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The British Defence Review in an Age of AusterityAn indispensible and indepth analysis of the Government's Strategic Defence and Security Review.
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Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies
Foreign and Security Policy Choices
RUSI examines the present, and possible future, demands placed upon the UK's limited defence resources and the foreign policy choices that must be made by government.
Future Defence Review Working Paper
Multilateral Approaches to Security: Choices for Defence
By Andrew Rathmell
Working Paper Number 3, October 2009
The future mission of Britain's armed forces may lie in reforming multilateral institutions such as the United Nations and NATO. Britain must help build efficient international interventions to prevent and stabilise conflict; its credibility and influence rely on it.
The release of the latest Future Defence Review report - the third in the series - coincides with RUSI's conference on Preparedness, Posture and Risk Management in Meeting Future Defence Challenge held in London on 14 October 2009.
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A Force for Honour -
Military Strategic Options for the United Kingdom
By Michael Codner
Working Paper Number 2, October 2009
Britain faces hard strategic choices in the immediate future regardless of what cuts are made to the defence budget - making it necessary for political leaders to outline a clear vision for using British armed forces around the world.
A Force for Honour: Military Strategic Options for the United Kingdom argues that Britain must reappraise the 'fundamental propositions' that define its global strategy, presenting five different options for adapting the UK's military posture to both the current affordability crisis and the security challenges of the future.
Background RUSI Analysis
No Choice But Change for Britain’s Armed Forces
To counter the threats of strategic overstretch, financial squeeze and battle fatigue, the UK must take the lead in developing and promoting European defence capability. (Apr 2009)
By Menzies Campbell and Ben Jones
An `Awakening’ at Sea?: NATO and Maritime Security
NATO's current maritime operations are important and effective, but their scope is limited by fickle political agendas. The Alliance needs to look beyond current flashpoints to future risks and develop a new maritime strategy. (April 2009)
By Lee Willett
Britain’s New Nuclear Debate: A Credible Road Map for Disarmament
Obama’s call for a nuclear weapon-free world chimes with British policy on deterrence and disarmament. As arms reductions become more likely, is Britain really onboard? (Apr 2009)
By Malcolm Chalmers
Soldiers Against the Bomb?
Government expenditure is being placed under increasing scrutiny and there have been voices claiming that Trident is an unnecessary expense. Julian Lewis counters this argument and advocates the necessity of maintaining and renewing Britain’s nuclear deterrent. (Feb 2009)
By Julian Lewis
NATO and the Challenge of Energy Security
In the light of the sixtieth anniversary of NATO, de Hoop Scheffer discusses emerging challenges it faces, specifically one are in to which the Alliance has turned its attention to in the past few years, energy security. (Dec 2008)
By Jaap de Hoop Scheffer
Into the Future: The Rivalry of Major Powers
An understanding of the diversity of future wars helps explain their potential range. There will be no one type of war, and thus no one way of waging or winning war. (Aug 2008)
By Jeremy Black
Strategy as a Balancing Act: The UK's Dilemma
If the UK continues to unbalance its forces to better fight today’s wars, it risks losing the wars of the future. But if it does not do so, it will probably lose today’s. Which is the greater priority? (June 2008)
By Hew Strachan
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