nature of new military technology, has reduced the conflict to grinding attrition with few prospects for definitive victory. A 25 minute read.

Ed. The clarity and unity of purpose of state-on-state conflict over the centuries is a panacea that modern leaders must marvel at – in how relatively simple the world once was. Today’s interconnected, complex, and ambiguous global wicked problems present too many challenges to accommodate the security aspirations of the medium powers. We British wish to remain a global player yet our security options remain over-stretched and under-resourced. I suspect the new Secretary of State for Defence was given clear riding instructions to maintain a steady course and speed as well as under no circumstances rock the boat. As transparent as that is ‘events, dear boy, events’ are the greatest threat to his direction.

Ed. The author considers the grand strategic temptation of seeking a flank to break the current, Huntingesque, East-West standoff. Engaging additional allies, or enemies, and perpetuating old conflicts worldwide has dangerous implications for the future of global stability. Originally published in The Article. A 10 minute read.

Ed. The author argues that Britain’s current grand strategy has the hallmarks of uncertainty, having not yet settled on a strictly continentalist, or purely maritime strategy, one way or the other. If the Armed Forces are to be deployed effectively, it is imperative that clarity replace the current strategic ambiguity. Originally published in The Article. A 5 minute read.

Ed. When was the last time we spent enough on Defence and Security, the nation’s insurance policy? The problem, of course, is that democratic nations decide the answer to this question through elected politicians, not the military; many wise people are involved in reviewing and offering their best analysis of the likely future turn of events but this, as history regularly reminds us, is an inexact science. It all boils down to how effectively we communicate the power of the argument – articulating the threat and the likelihood versus the size of the purse and the amount of risk a government is prepared to accept in the level of military and security capability it wishes to invest in.

BRE. The latest book review is now available. It considers a new edited volume on the role of the sea in Russian strategy, providing a discussion of historical context, operational art, strategy, and capability.

Ed. General Sir Robert Fry reflects on the historical evolution of trench warfare during the First World War to demonstrate that, although post-modern technology may have improved in an absolute sense, the fundamental nature of a military stalemate necessitates awaiting the emergence of the next paradigm. Originally published by The Article, 13 July 2023 (https://www.thearticle.com/the-new-hiatus-in-warfare). A 10 minute read.

Ed. In this article RN Strategic Studies Centre (RNSSC) Visiting Fellow Dr Ziya Meral unpacks what the next five years of a new term for President Erdogan might look like, particularly Turkey’s foreign policy with specific reference to the Black Sea. A 5 minute read.

Ed. With a laudable desire for linguistic clarity worthy of David Watkin Waters, Dr Mark Barton considers the language barrier impacting the cultivation of Joint and Service-wide consensus of concept meaning in operational planning. A 10 minute read.