The moment you arrive, you know this year’s Munich Security Conference will be different. #MSC2026 As @nicolange.bsky.social said so powerfully at the @atlantikbruecke.bsky.social dinner - Europe needs to grow its backbone. Helsing provides the tools to do just that. @munsecconf.bsky.social

ICYMI! Great piece from @glandsbergis.bsky.social from before xmas on why Europe needs a new, two-track approach to deterrence - & fast! Europe’s security situation is changing fast— pretending otherwise is becoming dangerous & GL’s piece is even more pertinent now 🧵 table.media/en/security/...

Great interview @shashj.bsky.social - & a super way to get a clearer understanding of Helsing’s vision, how we’re supplying Ukraine with advanced strike drones & building the capabilities that Europe needs for effective deterrence. Europe has the tools to take our future in our hands.

New Tech ≠ Military Transformation - or advantage. A powerful reminder from fmr UK CDS Nick Carter in his new @WarOnTheRocks article Learning from #Ukraine & military history, real change needs integration, vision & realistic experimentation at scale warontherocks.com/2026/01/a-ne...

Very pleased to make this list. Thanks for including me @bctallis.bsky.social

My top 20 reads of 2025 (incl a few evergreen re-reads) These books materially shaped how I think and work — and several translated directly into real professional impact. I’ve got a strong list for 2026, but I’m keen to sharpen it:  - what should I be reading next?

Military need & geopolitical reality not bureaucratic timelines or fiscal shortsightedness must drive Europe’s rearmament. We need to align pol, Econ & mil timelines to transform our forces, fast. Delayed deterrence is failed deterrence - & failed deterrence costs so much more.

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Honoured to be at @rusi.bsky.social for CDS lecture in London. A broad ‘whole of society’ vision & strong words on lethality, but as the questions showed, UK need to dispel a perceived ‘say-do gap’. Building on Atlantic Bastion model to get new capability at speed & scale would do just that.

Next leg of the Winterreise. After a brief festive pit stop in beautiful #Prague, I’m now back on the road, heading to #London for meetings with experts & a special event. We have so much to protect - & much to do to protect it, but wherever I’ve been so far we’re stepping up.

Baby, it’s cold outside! Wonderful, short but intense wintry trip to #Ottawa. Great to check in with experts, policy shapers & industry players & feel the energy for defence transformation & building military capability using AI. Geopolitical winter is coming but we need to be #preparednotscared

Political will meets cutting edge expertise & industrial dynamism. ⏩🇩🇪🇨🇦🦾 It was an honour to co-lead the session on rising to new security challenges at the excellent German-Canadian AI Symposium in Montreal in the company of political, industry & AI leaders. Now we all need to deliver.

Munich was looking wonderfully festive, & it was a wrench to leave after such a flying visit - though we crammed a lot of work in with a high-intensity engagement with military leaders. But, it’s already ‘giddy up Jingle Horse’, and on to Montreal via, a lovely dawn, for the AI symposium.

It was an honour to engage with the Bundeswehr Führungsakademie Transatlantic Seminar at Helsing Munich on a crucial topic: - We need to master current & future shifts or face being mastered by our enemies.

Europe must act now. We should use Russia’s frozen assets to provide a reparations loan that strengthens Ukraine’s ability to defend itself. This is fair, feasible and urgent. Leaders of 🇫🇮🇪🇪🇱🇻🇱🇹🇸🇪🇵🇱🇮🇪 to 🇪🇺 in the name of 🇺🇦

Our future is in our hands. I’m proud to be able to show what Helsing can do to help us all ensure that there’s plenty to cheer in festive seasons to come.

Let’s go! Last trip of the year - and it’s a bumper tour of key spots for securing the future of our free societies. 🇩🇪Munich 🇨🇦Montreal 🇨🇦Ottawa 🇨🇿Prague 🇬🇧London 🇧🇪Brussels🇪🇺 Driving forward the defence of our democracies together with military, political & industry leaders.

⭐️Europe has the tools, we just need to embrace our strength.⭐️ “the US National Security Strategy leaves no ambiguity: Europe must generate its own deterrent mass in the North Atlantic and its surrounding seas” 1/3 www.futurenavy.com/p/atlantic-b...

Europe must become strong - & we can. Very clear discussions in London on: - Strategic Picture & Urgent Timelines - Concept-Driven Military Change - Embrace of New Technologies - European Way of War - Leveraging Our Strengths in Innovation & Industry - Societal Readiness

What can AI do for AirPower? How do we learn the right lessons from #Ukraine? How can we master technological change to deliver military advantage. Great to be on The High Ground podcast to get into all of this with @gregbagwell.bsky.social & @Sean Bell Listen in👇 open.spotify.com/episode/7r82...

For a strong Europe. Already on the road for an early start with @rusi.bsky.social in London tmrw on equipping the European Pillar of NATO, before heading back to to Berlin for Defence Königswinter to accelerate & deepen German & UK leadership on European defence.

From Europe. For Europe. Helsing’s CA-1 Uncrewed Combat Air Vehicle. Proud to be part of the team giving Europe the sovereign capabilities it needs for air superiority & deep strike.

“The task is to make technology intuitive, like the STEN gun or Panzerfaust — which were simplified for widespread use.“ Clear message that we need simple, agile, effective mass - easy to produce, field, employ, maintain & replace, fast & at scale. warontherocks.com/2025/10/is-e...

t.me/United24medi... ❤️‍🔥 A #Ukrainian Air Force Su-27 heads into combat to defend our skies. Deep gratitude to those who protect #Ukraine from above!

Polish FM Radosław Sikorski voiced support for Trump's stance, writing: "I agree with President Trump that without striking enemy territory, you can’t win a war. That’s why Tomahawks must be delivered to Ukraine." He made the statement from London, where he brought a captured Russian Shahed drone.

Great to be back in London, and back on Whitehall for the RUSI Military Technology Conference 2025. Our ability to master military change at a time of disruptive technological shift will define the security of our democracies - and our free future. @rusi.bsky.social

“I must disappoint those who believe that our neutrality would protect Austria from Russian attacks. It is highly likely that we have long been in the crosshairs of Russian ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, electronic warfare operations, and cyberattacks.” - @hoanssolo.bsky.social

AI can deliver the asymmetric military advantage that Europe needs - playing to our strengths & offsetting Russia’s Together, Helsing & Blue Ocean are accelerating the development of autonomous mass precision sensors that will transform underwater surveillance. helsing.ai/newsroom/hel...

Czechia’s standing & influence have been strongest when it has been strongest in its embodiment of & support for freedom & democratic values.

SITREP 🇺🇦 DAY 1317 1. Next Ramstein meeting to be held at NATO HQ under 🇬🇧 🇩🇪 not US auspices 2. Zelensky at EU Council in Copenhagen 3. 🇷🇺 Mi-8 down 4. 28 Shahed leakers out of 86

Mastering Military Change & the Defence Industrial Revolution Europe needs … Both featured in my talk at the @WarsawForum this week. Watch here (from 18:22) www.youtube.com/live/Y4XUcxq...

Using AI to protect our democracies. Delivering autonomous mass for a strong Europe. Video of my WSF speech (from 18:22👇 It was an honour to speak on behalf of @HelsingAI at @warsawforum.bsky.social this week www.youtube.com/live/Y4XUcxq...

"The EU’s age-old problem of choosing to talk about a crisis instead of resolving it came back to haunt it on Wednesday. Even with Europe assailed by drones, warplanes and hybrid attacks, a summit descended into familiar stalemate." @politico.eu www.politico.eu/article/eu-s...

Really looking forward to presenting Helsing & our mission at a crucial time for European security today at the Warsaw Security Forum - if you’re here come and join us in the Chicago Room from 1130-1200 (I’ll be on at about 1145/1150 @warsawforum.bsky.social #WSF2025

We must not only spend more, but better. Europe needs real new capabilities. Strong start to the Defence Track at the #WarsawSecurityForum - interesting also to hear mention of the ‘Drone Wall’ already in the intro …

Trying hard to moderate my Maia Sandu fangirling right now, but I gotta stress she's accomplished something no EEuropean reformist ever has: brought a fugitive oligarch back to face justice AND fended off massive Ru interference to win a referendum and two re-elections (parliamentary+presidential)!

The future’s here, it’s just asymmetrically advantaged. Great report on Helsing’s CA-1 UCAV from @olivermoody.bsky.social in @thetimes.com www.thetimes.com/world/europe...

European defense manufacturer Helsing presented the CA-1 Europa, a UCAV reportedly capable of performing a range of missions, including deep precision strike. First test flight expected in 2027.

So proud of this. Giving Europe its spine back. Today we unveiled CA-1 Europa - Helsing’s upcoming autonomous combat aircraft built around the Centaur AI pilot. We’re building CA-1 to protect our continent, our freedom, & our values. AI to protect our democracies.

Off to Munich for a Thought Leadership session this evening & an exciting Helsing event tomorrow. We’ve no time to waste in boosting European deterrence & need to work out how to best use autonomy & affordable mass systems to do so -& how that impacts our doctrine, missions & roles. Let’s go!

“Russia is learning, adapting & becoming more lethal in Ukraine. “We must move from a peacetime mindset to wartime readiness. We must reward the bold & the innovative. We need mass production of new technologies.” Storming speech from🇸🇪 Defence Minister Pål Jonson in Berlin

Why is Europe being bullied like this by a Poundshop Sparta with the GDP of Benelux? Because we choose to be, of course.

To stop the war, arm democratic Ukraine to the teeth, and savagely sanction fascist Russia: This has been Ukrainian government's message since Day One of the full-scale Russian invasion. Well over three years on, the West still hasn't done it, and the war is escalating.

It was my honour to speak in the 🇨🇿 Parliament alongside D/Foreign Minister @janmarian.bsky.social, MP @MartinExner & journalist @RayBasely & a great audience at @nafoczsk.bsky.social’s event on civil society, hybrid war & how we win. Societal resilience is not a task we can delegate to others.

I'm a connoisseur when it comes to the unpleasantness, tempered by general incompetence, of the British far left. But I'm having trouble thinking of anything that ranks with this.

Can AI Fight? Yes! And it will have to if Europe’s democracies are to defend ourselves against the brutal tactics of our authoritarian enemies. Leveraging AI to deliver autonomous mass capabilities will give us the edge over enemies that don’t care about taking mass human casualties. IF … 🧵