Sounds Strategic

The IISS Manama Dialogue 2026, held from 30 October to 1 November, came after months of conflict in the Middle East. In this episode, Air Marshal (retd) Martin ‘Sammy’ Sampson, Emile Hokayem and Tomisha Bino discuss how this year’s themes compared with last year’s and how Gulf states see their place in a changing international order. They discuss the key findings of the new IISS Strategic Dossier The Gulf at War: Geopolitical, Defence and Geo-economic Dimensions and at the lessons governments are drawing from the US-Israel war with Iran. They also cover Saudi Arabia’s approach to managing regional conflict, the disruption of two critical maritime chokepoints and what it means for energy flows, connectivity projects and Asian importers.

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How has the Iran war reshaped the Gulf? In this episode, Meia Nouwens is joined by four IISS colleagues to discuss the latest IISS Strategic Dossier, The Gulf at War: Strategic, Security and Geo-economic Dimensions.

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As European rearmament accelerates and NATO's defence ambitions expand, what progress has actually been made and where do the gaps remain? Meia Nouwens is joined by four IISS experts to reflect on the key discussions from the third IISS Prague Defence Summit, covering South Korea-Europe security ties, land warfare, defence spending and the challenge of turning strategic ambition into real capability.

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Czech ammunition output surpassing US production capacity, sovereign AI systems pushing back against American platforms and a growing Chinese challenge in quantum submarine detection: these are the fault lines shaping Europe's defence transformation. As Washington's strategic priorities shift and Russia's threat endures, IISS experts examine what it will take for Europe to move from dependence to strategic leverage and why Indo-Pacific partners may hold part of the answer.

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Europe's military space capabilities are expanding, but so are the threats they face. This episode discusses the IISS research paper Advancing European Military Capacity in Space, assessing how European governments are working to reduce their dependence on the United States in a domain that underpins modern warfare. From Russian GPS jamming and satellite shadowing to the prospect of a nuclear weapon in orbit, the episode maps the threat landscape before turning to Europe's response: where investment is going, where the gaps remain, and why coordination and launch capacity are as critical as the satellites themselves. It also tackles the legal grey zones created by commercial satellites being drawn into military operations and what the US Golden Dome missile defence programme means for arms control in space. 

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The episode examines the gap between NATO's 5% GDP spending commitments and the delivery of real military capability, the challenge of sustaining support for Ukraine as US stockpiles face pressure from the Iran conflict and Türkiye's growing defence industrial ambitions and the political significance of hosting the summit. The conversation also addresses NATO's structural three-front problem, spanning command seams, sustainment and force-level gaps, lessons European militaries should be drawing from Ukraine and whether a more formalised European Plan B is now a strategic necessity.

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Podcast host Meia Nouwens is joined by IISS experts Veerle Nouwens, Darshana M. Baruah, Morgan Michaels and Dr Daniel Salisbury to reflect on the 23rd IISS Shangri-La Dialogue, which was held in Singapore from 29–31 May 2026.

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Meia Nouwens is joined by IISS experts to preview the Asia-Pacific Regional Security Assessment 2026 ahead of its launch next week. Together, they discuss rising defence spending, evolving military doctrines, land force modernisation, nuclear risk and the race to shape quantum security governance in an increasingly contested region.

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In this episode of Sounds Strategic, IISS experts reflect on the inaugural IISS Stockholm Civil Defence Forum and unpack the findings of the Strategic Dossier Civil Defence in Europe: An Initial Assessment. The discussion explores how European countries are adapting to emerging security threats, from protecting critical infrastructure and countering foreign information manipulation to financing civil defence and strengthening public preparedness. Drawing on lessons from Ukraine, the Nordic countries and wider Euro-Atlantic partners, the episode examines what a more coordinated and resilient approach to civil defence in Europe could look like.

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In this episode of Sounds Strategic, IISS experts unpack the findings of the Strategic Dossier UAVs: ISR, Deterrence and War, exploring how uninhabited aerial vehicles are reshaping military operations in peace and conflict. From Europe’s long-running capability gaps to lessons from Ukraine and the Middle East, the discussion examines how UAVs are changing intelligence gathering, decision-making and the conduct of war.

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