Important research given the current state of the war, and the lessons that are being drawn - perhaps erroneously - about the future of manoeuvre, armoured vehicles and the mix of weapons and capabilities needed to survive and succeed on the modern battlefield.

'Overall we're slightly creaking at the seams.' @mtsavill.bsky.social explains that despite higher spending and strong support for Ukraine, the UK’s military still faces serious capability and readiness gaps. 🎧 Listen here: ifs.org.uk/articles/end...

'The security environment is not great at the moment. There is a major industrial war on our doorstep.' @mtsavill.bsky.social explains why the UK's armed forces had been 'hollowed out' in previous decades, from our podcast on defence spending. 🎧 Listen here: ifs.org.uk/articles/end...

🚨🧵New RUSI report, ‘UK National Security Advantage from Disruptive Technologies’ by @piahuesch.bsky.social and @tashbuckley.bsky.social is out now!

Detailed analysis of the kind of targets in scope if (a big 'if') the US provides Tomahawk to Ukraine. But my (admittedly superficial) view is that achieving an impact on the 'front line' will be hard, primarily because it's doubtful the US would provide the volume required.

A key question going into winter is how focused and intense Russia’s strike campaign will be — against Ukraine’s critical infrastructure, defense industry, military sites, and civilians — and how well Ukraine can defend against it. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/05/w... via @NYTimes

Are environmental, social and governance standards really the barrier to defence companies' ability to raise capital and invest as they are often made out to be? Dr Linus Terhorst examines the veracity of such claims in his latest report on the real factors that stall defence growth.📖 bit.ly/4gP93zM

Former PM of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk took to the stage at RUSI today to warn that Putin seeks to divide the US and Europe and weaken NATO and the EU, to ultimately pave the way for a China-led global order. RUSI Members can watch the event in full: bit.ly/42ZTqjc

'US officials should consider whether another year of New START limits, without verification of Russian strategic forces, is satisfactory' writes @pranayrvaddi.bsky.social, Senior Nuclear Fellow at the Center for Nuclear Security Policy, MIT, in the latest RUSI Commentary.

It would be easy in Europe to dismiss this week’s display at Quantico as purely political theatre. But that would be a mistake.

Thank you @cnn.com for having me on to assess the Quantico disgrace

Some thoughts on Ukraine for Times Radio recorded before the weekend, but I think still valid this week. youtu.be/f3BW6bbhxWA?...

🚨 Applications now open for the UK Cyber Effects Network Fellowship Programme! Early-career professionals, don't miss this chance to deepen your knowledge of offensive cyber operations. Submit your application now. (Only open to NATO member citizens)

“Poland’s military said there had been “an unprecedented violation of Polish airspace by drone-type objects” and said an operation was under way to identify and neutralise them.” on.ft.com/4pcpE4B Poland shoots down Russian drones

Some thoughts on the importance of the UK-US intelligence relationship as well as current challenges given the political environment in the US.

Comments from me included in here: Putin has now put the pressure on Europe and Ukraine while he continues to attack the latter.

It was a privilege to be on Ukrainecast in the week: you can see my thoughts ahead of the Alaska summit, and see how insightful I was! youtu.be/xeoR4L5V5dM?...

I was delighted to join @snellarthur.bsky.social on @disordershow.bsky.social, to discuss 'Is Europe ready for war?' You can hear the episode (and an unexpected and sadly fictitious promotion to a PhD) at tr.ee/ksicr-3Wty or the link below.

The latest RUSI Commentary from Dr Linus Terhorst provides an analysis of Germany's recent decision to acquire the US-made Typhon missile system, and what this signifies for both Germany and Europe's defence strategy.

Why Drones Can’t Replace Traditional Firepower My @GeopolDecanted discussion with @justin-br0nk.bsky.social about his recent provocative @rusi.bsky.social piece on this topic. We also discuss efficacy of Ukrainian F-16s, Operation SpiderWeb and much more. Watch 👇 youtu.be/ykLIH2kY1U8

Will recognising Palestine or cutting military aid push Israel toward a ceasefire? In this episode of @forcesnews.com's Sitrep, RUSI's @burcuozcelik.bsky.social joins Professor Michael Clarke to assess the recent diplomatic pressure put on Israel and the Arab League's calls for Hamas to disarm.

July’s attacks by Israel and the US have set back – without completely removing – Iran’s capability to develop a nuclear weapon. But simply rebuilding the programme won’t be enough for a nuclear deterrent, write @ddolzikova.bsky.social and @mtsavill.bsky.social.

Some more good work by @frhoffmann.bsky.social.

It was a pleasure to host the Commander of UK Space Command last week to talk about this topic, given how important space is to both the UK's security and its economic and social life. A short🌌🧵.

Important Commentary from @justin-br0nk.bsky.social; even if Europe finds the money for additional defence investment, it has to prioritise in certain areas. A good place to start is on over-dependence on the US.

New show alert: "The Iran Contingency with Afshon Ostovar" dives deep into the challenges posed by Iran and the ongoing U.S.-Israeli war against Tehran. To mark the launch of this new show, the annual membership is for sale for $99/year (regularly $150). ow.ly/IWBy50WeUUl

A single cascade of 174 IR-6 centrifuges could produce a bomb's worth of 90% highly enriched uranium from the 60% enriched material whose location is unknown in 10-20 days. Iran doesn't need to rebuild enrichment facilities on their previous scale to get the bomb.

Read the initial analysis on the US' strikes on Iran written yesterday by RUSI experts @burcuozcelik.bsky.social, @mtsavill.bsky.social and @ddolzikova.bsky.social.

Delighted to learn from The Times review of “Wargame” that I and my Red Team colleagues are both dastardly and heavily accented. It’s good that the last sentence of this review ALMOST comes to the right conclusion. It’s not “a little more” that needs to be spent on defence. It’s a lot, lot more.

Operation Rising Lion has showcased Israel's conventional superiority over Iran, highlighting the importance of intelligence, surprise, and strong air and missile defence. But for now, the impact on Iran’s nuclear programme is more uncertain, write @ddolzikova.bsky.social [email protected].

The Bombshell team: ‘Would you like a new podcast?’ Me: ‘YES PLEASE’.

Hopefully people find this both interesting and educational. I had a small role in the background, but will be fascinated to learn how the other parts of the wargame went. Congratulations to @deborahaynes.bsky.social, Rob Johnson and all of the team for getting it out!

Having set out some views on ambitions for the SDR ahead of its publication, I’ve now returned to evaluate the aspects looking at transformation of the Armed Forces. It has a clear vision as a target, but the devil is unsurprisingly in the detail, which needs serious scrutiny.

After a long time of resisting the term, I think I am now ready to call this “a drone war”. kyivindependent.com/russia-shatt...

Others have already covered the broad sweep of the SDR. I have some views on how to judge its ambition on capabilities - and the need to be realistic about what can be achieved or how ‘transformational’ it can be. The MOD needs to have challenging and measurable targets.

'Protection cannot be something we consider for defending our critical assets. Instead, it must become integral to everything we do – it is a building block of modern corps warfighting' writes Lt Gen Sir Ralph Wooddisse.

UK military intends to shift to a 20-40-40 strategy: 20% are legacy systems, 40% are kamikaze/FPV drones, and 40% are reusable ISR and combat UAVs. thetimes.com/uk/defence/art…

Yesterday, Germany's chancellor said Ukraine was now broadly authorized to use Western weapons against military targets anywhere in Russia. Read on for why Ukraine may not have many left, and why a big question now is whether Berlin is quietly moving to supply Kyiv with its own Taurus missiles.1/2

A few thoughts from me earlier this week for Times Tadio. Unsurprisingly, I think the Russians are continuing to stall, and Europe and the US are still letting them get away with it. youtu.be/Wmw7x49ZCg8?...

🧵🚨New RUSI paper, "New Ways to Frame Responsible Cyber Behaviour Beyond the UN", by @lmhurel.bsky.social, which argues that understanding Responsible Cyber Behaviour (RCB) requires looking beyond the UN framework is out now!

'Israel’s military has slowly crept eastwards and now sits at least 12 kilometres deeper inside Syria than it did before the regime fell'. Why did Israel choose military action over diplomacy with post-Assad Syria? Rob Geist Pinfold offers his analysis in the latest RUSI Commentary.

I'm not sure I *want* this SDR to set out an excessively detailed structure for the Armed Forces; that's for the Defence Plan and Command Plans. I want something that sets priorities, makes difficult choices, and creates a framework and set of principles for investment decisions.

Strong words, given added weight by the author's background.

What should EU and UK do to step up when US changes its stance on Russia? This week – @rusi.bsky.social‬'s Emily Ferris tells us what she thinks. Listen ➡️ tr.ee/ksicr-3Wty

To commemorate the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day, RUSI staff observed a two-minute silence to honour those who served in World War II.

We all need more Bombshell in our lives. 🍸💣💥

🚨🧵New RUSI Report, 'Nuclear Facilities as Targets of Military Attack' by @ddolzikova.bsky.social is out now!

Is it time for Canada to join the Joint Expeditionary Force? The UK should consider putting this question to the JEF Leaders' Summit in Oslo, argue @edrusi.bsky.social and Brigadier (Ret’d) Robbie Boyd OBE in the latest RUSI Commentary.

🎙In the latest Talking Strategy episode, Baroness Catherine Ashton, formerly the European Union’s lead for foreign and security strategy, discusses challenges, opportunities and tips for collaborative strategy-making. Listen here: bit.ly/4keVhar

The ever-wise @kschake.bsky.social explains here how the US risks frittering away one of its advantages: its network of allies and partners.