RUSI JOURNAL: January 2019
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Publications
RUSI publications offer rigorous, timely and policy-relevant analysis of UK and international defence and security issues
Book Review: Hybridity on the Ground in Peacebuilding and Development: Critical Conversations
RUSI Journal, 31 May 2019Bethan Greener
Bethan Greener reviews Hybridity on the Ground in Peacebuilding and Development: Critical Conversations, by Joanne Wallis et al. (eds).
Tags: Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding
What are Governments in Central and Eastern Europe not Buying with their Defence Budgets? The Readiness Clue
RUSI Journal, 31 May 2019Thomas-Durell Young
To bolster the readiness of their forces, Central and Eastern European countries will need to modernise budgetary and organisational practices.
Tags: Defence Management, Defence Policy, Europe
The Myth of the Narrative Fighting Vehicle
, 30 May 2019Jack Watling and Adam Maisel
Adversaries currently outmatch the British Army in information warfare. While it is encouraging that officers with a background in combat arms are calling for the development of this capability however, it is important not to expect too much.
Tags: Information
British Public Attitudes Towards the Second World War
RUSI Newsbrief, 30 May 2019Joel Rogers de Waal
A new survey of the British public shows both profound reverence and some striking ignorance towards Britain’s involvement in the Second World War.
Tags: UK, History
Securing the Supply Chain: Implementing North Korea Sanctions Beyond Banking
RUSI Newsbrief, 24 May 2019Emil Dall and Tom Keatinge
Ensuring the global supply chain is not abused by North Korea to evade international sanctions requires a systemic approach. The current response is failing, and the involvement of a far greater range of private sector actors is urgently needed.
Tags: North Korea
Second Strike Communications
RUSI Newsbrief, 17 May 2019Elisabeth Braw
To counter disinformation campaigns, liberal democracies should focus on second-strike capabilities.
Tags: Domestic Security, National Security, Technology
Apollo Plus Fifty: Lunar Ambitions and the New ‘Space Race’
RUSI Newsbrief, 3 May 2019Alexandra Stickings
50 years on from the first lunar landing, the Moon is once again taking centre stage in international space ambitions. Yet, within a more democratised and complex space environment, and with Mars and other celestial bodies seen as additional exploratory targets, talk of a new ‘space race’ may be misplaced.
Tags: Aerospace
Climate Change Challenges and Djibouti: A Photoessay
RUSI Journal, 25 April 2019Susan Schulman
A changing climate is rapidly transforming the country.
Tags: Climate Security, Africa
Russia’s Continued Aggression Against Ukraine: Illegal Actions in the Kerch Strait and Sea of Azov
RUSI Journal, 25 April 2019Stephen Lewis
The state of conflict imposes specific international legal rights and obligations on both Russia and Ukraine.
Tags: Ukraine, Russia
Book Review: Fighting for Peace in Somalia: A History and Analysis of the African Union Mission (AMISOM), 2007–2017
RUSI Journal, 25 April 2019Alexandria Reid
Alexandria Reid reviews Fighting for Peace in Somalia: A History and Analysis of the African Union Mission (AMISOM), 2007–2017, by Paul D. Williams.
Tags: African Union, Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding, AfricaPages
Book Review: ‘These Meritorious Objects of the Royal Bounty’: The Chelsea Out-Pensioners in the Early Eighteenth Century
RUSI Journal, 29 November 2019Alan Guy
Alan J Guy reviews ‘These Meritorious Objects of the Royal Bounty’: The Chelsea Out-Pensioners in the Early Eighteenth Century, by Andrew Edward Cormack.
Tags: History, Military Personnel
How Would Future Autonomous Weapon Systems Challenge Current Governance Norms?
RUSI Journal, 29 November 2019Ben Koppelman
The development of autonomous weapon systems needs to take into account compliance with international humanitarian law.
Tags: Law and Ethics, Technology
Artificial Intelligence and Decision-Making
RUSI Journal, 29 November 2019Keith Dear
AI will change decision-making in defence in multiple ways.
Tags: Defence Policy, Technology
Book Review: Island off the Coast of Asia: Instruments of Statecraft in Australian Foreign Policy
RUSI Journal, 29 November 2019William Clapton
William Clapton reviews Island off the Coast of Asia: Instruments of Statecraft in Australian Foreign Policy, by Clinton Fernandes.
Tags: Defence Policy
Artificial Intelligence in Defence: When AI Meets Defence Acquisition Processes and Behaviours
RUSI Journal, 29 November 2019Trevor Taylor
Government procurement programmes need to adapt if they are to successfully acquire AI-enabled systems.
Tags: Defence Management, Defence Policy, Technology
Editor's Note: RUSI Journal, July/August 2019
RUSI Journal, 29 November 2019Emma De Angelis
Editor Dr Emma De Angelis introduces 2019's special double issue on artificial intelligence.
Tags:
Book Review: Can’t Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds
RUSI Journal, 29 November 2019Andrew Otchie
Andrew Otchie reviews Can’t Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds, by David Goggins.
Tags: US Defence Policy, Defence Policy, Military Personnel
Art, Intelligence and Creativity
RUSI Journal, 29 November 2019Curated by Luba Elliott
Machines in creation?
Tags: Art, Culture and Literature, Technology
Chinese Military Innovation in the AI Revolution
RUSI Journal, 29 November 2019Elsa B Kania
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army is pursuing military innovation through investment in emerging technologies.
Tags: Technology
Book Review: Measuring Peace: Principles, Practices, and Politics
RUSI Journal, 29 November 2019Andrew Rathmell
Andrew Rathmell reviews Measuring Peace: Principles, Practices, and Politics, by Richard Caplan.
Tags: Global Security Issues
The AI Special Issue: An Introduction
RUSI Journal, 29 November 2019Keith Dear and Ali Hossaini
Guest editors Keith Dear and Ali Hossaini introduce the AI special issue.
Tags:
Future Threats: Intelligence or Agency?
RUSI Journal, 29 November 2019Emma De Angelis, Ali Hossaini, Raymond Noble, Denis Noble, Ana M Soto, Carlos Sonnenschein and Kenneth Payne
Experts from multiple disciplines discuss whether it is machines’ potential to develop agency, rather than intelligence, that poses a threat to the future.
Tags: Technology
Will Russia Rule the World Through AI? Assessing Putin’s Rhetoric Against Russia’s Reality
RUSI Journal, 29 November 2019Keith Dear
Russia’s aspirations may not match its ability to develop AI capabilities.
Tags: Technology
Book Review: Development Assistance for Peacebuilding
RUSI Journal, 29 November 2019Mary Hope Schwoebel
Mary Hope Schwoebel reviews Development Assistance for Peacebuilding, edited by Rachel M Gisselquist.
Tags: Defence Policy, Global Security Issues, Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding
Macron is Mistaken – NATO Remains the Continent’s Best Defence
RUSI Newsbrief, 28 November 2019Jonathan Eyal
Emmanuel Macron’s criticism of the transatlantic Alliance is both counterproductive and flawed in its analysis – and his proposals for European security independence are equally misguided.
Tags: NATO
#WeAreNATO: Strategic Communications, Engagement and Lessons Learnt
RUSI Newsbrief, 22 November 2019Igor Merheim-Eyre and John G L J Jacobs
The #WeAreNATO campaign is an important tool to communicate the purpose and benefits of the Alliance. But to make it more durable, greater effort needs to be put into complementing top-down institutional efforts with bottom-up civic initiatives.
Tags: NATO
From Schools to Total Defence Exercises: Best Practices in Greyzone Deterrence
RUSI Newsbrief, 15 November 2019Elisabeth Braw
How NATO member states can develop societal resilience to combat modern threats.
Tags: NATO, Resilience
The 2% Target: Spending Increases and the Russian Threat
RUSI Newsbrief, 8 November 2019Malcolm Chalmers
While all NATO countries have increased defence spending since 2014, the Alliance’s new members have done the most.
Tags: Defence Spending, NATO
The Paradox at the Heart of NATO’s Return to Article 5
RUSI Newsbrief, 1 November 2019John R Deni
To respond effectively to the threats NATO faces in its eighth decade, and to safeguard the promise of collective defence enshrined in Article 5 of the Washington Treaty, the Alliance must refocus time and resources on fighting its adversaries in the grey zone.
Tags: NATO, Global Security Issues
A More Usable Army: Implications of Fusion Doctrine for Land Forces
RUSI Newsbrief, 25 October 2019Oliver Major
The British Army must respond to calls for reform posed by Fusion Doctrine and Global Britain.
Tags: Armed Forces, Land Forces, UK Defence
Human Rights and Denuclearisation in North Korea: Two Sides of the Same Coin
RUSI Newsbrief, 18 October 2019Cristina Varriale
If long-term peace is to be achieved and denuclearisation completed, addressing North Korea’s human rights situation must become part of the process. Without this, it will be impossible to remove all sources of perceived hostility and North Korea’s nuclear weapons.
Tags: Proliferation and Nuclear Policy
Gaming the System: Money Laundering Through Online Games
RUSI Newsbrief, 11 October 2019Anton Moiseienko and Kayla Izenman
In-game artefacts and currencies often have real-life value and can be used to move or invest criminal proceeds. But there are no clear expectations of what game operators can or should do to identify criminal activity.
Tags: AML/CTF
What About the Afghan State? US Interests Reach Beyond Counterterrorism
RUSI Newsbrief, 4 October 2019James M Page
The cancellation of the US peace agreement with the Taliban not only reasserts the importance of elections in Afghanistan, but also wider US interests in the Afghan state.
Tags:
Future Vertical Lift… Why the Eagles Aren’t Coming
RUSI Defence Systems, 4 September 2019Jack Watling
The problem is that the SA-21 does not pose the main threat to aviation in a high-intensity warfighting scenario. Any Russian commander who fired a long-range SA-21 missile at a helicopter that was not posing a direct threat to their battery would be guilty of gross incompetence for wasting munitions critical to the wider campaign. While the suppression of long-range air defence systems is a...
Tags: Land Forces
First Flight of Russia’s S-70 Okhotnik-B UCAV
RUSI Defence Systems, 9 August 2019Justin Bronk
Part of the objection in the West is that to be credible in a high-intensity combat situation which would almost inevitably include heavy jamming and communications denial, a UCAV must have the ability to detect, classify, prioritise and engage targets with lethal weapons without real-time human yes/no oversight. Those targets would hardly be ambiguous – civilians seldom operate ground or air-...
Tags:
Novel Concepts for Amphibious Force Resupply
RUSI Defence Systems, 28 June 2019George Galdorisi
The reason for the prominence of these expeditionary assault forces is clear. These naval expeditionary formations—built around a large-deck amphibious assault ship, an amphibious transport dock, and a dock landing ship—have been the ones used extensively for a wide array of missions short of war: from anti-piracy patrols, to personnel evacuation, to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief,...
Tags: Equipment and Acquisitions, Maritime Forces
Complexity is Cheaper than Simplicity: The Reason Cyber Security is Hard
RUSI Defence Systems, 23 April 2019Kristofor Bolton
Programmers often lament how programs they have written would be different if they were able to delete them and start again. In most cases, programmers do not have the opportunity to implement what they have learned while tackling the often-unique challenges associated with a project; rather they often find themselves making ad hoc fixes and jury-rigging solutions as many people work on the same...
Tags: Cyber
Allies in the Multi-Domain Task Force
RUSI Defence Systems, 5 April 2019Jack Watling
The US is not presently able to conduct MDO. At the Association of the United States’ Army (AUSA) Global Force Symposium – held in Huntsville from 25-28 March - MDO’s architect, Lieutenant General Eric Wesley observed, ‘a good concept describes the future and is presently infeasible because you have to change to achieve it’. The operational concept requires significant developments in...
Tags: US Defence Policy, NATO
What Do Future Main Battle Tanks Need to Succeed? Ask the Operators
RUSI Defence Systems, 25 March 2019Micah Clark
The US Army’s Future Capabilities Command will make a decision by 2023 on whether a new tank is necessary and how to proceed with its development. Likewise, the UK is set to deal with a slew of Challenger 2 modernisation issues under austere army budget constraints. One simple suggestion as these upgrade and acquisition processes begin: seek input and feedback from the operators early. The author...
Tags: Land Forces
Amphibious Assault is Over
RUSI Defence Systems, 21 January 2019Sidharth Kaushal and Jack Watling
In response the USMC has acknowledged the need for a ‘paradigm shift and the reinvigoration of a unified naval approach that effectively integrates sea control and maritime power projection capabilities’. The USMC’s answer – still being refined – is Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations (EABO). Rather than being supported by the US Navy at sea, the Marines instead provide crucial support to the...
Tags: Equipment and Acquisitions, Maritime Forces
What Does the Future of Land Fires Look Like?
RUSI Defence Systems, 20 November 2018Adam Coffey
In early 2018, a US forward operating base in Syria came under fire from an unknown massed force, which included tanks and artillery. The US commander, Brigadier General Jonathon Braga, ordered his force to return fire in self-defence. In a three-hour engagement US artillery, supported by layers of ISR assets and airstrikes, killed and wounded up to 300 enemy fighters, and many support and...
Tags: Land Forces
Australia’s Aegis Destroyer Will Improve its Defensive Capabilities
RUSI Defence Systems, 13 August 2018Debalina Ghoshal
The recent deal is comprehensive and includes command display systems; consoles; multimission display systems including projectors, sensors and cameras; Tactical Equivalent AEGIS LAN Interconnect System Cabinets; Tactical Equivalent AEGIS LAN Interconnect System (ALIS); Tactical Equivalent Advanced Storage Area Network Cabinets; Global Command and Control System- Maritime; Cooperative Engagement...
Tags: Maritime Forces
Turning the Tide? Learning from Responses to Large-Scale Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing in Five Countries
Whitehall Reports, 29 November 2019Charlie de Rivaz, Cathy Haenlein, Alexandria Reid and Veerle Nouwens
A new study sheds light on illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, showing how countries can tailor their specific strategies to combat this major security challenge.
Tags: Organised Crime
The Future of Fires: Maximising the UK’s Tactical and Operational Firepower
Occasional Papers, 27 November 2019Jack Watling
This paper outlines critical trends in the development of next-generation fires systems and the implications of this future battlefield for the UK’s ground forces.
Tags: Armed Forces, Equipment and Acquisitions, UK, Land Forces, UK Defence
Requirements for the UK’s Amphibious Forces in the Future Operating Environment
Occasional Papers, 20 November 2019Sidharth Kaushal and Jack Watling
This paper outlines the role that littoral areas will have in the Future Operating Environment and the strategic requirements that will drive the development of the littoral strike concept and the Future Commando Force.
Tags: Armed Forces, Equipment and Acquisitions, Global Strategy and Commitments, Defence Policy, UK, Land Forces, Maritime Forces, UK Defence, Europe
Play Your Cards Right: Preventing Criminal Abuse of Online Gambling
Occasional Papers, 12 November 2019Anton Moiseienko
This paper examines the criminal involvement in some online gambling activities.
Tags: AML/CTF, Organised Crime, Technology
Competitive National Service: How the Scandinavian Model Can Be Adapted by the UK
Occasional Papers, 23 October 2019Elisabeth Braw
This Occasional Paper examines the Scandinavian model of national service and discusses how it can be adapted by the UK to fit its national security needs and acquaint a wider segment of youth with service within national security
Tags: Civil–Military Relations, Defence Management, Defence Policy, UK, Military Personnel, UK Defence
Crossing the River by Feeling the Stones: The Trajectory of China's Maritime Transformation
Occasional Papers, 14 October 2019Sidharth Kaushal and Magdalena Markiewicz
This Occasional Paper examines China's maritime strategy by placing its contemporary evolution in context.
Tags: Armed Forces, China, Equipment and Acquisitions, Maritime Forces, Military Personnel, Technology, Pacific
Deep Impact? Refocusing the Anti-Money Laundering Model on Evidence and Outcomes
Occasional Papers, 11 October 2019Matthew Redhead
This Occasional Paper examines the effectiveness of the current anti-money laundering model, with particular reference to the financial services sector, and makes relevant recommendations to enhance the model's future effectiveness.
Tags: AML/CTF, International Institutions, Law and Ethics, Organised Crime, Terrorism
Lessons Learned from P/CVE Youth Mentorship
Conference Reports, 10 October 2019Tina Wilchen Christensen
A report of the Lessons Learned from P/CVE Youth Mentorship conference hosted by RUSI in the Horn of Africa in Nairobi, Kenya.
Tags: Horn of Africa, Tackling Extremism, Resilience, Terrorism, Africa
Project Sandstone Report 4: Down and Out in Pyongyang and London
Other Publications, 26 September 2019James Byrne, Joe Byrne, Hamish Macdonald and Gary Somerville
This report examines the role that UK companies have in North Korean efforts to evade international sanctions.
Tags: North Korea, UK, Global Security Issues, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy
European Allies in US Multi-Domain Operations
Occasional Papers, 23 September 2019Jack Watling and Daniel Roper
This Occasional Paper outlines strategies for integrating European allies with the US Army's Multi-Domain Operations operating concept.
Tags: United States, US Defence Policy, NATO, Defence Management, Defence Policy, Global Security Issues, International Institutions, Land Forces, Maritime Forces, Military Personnel, Europe
Data Analytics and Algorithmic Bias in Policing
Briefing Papers, 16 September 2019Alexander Babuta and Marion Oswald
This paper summarises the use of analytics and algorithms for policing within England and Wales, and explores different types of bias that can arise during the product lifecycle.
Tags: Equipment and Acquisitions, UK, Securing Britain, Law and Ethics, National Security, Technology
The UK Cyber Strategy: Challenges for the Next Phase
Briefing Papers, 27 June 2019Conrad Prince and James Sullivan
The UK's 2016 National Cyber Security Strategy reaches its conclusion in 2021. At the midway point of the current strategy, and with an upcoming Spending Review, the focus should now be on building the next strategy. This Briefing Paper poses a series of questions to help frame this debate.
Tags: Cyber, UK, Law and Ethics, National Security, Organised Crime, Technology
No Deal, No Data? The Future of UK–EU Law Enforcement Information Sharing
Briefing Papers, 26 February 2019Alexander Babuta
The UK has been instrumental in developing many of the systems relied upon by EU law enforcement agencies, but the advent of Brexit means that the UK may lose access to these important tools. This briefing paper examines three options for UK–EU law enforcement information sharing post-Brexit.
Tags: European Union, UK, National Security, Europe
The Scale of Money Laundering in the UK: Too Big to Measure?
Briefing Papers, 11 February 2019Anton Moiseienko and Tom Keatinge
By measuring the measurable – rather than lamenting the immeasurability of the immeasurable – the lower bounds of the scale of money laundering in the UK can be established.
Tags: AML/CTF, Intelligence
Brexit and European Security
Briefing Papers, 26 February 2018Malcolm Chalmers
RUSI Deputy Director-General Malcolm Chalmers looks at the security implications for the UK and Europe post-Brexit.
Tags: European Union
National Security Relations with France after Brexit
Briefing Papers, 15 January 2018Peter Ricketts
Written by Lord Peter Ricketts, former National Security Adviser and UK Ambassador to France, this Briefing Paper recommends that the UK and France step up joint work on defence, security and nuclear deterrence policy.
Tags: France, Defence Policy, UK, Intelligence
A New State in the Middle East? From the Kurdistan Region of Iraq to the Republic of Kurdistan
Briefing Papers, 19 September 2017Gareth Stansfield
The likely result of the upcoming referendum in the Kurdish areas of Iraq will create a dilemma for the Iraqi state and foreign powers.
Tags: Iraq, Defence Policy, Global Security Issues, Middle East and North Africa
Still International by Design? Towards a Post-Brexit SDSR
Briefing Papers, 11 May 2017Malcolm Chalmers
The next British government will have to decide whether an earlier than anticipated review of the UK's military capabilities is needed.
Tags: Armed Forces, Defence Spending, Brexit Briefings, Equipment and Acquisitions, Defence Management, Defence Policy, UK, UK Defence, Europe
Ready for Peace? The Afghan Taliban after a Decade of War
Briefing Papers, 31 January 2017Theo Farrell and Michael Semple
Despite high-profile success on the battlefield, interviews with Taliban personnel reveal substantial discord within the group.
Tags: Afghanistan, The decade after 9/11, The Pakistan Nexus, Counterinsurgency, The War on Terror, Central and South Asia
UK Foreign and Security Policy after Brexit
Briefing Papers, 9 January 2017Malcolm Chalmers
Despite a looming split, the UK must seek to create a new relationship with the EU while strengthening ties with major European and non-European partners. Such measures could allow the UK to continue to contribute to resolving major security challenges.
Tags: Brexit Briefings, European Union, Security Policy, UK, Europe
Security in Northern Europe: Deterrence, Defence and Dialogue
Whitehall Papers, 25 October 2018Edited by John Andreas Olsen
There are a number of challenges facing NATO members in coordinating their response to Russia.
Tags: United States, US Defence Policy, NATO, North America, Americas, Germany, Russia, France, Defence Policy, UK, International Institutions, Europe
Strategic Hedging in the Arabian Peninsula: The Politics of the Gulf-Asian Rapprochement
Whitehall Papers, 20 September 2018Jean-Loup Samaan
Offering a new perspective on the geopolitics of Gulf-Asian relations.
Tags: Pacific, Central and South Asia, Middle East and North Africa
Making Mogadishu Safe: Localisation, Policing and Sustainable Security
Whitehall Papers, 31 July 2018Alice Hills
Tailoring approaches to local conditions has been an important aspect of community security in Mogadishu.
Tags: Horn of Africa, Tackling Extremism, Domestic Security, National Security, Terrorism, Africa
The Spectre of a Westphalian Europe?
Whitehall Papers, 7 March 2018Luis Simón
European geopolitics is undergoing a major structural revision.
Tags: NATO, Germany, European Union, Russia, France, Defence Policy, UK, UK Defence, Europe
Russia's New Ground Forces: Capabilities, Limitations and Implications for International Security
Whitehall Papers, 28 June 2017Igor Sutaygin with Justin Bronk
Russia is undertaking a number of reforms to enhance the capabilities of its land forces in the twenty-first century.
Tags: Russia, Defence Policy, Land Forces, Europe
China's Eurasian Pivot: The Silk Road Economic Belt
Whitehall Papers, 31 May 2017Raffaello Pantucci and Sarah Lain
The modern Silk Road is a key component of China's political and economic strategy in Eurasia.
Tags: China, Pacific
NATO and the North Atlantic: Revitalising Collective Defence
Whitehall Papers, 6 March 2017Edited by John Andreas Olsen
NATO will need to respond effectively to Russia's return to the North Atlantic.
Tags: US Defence Policy, NATO, North America, Defence Policy, Maritime Forces, UK Defence, Europe
Poaching, Wildlife Trafficking and Security in Africa: Myths and Realities
Whitehall Papers, 30 November 2016Edited by Cathy Haenlein and M L R Smith
A multidimensional approach is needed to combat poaching and wildlife trafficking and the security and environmental challenges that they have created.
Tags: Global Security Issues, Africa
Indian Power Projection: Ambition, Arms and Influence (WHP 85)
Whitehall Papers, 27 December 2015Shashank Joshi
India’s power projection remains in a nascent stage while its threat perceptions continue to be dominated by local threats. But as the country’s power, interests and capabilities all grow, India may once more find itself using military force beyond its land borders
Tags: Aerospace, India, Defence Management, Defence Policy, Maritime Forces
Target Markets: North Korea’s Military Customers in the Sanctions Era (WHP 84)
Whitehall Papers, 8 December 2015Andrea Berger
Despite a decade-long UN arms embargo, North Korea continues to export conventional weapons to state and non-state clients around the world. Understanding the drivers of this trade is essential if the sanctions regime is to be strengthened.
Tags: North Korea, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy
Novel Concepts for Amphibious Force Resupply
RUSI Defence Systems, 28 June 2019George Galdorisi
The United States continues to place a premium on amphibious forces as part of its global response capabilities. Unmanned surface vessels have recently been tested which offer a significant advance in the ability of amphibious forces to conduct important ship-shore resupply from standoff distances
Tags: Equipment and Acquisitions, Maritime Forces
Mackinder, Spykman and the Geopolitical Significance of Ballistic Missile Defence
RUSI Newsbrief, 8 February 2019Peter Roberts and Sidharth Kaushal
As missile defence becomes a central feature of many states’ security postures, it is attendant to frame the enterprise in a wider strategic context to understand its importance. The classic geopolitical dichotomy between Heartland and Rimland states outlined by Halford Mackinder and Nicholas Spykman might help us understand the geopolitical significance of global allied missile defences.
Tags: Global Strategy and Commitments, Military Sciences, Maritime Forces
Amphibious Assault is Over
RUSI Defence Systems, 21 January 2019Sidharth Kaushal and Jack Watling
The conduct of amphibious operations is currently undergoing a drastic overhaul in response to an array of emerging threats
Tags: Equipment and Acquisitions, Military Sciences, Maritime Forces
The Struggle for Blue Territory: Chinese Maritime Militia Grey-Zone Operations
RUSI Journal, 6 December 2018Conor Kennedy
The role of the maritime militia in acting to preserve China’s rights and interests in the ‘grey zone’ cannot be underestimated.
Tags: Maritime Forces
Insight, Forecasts and Sometimes Getting It Wrong: A Comment on Three RUSI Journal Articles from 1920
RUSI Journal, 17 October 2018Trevor Taylor
A comment on three articles published in the Journal following the First World War.
Tags: Armed Forces, Land Forces, Maritime Forces
The Reality of China’s Maritime Capability
RUSI Journal, 30 August 2018Martin N Murply and Peter Roberts
Beijing has rapidly modernised and expanded its capabilities as it challenges the West in China’s neighbourhood.
Tags: US Defence Policy, Defence Policy, Maritime Forces
A Fleeting or Permanent Military Presence? The Revival of US Anti-Submarine Operations from Iceland
RUSI Newsbrief, 24 August 2018Valur Ingimundarson
Increased Russian naval activities in the North Atlantic have refocused Western military attention on Iceland’s geostrategic importance. But even if the US has resumed irregular Cold War-style maritime and anti-submarine patrols from Iceland, there are no plans to reopen the American military base on the island.
Tags: Aerospace, NATO, International Security Studies, Military Sciences, Security Policy, Defence Policy, Global Security Issues, Maritime Forces, Military Personnel
Australia’s Aegis Destroyer Will Improve its Defensive Capabilities
RUSI Defence Systems, 13 August 2018Debalina Ghoshal
The Royal Australian Navy is leveraging the latest Aegis combat system, SM-6 interceptor missiles and its new Hobart-class destroyers to limit its vulnerability to proliferating ballistic and cruise missile threats in the Indo-Pacific region. This has implications for interoperability with allies and deterrence.
Tags: Maritime Forces
Book Review: The Naval War in the Baltic 1939–1945
RUSI Journal, 19 March 2018Neil Kent
Neil Kent reviews The Naval War in the Baltic 1939–1945, by Poul Grooss.
Tags: History, Maritime Forces
UK Basing Posture Renews Naval Capability
RUSI Defence Systems, 7 March 2018James Shinnie
With new UK facilities opening in Oman and Bahrain, an examination of these future bases offers helpful insights into the shape of UK strategic international engagements post-Brexit.
Tags: Maritime Forces
Anything but Strait-Forward: The Saudi Agenda in Yemen
RUSI Newsbrief, 2 March 2018R T Howard
Saudi Arabia’s investment in the war in Yemen may have more to do with pipelines and maintaining control of the region’s shipping lanes than previously thought.
Tags: Maritime Forces
Taiwan’s Illustrative Minehunter Troubles
RUSI Defence Systems, 7 February 2018Shang-Su Wu
Taiwan has had industrial financial viability problems with the construction of new minehunting vessels. These problems are indicative of the difficulties Taipei faces in its indigenous military modernisation efforts aimed at ameliorating its military inferiority vis-à-vis China.
Tags: Maritime Forces
Potential Chinese Railgun Testing Illustrates the US Navy’s Biggest Long-Term Challenge
RUSI Defence Systems, 1 February 2018Justin Bronk
Pictures of what appears to be a test installation of a naval railgun on a PLA Navy landing ship suggest China is moving forward with sea trials of a weapon which can threaten all Western surface assets. At the start of a huge ship-building plan, China is ideally placed to capitalise on this technology.
Tags: Military Sciences, Maritime Forces, Technology
Unmanned Systems and the Re-emergence of Naval Expeditionary Capabilities
RUSI Defence Systems, 1 December 2017George Galdorisi
As part of a renewed focus on naval expeditionary operations, the United States, United Kingdom and other nations are testing a variety of unmanned systems to enhance the capabilities and cost effectiveness of amphibious forces against future global threats
Tags: Maritime Forces, Technology
A ‘Pacifist’ Japan Starts to Pack a Punch
RUSI Newsbrief, 24 August 2017Sarosh Bana
To meet the threats from China and North Korea, Japan is cooperating with its allies in the region, particularly by selling, lending or gifting them naval and maritime assets. But Tokyo is also building up its own fleet, despite its pacifist constitution, and this has put Japan’s shipbuilders into the spotlight.
Tags: Maritime Forces
The Nuclear Ban Treaty in 2018
Multimedia, 21 December 2017Tom Plant, Director of RUSI's Proliferation and Nuclear Policy programme discusses the prospects for the Nuclear Ban treaty in 2018
Tags: Proliferation and Nuclear Policy, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy
President Trump's New Strategy in Afghanistan and South Asia
Multimedia, 22 August 2017RUSI Senior Research Fellow Emily Winterbotham examines the new US strategy in Afghanistan and South Asia announced by President Trump on 21 August 2017.
Tags: Pakistan, US Defence Policy, Afghanistan, International Security Studies, Terrorism, Global Security Issues, Land Operations, Central and South Asia
Dealing with the Latest North Korea Missile Threat
Multimedia, 11 August 2017Following a war of words between US President Donald Trump and the Pyongyang regime, are we at risk of escalation? RUSI experts Tom Plant, Cristina Varriale and Emil Dall discuss.
Tags: United States, North Korea, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy, Global Security Issues, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy
Cristina Varriale on the North Korea Missile Tests
Multimedia, 6 July 2017Watch Cristina Varriale, a research analyst at RUSI's Nuclear and Proliferation programme discuss North Korea's latest missile test on BBC World News.
Tags: North Korea, UK Project on Nuclear Issues, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy
The Illicit Cigarette Trade
Multimedia, 4 July 2017RUSI Research Fellow Cathy Haenlein introduces on BBC World a new report by KPMG commissioned by RUSI investigates the scale of the illicit cigarette trade in the EU, Norway and Switzerland.
Tags: Terrorism and Conflict, Illicit Trade
ISIS Faces Endgame in Mosul - Karin von Hippel
Multimedia, 29 June 2017Tags: Iraq, Terrorism, Terrorism
General Sir Nicholas Carter - 2017 Land Warfare Conference
Multimedia, 27 June 2017General Sir Nicholas Carter, Chief of the General Staff, delivered the concluding remarks at the RUSI Land Warfare Conference 2017
Tags:
The UK General Election: What Next?
Multimedia, 9 June 2017Professor Malcolm Chalmers, Deputy Director General of RUSI and Dr Jonathan Eyal, Associate Director, discuss the outcome of the June 2017 General Election and what a hung parliament will mean for...
Tags: UK
What is Behind Qatar–Gulf Tensions?
Multimedia, 8 June 2017Why is Qatar facing censure and sanctions from its Gulf neighbours? RUSI Research Fellow Michael Stephens helps explain.
Tags: The Gulf Region
London Bridge Attack: Understanding the Threat
Multimedia, 5 June 20175 June 2017 Dr Karin von Hippel, Director General of RUSI, was on CNN to discuss the response and challenge emanating from the 3 June London Bridge attack. The attacks in the UK are part of a wider...
Tags: UK, Terrorism
Ukraine Talks: A Peaceful Outcome or a Peaceful Sellout?
Sir Michael Howard - A Tribute
We Need to Relearn How to do Deterrence