You are here
Themes
RUSI covers a broad range of areas affecting defence and international security around the world. See here RUSI commentary, reports, events and videos organised by theme and region. Scroll below for the latest content.
Browse Themes
- Aerospace
- Civil–Military Relations
- Coronavirus
- AML/CTF
- Brexit
- Art, Culture and Literature
- Counterinsurgency
- Defence Management
- Defence Policy
- Domestic Security
- Global Security Issues
- Proliferation and Nuclear Policy
- History
- Information
- Intelligence
- International Institutions
- Land Forces
- Law and Ethics
- Maritime Forces
- Military Personnel
- National Security
- Organised Crime
- Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding
- Resilience
- Technology
- Terrorism
- UK Defence
Browse Regions
NATO and the Arctic: The Need for a New Approach
Article, 21 January 2021Duncan Depledge
NATO needs to review its traditionally cautious approach to the Arctic.
RUSI Journal, NATO
Good Practice for the Development of Autonomous Weapons: Ensuring the Art of the Acceptable, Not the Art of the Possible
Article, 21 January 2021Tony Gillespie
Highly autonomous weapon systems require new approaches to all stages of procurement and use to ensure compliance with international law.
RUSI Journal, Law and Ethics, Technology
Of Some Benefit: US Corporate Transparency Inches Forward
Commentary, 21 January 2021Tom Keatinge
The fêting of new company registration requirements in the US is understandable, but critical gaps remain.
Centre for Financial Crime and Security Studies, United States, AML/CTF
The Biden Presidency: The Benefits of Being Boring
Commentary, 20 January 2021Karin von Hippel
As Joe Biden takes the oath of office today as the 46th President of the US, RUSI’s Director-General reflects on the challenges and opportunities facing his administration.
United States
Trump, Biden, and the Indo-Pacific
Multimedia, 20 January 2021After the inauguration of President-elect Biden, this episode both takes a retrospective look at what worked and what didn’t in the Trump Administration’s approach to the Indo-Pacific, and examines...
Bridging the Oceans Podcast Series, China, International Security Studies, Navigating the Indo-Pacific, Japan, India, Maritime Forces, Pacific, Central and South Asia
Five Principles for the Next UK Cyber Strategy
Commentary, 27 October 2020Conrad Prince
The completion of the UK’s Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy will be delayed. But key decisions about the country’s cyber strategy must be taken soon.
Cyber Security, UK
What Can Be Salvaged from the UK’s Integrated Review?
Commentary, 26 October 2020Malcolm Chalmers
The future of the UK government’s Integrated Review of security, defence, development and foreign policy is now uncertain. In its absence, the government should consider issuing a top-level policy...
UK Integrated Review 2021, UK
A Murder in Paris: France's Grim Reminder of the Terrorism Threat
Commentary, 23 October 2020Raffaello Pantucci
The threat of terrorism is not over, and neither are the factors which feed the violence.
France, Global Security Issues, Terrorism
The Democratisation of Precision Strike in the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict
Commentary, 22 October 2020Jack Watling and Sidharth Kaushal
The effective use of precision strike assets by Azeri forces in the ongoing Nagorno-Karabakh conflict illustrates how the precision revolution has spread beyond great powers.
Military Sciences
Canada and the UK: A Long and Enduring Partnership
Commentary, 21 October 2020Hugh Segal and Ann FitzGerald
The common interests and tight bonds between the UK and Canada are so obvious that they sometimes need restating.
UK
Russia’s Reach Exceeds Its Grasp Over the Karabakh Conflict
Commentary, 20 October 2020Neil Melvin
Moscow’s pivotal role, but also Russia’s limitations, have been exposed by the latest war in the Caucasus.
International Security Studies, Russia
Constants and Changes in France’s Arms Export Strategy
Commentary, 19 October 2020Patrick Chevallereau
The latest report on France’s arms sales highlights some fundamental reorientations in the country’s markets.
France
The Long and Arduous Road: Ukraine Updates Its National Security Strategy
Commentary, 16 October 2020Taras Kuzio
Ukraine’s latest national security strategy document is yet another step in the country’s decades-long struggle to uphold its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Ukraine, National Security
North Macedonia: A New Member State and an Opportunity for NATO
Commentary, 15 October 2020Mark Proctor
The Alliance’s newest member could provide a bold and meaningful opportunity for NATO to show how serious it is about its 2030 initiative.
NATO, Europe
Kuwait’s Leadership Change Leaves More Question Marks for the Gulf Cooperation Council
Commentary, 14 October 2020Michael Stephens
The death of Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah after a 14-year reign might have passed under the radar of the casual Middle East observer, but it marks an important milestone in the...
Unpacking the MENA, The Gulf RegionPages
On the Cusp: Nina Hellum
Multimedia, 27 August 2020Even with competitive national service, motivating soldiers is important. Elisabeth Braw discusses what motivates conscripts during their service with Nina Hellum, a social anthropologist at the...
Tags: Modern Deterrence
Western Way of War: Taoism and Clausewitz
Multimedia, 27 August 2020States adopting a Western Way of War face challenges of opposing strategic culture that necessitate the blending of Eastern and Western theories of strategy. Chilean general John Griffiths talks to...
Tags: Military Sciences
Will Belarus be the next Afghanistan for Russia?
Multimedia, 25 August 2020Mark Galeotti, Senior Associate Fellow, draws a novel comparison between Belarus and Afghanistan, as both fall within Russias 'Sphere of Influence'. Now, President Alexander Lukashenko and the...
Tags:
Western Way of War: Does the Battle Decide the Political End State?
Multimedia, 20 August 2020Peter Roberts talks to Francois Villiaumey, formerly Deputy Director of Ecole de Guerre in Paris, about the Western Way of War from Charlemagne to Eisenhower, the fallacy of linear doctrines and why...
Tags: Military Sciences
The UAE-Israel Peace Deal
Multimedia, 14 August 2020RUSI Associate Fellow Michael Stephens looks behind the first peace deal between Israel and a Gulf Arab state.
Tags: Middle East and North Africa
Western Way of War: Air Power Beyond Tactical Effects
Multimedia, 13 August 2020After 'shock and awe', and the linear approach airforce planning, Stuart Atha talks to Peter Roberts about synchronisation, harmonisation, strategic integration, using hard power to burst A2AD...
Tags: Military Sciences
Countering Interference at the Next US Election
Multimedia, 12 August 2020Elisabeth Braw, head of RUSI's Modern Deterrence project, talks about efforts to counter foreign interference at the next US Election.
Tags: Modern Deterrence, United States, Americas, Information
On the Cusp: Dr Markus Jakobsson
Multimedia, 11 August 2020Ever heard the term SIM-jacking? If not, you should familiarise yourself with this growing form of cyber aggression. Victims include Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey. In this episode of On the Cusp, Elisabeth...
Tags: Modern Deterrence
Three Perspectives on TikTok
Multimedia, 7 August 2020RUSI experts Elisabeth Braw, Sneha Dawda and Veerle Nouwens give their perspective on TikTok, the Chinese video-social sharing platform causing controversy in the United States
Tags: Cyber Security
Western Way of War: The Realities and Future of Swarming and Drones
Multimedia, 6 August 2020Peter Roberts talks drones, human control, and mowing the lawn with Dr Ulrike Franke. A great intro to the future of drone warfare, surveillance, aerial technology, remote warfare, and the offence/...
Tags: Military SciencesPages
Understanding the Whole of Military Health Systems: The Defence Healthcare Cycle
RUSI Journal, 6 July 2020Martin Bricknell and Paul Cain
A clear understanding of modern military healthcare will lead to better policy.
Tags: UK, Military Personnel, Europe
Dissatisfaction Among the Russian Security Services
RUSI Newsbrief, 3 July 2020Emily Ferris
Discontent within Russia’s security services continues to simmer, just as Vladimir Putin is likely to need their loyalty most.
Tags: Russia
Recapitalisation of the US Coast Guard: New Ships for the White, Red and Black Hull Fleets
RUSI Defence Systems, 30 June 2020Edward Lundquist
The US Coast Guard is in the midst of a major fleet reset, with new and more capable platforms to replace an aging fleet of patrol ships, inland tenders and icebreakers.
Tags: United States, Domestic Security, Maritime Forces
Deployment Options for the Future Royal Navy’s Long-Range Land-Attack Fires
RUSI Journal, 29 June 2020Ben Wan Beng Ho
A new long-range land-attack capability could be valuable for the Royal Navy.
Tags: Defence Spending, Equipment and Acquisitions, Defence Policy, UK, Maritime Forces, UK Defence, Europe
Turkey’s Military Intervention in Libya: A Surprise Triumph for Erdogan
RUSI Newsbrief, 26 June 2020Samuel Ramani
Turkey’s intervention in Libya transformed the strategic balance of a years-long conflict and bolstered its geopolitical standing in the eastern Mediterranean.
Tags: Egypt, Turkey, Libya
Understanding NATO
RUSI Journal, 22 June 2020John Andreas Olsen
NATO must be nimble as it responds to new challenges, both inside and outside the Alliance.
Tags: NATO, Americas, Russia, Defence Policy, Global Security Issues, International Institutions, Europe
Insurance Gaps: A Growing Vulnerability for National Security
RUSI Newsbrief, 19 June 2020Hélène Galy and James Vickers
Insurance protection gaps are fast becoming a high-priority issue for national and international security, not just one that captures headlines in the aftermath of natural catastrophes.
Tags: Coronavirus, Domestic Security, Resilience
How Threat Actors are Manipulating the British Information Environment
RUSI Journal, 17 June 2020Daniel Dobrowolski David V Gioe and Alicia Wanless
The UK needs to update its regulatory approach to respond to emerging threats in the information environment.
Tags: Cyber, UK, Information, Technology, Europe
Assessing the UK–China Commercial Relationship
RUSI Newsbrief, 12 June 2020Andrew Cainey and Veerle Nouwens
As the UK formulates its post-Brexit relationship with China, one key policy interest is the possibility of stronger commercial ties. However, the benefits of doing business with China are less straight-forward in light of the complex commercial and political landscape of the world’s second-largest economy.
Tags: China, UK
Pakistan and the Rogue State Narrative
RUSI Newsbrief, 5 June 2020Don McLain Gill and Jovito Jose P Katigbak
Despite behaviour that often violates international norms, Pakistan has managed to maintain positive relationships with major Western powers.
Tags: Pakistan, United States, Global Security Issues, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy, TerrorismPages
Combat Air Power 2021: Competing Visions for the Future
Conference, 24 March 2021Evolving peer threats, new budgetary pressures and national industrial imperatives are fuelling fierce competition. This online conference will examine the key next-generation combat air approaches...
Russians Among Us: Sleeper Cells, Ghost Stories and the Hunt for Putin’s Agents
Events, 10 March 2021Gordon Corera, Security Correspondent, BBC, will discuss his latest book, ‘Russians Among Us’, and the incredible lengths the Putin regime has gone to in entrenching its operatives in the West.
Winning Without Victories? Navigating Indecisiveness in Endless Wars
Events, 3 March 2021Join us in March 2021 for the annual event organised by Ecole de Guerre and RUSI
Sea Power Virtual Conference 2021: Transforming Maritime Forces For an Age of Persistent Competition
Events, 25 February 2021This conference will seek to examine the ways in which naval force structures, postures and concepts of operations will need to adjust to a strategic context in which the husbanding forces for high-...
Goodbye Britannia: The UK Challenged by Brexit
Events, 23 February 2021Ambassador Sylvie Bermann, RUSI Trustee and former French Ambassador to the UK, will discuss her latest book, ‘Goodbye Britannia’, with Sir John Scarlett KCMG OBE, RUSI Vice-Chair and former Chief of...
Of Some Benefit: US Corporate Transparency Inches Forward
The Biden Presidency: The Benefits of Being Boring
Time for a New UK–US Relationship