Shashank Joshi is the Defence Editor with The Economist, where he covers intelligence, military affairs, and a wide range of other security issues. He has been following the Russia-Ukraine conflict closely since day one, contributing high quality, deep analysis that’s digestible for casual observers and experts alike (kind of what we’re trying to do with our Substack, but better).

We take advantage of Shashank’s patience to cover a whole lot of topics:

* the intent behind and focus of the U.K. Strategic Defence Review,

* the nuclear elements of the SDR, including whether its time for the RAF to purchase F-35A, join the NATO DCA mission, and re-establish a British dyad;

* Ukraine’s daring, Guns of Navarone style raid on Russian bombers and other aircraft and what lessons to take away regarding red-lines, non-nuclear weapons states risk-taking in wars with nuclear-armed states vs. how nuclear-armed states fight with one another, including in the recent India and Pakistan dust-up; and,

* prognosticating Axios’ reporting on the latest U.S. proposal to Iran, and the likelihood a deal actually happens before the mid-October deadline to trigger a reimposition of UN sanctions on Iran pursuant to a 2015 Security Council resolution.

* (we also set up a future podcast to talk about the Wild West in Outer Space).

Reading (and listening) list:

* “Five important ideas from Britain’s defence review“

* The Strategist at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute

* “Can Europe Re-arm, and Might This be in Time?”

* The Global Security Briefing podcast at the Royal United Services Institute.

Follow Shashank’s day-to-day coverage and analysis:

* Twitter (@shashj)

* Bluesky (@shashj.bsky.social)

Intro/outro music licensed by Soundstripe: “The Iron Curtain” by Wicked Cinema.

Recording and edits through Riverside.fm.

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