Episode 78: A New Security Environment in the South Atlantic and Antarctica?
The South Atlantic and the Antarctic have drawn considerable attention from big powers, who are racing to strengthen their regional footprints and presence as the region opens up for navigation and other potential uses.
Despite very low tensions, the South Atlantic is a recurrent area of discussion in the UK given the territorial claim over the Falkland archipelago by Argentina. The UK’s commitment to defend its overseas territories, blending both soft and hard power, has larger strategic implications given the increasingly contested geopolitics of the South Atlantic. In this episode, host Neil Melvin is joined by Juan Pablo Toro of AthenaLab in Chile and Dr Carlos Solar, Senior Research Fellow at RUSI, to discuss the prospects of the South Atlantic and Antarctica becoming zones where geo-economic competition and militarisation risk destabilising the status quo.
The views or statements expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the podcast does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Views and opinions expressed by RUSI employees are those of the employees and do not necessarily reflect the view of RUSI.
FEATURING
Dr Neil Melvin
Director, International Security
International Security
Dr Carlos Solar
Senior Research Fellow, Latin American Security
International Security
Juan Pablo Toro
Senior Associate Fellow; Executive Director of AthenaLab, Chile
