Our guest is John Foreman, naval officer and former UK Defence Attaché in Moscow and Kyiv. He provides amazing insights into what it was like dealing with the regime of Vladimir Putin as Russia invaded Ukraine and reflects on other dealings with the Russians, at sea and ashore.

Topics discussed include the halcyon days of the old Cold War ending at sea between the Royal Navy and Russian Navy - amid a fair bit of amity - when the anti-submarine and intelligence-gathering frigate HMS London sailed to Murmansk and Archangel on a defence diplomacy mission. John shares his memories of that summer 1991 voyage, in the wake of the farcical ‘hardliners coup’ in Moscow, with several memorable aspects discussed.

Podcast host Iain Ballantyne asks John to outline his subsequent exploits as Defence Attaché in Kyiv (2008-2011) and in Moscow (2019-2022). In addition to explaining how he came to be honoured by Ukraine and banned by Russia, John relates what it was like as the relations between the UK and Vladimir Putin’s gangster state with nukes deteriorated.

Events for which John provides a Moscow embassy insider’s perspective include: the HMS Defender ‘Black Sea incident’ of 2021; the run in to Russia launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine; what it was like to under constant surveillance - including harassment - from Russia’s security services as Putin’s military tried to conquer Ukraine.

In looking at relations between the UK and Russia as the new period of confrontation beds in, John suggests that - despite the hostility - efforts must be made to stay engaged diplomatically. He also explains how the Royal Navy is a key tool in keeping pressure on Russia, by refusing to cede ownership of international waters  and deterring it from further aggression.

The next (June) edition of Warships IFR is published on 16.5.25 in the UK and is also deployed globally. Visit the magazine web site http://bit.ly/wifrmag Also, follow us on X @WarshipsIFR Facebook @WarshipsFR and Warships IFR TV on YouTube @warshipsifrtv3668 For more on various editions of the magazine https://bit.ly/wifri

•John Foreman CBE is a naval officer who commanded two warships and a former UK Defence Attaché in Moscow and Kyiv. He has also worked in Washington D.C., NATO and in the EU. He is an Associate Fellow of Chatham House and acts as a senior advisor to various UK defence consultancies. John bills himself on X as ‘banned by Russia and decorated by Ukraine.’ Follow him on X @John_ForemanCBE

•Iain Ballantyne is the founding and current Editor of Warships IFR (first published in 1998) along with its ‘Guide to the Royal Navy’ (since 2003) and ‘Guide to the US Navy’ (since 2018). Iain is also author of the books ‘Hunter Killers’ (Orion) and ‘The Deadly Trade’ (Weidenfeld & Nicolson), both about submarine warfare, plus ‘Arnhem: Ten Days in The Cauldron’ (published by Canelo). In 2017 Iain was awarded a Fellowship by the British Maritime Foundation, which promotes awareness of the United Kingdom’s dependence on the sea and seafarers. Visit his web site Bismarckbattle.com and follow him on X @IBallantyn

In this episode of the Warships Pod guests David Murrin and Dr David Blagden, with help from host Iain Ballantyne, discuss a worldwide struggle in a multi-polar era that is rapidly turning kinetic - from Ukraine, to the Red Sea and Gaza. It may soon burn even hotter should China invade Taiwan and/or the USA attack Iran.

A number of topics are discussed during this episode, including the following:

*Does the European Union (EU) have a place in such a world, at the top table? Or is it going to be sweeping up the crumbs along with the UK, the latter finding itself a bridge to neither the USA or the EU?

*Bearing in mind the UK is a maritime nation, is committing what remains of the British armed forces to policing a frozen war in Ukraine unwise? Do we risk a situation where things get bogged down in that theatre while the Russians run amok at sea, with the UK defenceless?

*With concerted attacks by US Navy carrier jets and cruise missile attacks by other USN units against the Houthis in Yemen is it at odds with the Trump administration’s supposed urgent priority of facing down China and its huge navy? Every missile expended against the Houthis is surely one less for use against the Chinese?

*Narrowing the discussion down to the UK, with the Labour government announcing plans to cut welfare to pay for Defence boosts, how do the two Davids think the Royal Navy should mould itself?

Finally - and this is a big one for the episode’s final point of discussion - are we heading inexorably towards what the tabloids might call WW3? Or can it be avoided?

The May 2025 edition of Warships IFR is published on 22.4.25 in the UK and also deployed globally. Visit the magazine web site http://bit.ly/wifrmag Also, follow it on X @WarshipsIFR Facebook @WarshipsIFR and Warships IFR TV on YouTube @warshipsifrtv3668 For more on various editions of the magazine https://bit.ly/wifri

•Dr David Blagden is Associate Professor in International Security and Strategy at the University of Exeter. Dr Blagden has previously worked in the Cabinet Office, regularly consults for several UK Government departments, and has served as Specialist Advisor to a Parliamentary Select Committee. He is also a Senior Associate Fellow of the NATO Defense College and a Visiting Fellow of the Royal Navy Strategic Studies Centre. Find him on X @blagden_david

• David Murrin is a Global Forecaster, investor, polymath and author of ‘Breaking the Code of History’ (2011). He has a talent for spotting and analysing deep-seated patterns in history and using them to try and understand the present and also where we might be going in today’s turbulent geopolitical scene. His other books are ‘Lions Led by Lions’ (2018), ‘Now or Never’ (2021) and ‘Red Lightning’ (2021). The latter is a work of faction that depicts China winning a world war. David Murrin’s web site is https://www.davidmurrin.co.uk/about Find him on X @GlobalForecastr

•Iain Ballantyne is the founding and current Editor of ‘Warships IFR’ magazine (first published in 1998) along with its ‘Guide to the Royal Navy’ (since 2003) and ‘Guide to the US Navy’ (since 2018). Iain is also author of the books ‘Hunter Killers’ (Orion) and ‘The Deadly Trade’ (Weidenfeld & Nicolson), both about submarine warfare, plus ‘Arnhem: Ten Days in The Cauldron’ and ‘Bismarck: 24 Hours to Doom’ (published by Canelo). In 2017 Iain was awarded a Fellowship by the British Maritime Foundation, which promotes awareness of the United Kingdom’s dependence on the sea and seafarers. Visit his web site Bismarckbattle.com and follow him on X @IBallantyn

In this episode of the Warships Pod Dr Gary Blackburn returns to have a chat with host Iain Ballantyne about the impact of the second presidency of Donald Trump.

Topics discussed include the transactional fashion in which the returning POTUS runs domestic and foreign policies along with defence matters, plus how he seems intent on creating a tripolar world in which the USA, Russia and China have their spheres of influence and every other nation must fall in line.

Gary points out that none of it should be a shock and while a sense of moral outrage is understandable over some aspects, Trump made no secret of what he intended to do and why.

Touching on NATO and its future, Gary suggests it may not be ‘a dead duck’. Iain asks Gary if a major difference between how the Trump administration operates and other US Presidents (and their teams) is that they put everything out there, rather than have big falling outs with allies behind closed doors?

Among the other things Iain and Gary talk about are: the UK’s habit of taking ‘capability holidays’ and expecting the USA in years past to fill in the gaps; concerns about UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s ‘boots on the ground and jets in the air’ proposal for peace-keeping in Ukraine; the UK defence budget and its inclusion of sea-based nuclear weapons and military pensions to ‘cook the books’; the global proxy war between the West and its allies on the one hand and Russia/China/N. Korea on the other; the importance for the UK staying militarily engaged beyond Suez.

Looking at the UK’s new Strategic Defence Review, Gary ponders whether or not raising the defence budget to 2.5 per cent by 2027 is enough and the dubious move to cut amphibious warfare vessels from the Royal Navy at this turbulent time.

The April 2025 edition of Warships IFR magazine, which is mentioned during this podcast episode, is out on March 21st. For more details of Warships IFR and its various editions visit http://bit.ly/wifrmag 

Dr Gary Blackburn is an honorary fellow of the Centre for Security Studies at the University of Hull. He has taught Security Studies and Military History at the Universities of Leeds and Hull, respectively - and has written for Defence Studies and The Critic, and for the latter about aspects of the UK’s 2021 Integrated Review of Defence and Security. Follow him on X at @gjb70

Iain Ballantyne is the founding and current Editor of Warships IFR (first published in 1998) along with its ‘Guide to the Royal Navy’ (since 2003) and ‘Guide to the US Navy’ (since 2018). Iain is also author of the books ‘Hunter Killers’ (Orion) and ‘The Deadly Trade’ (Weidenfeld & Nicolson), both about submarine warfare, plus ‘Arnhem: Ten Days in The Cauldron’ (published by Canelo). In 2017 Iain was awarded a Fellowship by the British Maritime Foundation, which promotes awareness of the United Kingdom’s dependence on the sea and seafarers. Visit his web site Bismarckbattle.com and follow him on X @IBallantyn

In the second of our podcast episodes devoted to the State of the US Navy - as it and a troubled world sail into 2025 - guest David Axe chats with host Iain Ballantyne. A range of topics, including many covered in the recently published Warships IFR ‘Guide to the US Navy 2025’, are covered in the discussion.

After giving his overall take on the America’s navy David provides his perspective on how Donald Trump taking office as President for a second time might affect NATO. Iain wonders even if the new POTUS does not pull the US out of the Alliance, might he still scale back the number of destroyers committed to providing Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) for Europe?

Also touched on is the US-led naval and air campaign to stop Houthi rebels of Yemen firing missiles and drones at merchant shipping. Can even the mighty US Navy sustain such a commitment and expenditure of munitions?

Looking to Indo-Pacific, Iain asks what the chances are of China invading Taiwan in 2027, as some are suggesting and could the US Navy lose that battle if it happens?

Turning to the AUKUS defence pact, David weighs up how the plan to provide Australia with nuclear submarines is faring and whether or not President Trump might axe it.

Looking at the specific arms of the US Navy, Iain asks David for his perspective on how the following are shaping up as we head into a turbulent future: the surface force; the submarine force; naval aviation; the US Marines

 

To obtain the ‘Guide to the US Navy’ bit.ly/3z8ms4F

And please check out the latest edition of the monthly magazine.

For print subscriptions: https://bit.ly/Wifrsubspe 

For digital subscriptions: https://bit.ly/Wdpm

* A long-time Warships IFR contributor David Axe also writes for ‘Forbes’ and 'The Daily Telegraph’. His most recent book is ‘Drone War: Vietnam’ (Pen & Sword Military). Follow him on X @daxe

* Iain Ballantyne is the founding and current Editor of Warships IFR (first published in 1998) along with its ‘Guide to the Royal Navy’ (since 2003) and ‘Guide to the US Navy’ (since 2018). Iain is also author of the books ‘Hunter Killers’ (Orion) and ‘The Deadly Trade’ (Weidenfeld & Nicolson), both about submarine warfare, plus ‘Arnhem: Ten Days in The Cauldron’ and ‘Bismarck: 24 Hours to Doom’ (published by Canelo). In 2017 Iain was awarded a Fellowship by the British Maritime Foundation, which promotes awareness of the United Kingdom’s dependence on the sea and seafarers. Visit his web site Bismarckbattle.com and follow him on X @IBallantyn

In the first of two podcast episodes on the State of the US Navy as it (and a troubled world) sail into 2025, guest Dr Emma Salisbury chats with host Iain Ballantyne

They look first of all at areas Emma wrote about in the recently published Warships IFR ‘Guide to US Navy 2025’, namely: the USA’s ‘shipbuilding woes’; the future size and composition of the USN; the US Navy and AUKUS - is it mission impossible?

And is there a solution for the latter - enabling the AUKUS project to survive - should it be impossible to provide the Australians with Virginia Class attack submarines (SSNs) off American production lines?

Among other topics discussed are the impact of the second Trump presidency (as the new POTUS takes office in January 2025). Also, what kind of message is the UK sending to the USA by cutting naval vessels ahead of its own defence review?

Emma and Iain look at how US Navy anti-missile and drone defences may evolve and other topics include the elephant in the room - the future of NATO, and whether or not President Trump will pull the USA out of the Alliance. 

The importance of drones and how they might enhance American naval mass and global presence is weighed up, along with how important the US Navy is to us all.

To obtain the ‘Guide to the US Navy’ https://warshipsifr.com/news/guide-to-the-us-navy-2025/

And please check out the latest edition of the monthly magazine.

For print subscriptions: https://sundialmedia.escosubs.co.uk/subscribe/warships.htm 

For digital subscriptions: https://bit.ly/Wdpm

* Dr Emma Salisbury is a fellow at the Council on Geostrategy, specialising in naval matters, defence-industrial policy, and military procurement. She recently completed her PhD with a dissertation focused on the history of the US military-industrial complex. She is also a senior staffer for a UK Member of Parliament and an assistant editor at War on the Rocks. Follow her on X @salisbot

* Iain Ballantyne is the founding and current Editor of Warships IFR (first published in 1998) along with its ‘Guide to the Royal Navy’ (since 2003) and ‘Guide to the US Navy’ (since 2018). Iain is also author of the books ‘Hunter Killers’ (Orion) and ‘The Deadly Trade’ (Weidenfeld & Nicolson), both about submarine warfare, plus ‘Arnhem: Ten Days in The Cauldron’ and ‘Bismarck: 24 Hours to Doom’ (published by Canelo). In 2017 Iain was awarded a Fellowship by the British Maritime Foundation, which promotes awareness of the United Kingdom’s dependence on the sea and seafarers. Visit his web site Bismarckbattle.com and follow him on X @IBallantyn

As the United Kingdom strives to maintain a credible strategic deterrent in the face of Russian aggression – including threats from President Vladimir Putin to ‘go nuclear’ due to alleged Western interference in the Ukraine War - our guest on the podcast is Dr David Blagden.

Together with podcast host Iain Ballantyne he considers the case for augmenting the UK’s sea-based Trident missile force. Among other things, Iain wonders if a driver might be the sheer stress imposed on the Royal Navy’s (RN’s) ballistic missile submarines by very long patrols.

Bearing in mind developments such as Moscow changing its nuclear doctrine yet again - in response to Ukraine using long-range missiles inside Russia itself - do the UK and France (as Europe’s nuclear weapons powers) and also the USA - need to place more focus on ‘sub-strategic’ potential? And what does that mean?

Is it too dangerous to even contemplate due to the difficulty in knowing whether or not a Trident submarine is launching a full-scale strategic nuclear missile or a lower yield sub-strategic strike?

Iain asks if the West’s nuclear deterrent as a whole has been invalidated by the Ukraine War. Moscow was not deterred from invading Ukraine. But, there again, it has refrained from unleashing its entire military power and has not made a direct move against NATO, or used nukes…yet. 

And are European powers, with their comparatively weak conventional forces, in danger of relying on nuclear weapons as a first line of defence rather than a last resort?

Finally, as we possibly head towards some kind of negotiated end to the Ukraine War under the new Trump presidency, where is UK and European defence going and will Britain’s Strategic Defence Review (SDR) rise to the occasion?

Shortly before the podcast episode was recorded the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) revealed more naval cuts – months before the results of the SDR are announced. Being axed are a frigate, two amphibious warfare command ships and a pair of Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) tankers. Iain and David discuss those development too and their implications.

•The next (January 2025) edition of ‘Warships IFR’ is published on 20.12.24 in the UK and also deployed globally. It will include articles touching on some aspects of topics discussed in this podcast episode.

Visit the magazine web site http://bit.ly/wifrmag Also, follow it on X @WarshipsIFR Facebook @WarshipsIFR and Warships IFR TV on YouTube @warshipsifrtv3668 For more on various editions of the magazine https://bit.ly/wifri

• Dr David Blagden is Associate Professor of International Security and Strategy at the University of Exeter. He has served as Specialist Adviser to the House of Lords’ International Relations and Defence Committee, consulted for various HM Government departments, and given evidence to several Parliamentary Select Committee inquiries. Dr Blagden is also a Visiting Fellow of the Royal Navy Strategic Studies Centre and a Senior Associate Fellow of the NATO Defence College. He has written for outlets including The Guardian, The Spectator and the New Statesman. Follow him on X @blagden_david

Dr Blagden wrote about the UK and its potential need for nuclear deterrent augmentation in the November 2024 edition of Warships IFR. To obtain that edition visit https://sundialmedia.escosubs.co.uk/store/products,november-2024_586.htm

•Iain Ballantyne is the founding and current Editor of ‘Warships IFR’ magazine (first published in 1998) along with its ‘Guide to the Royal Navy’ (since 2003) and ‘Guide to the US Navy’ (since 2018). Iain is also author of the books ‘Hunter Killers’ (Orion) and ‘The Deadly Trade’ (Weidenfeld & Nicolson), both about submarine warfare, plus ‘Arnhem: Ten Days in The Cauldron’ and ‘Bismarck: 24 Hours to Doom’ (published by Canelo). In 2017 Iain was awarded a Fellowship by the British Maritime Foundation, which promotes awareness of the United Kingdom’s dependence on the sea and seafarers. Visit his web site Bismarckbattle.com and follow him on X @IBallantyn or Bluesky @iainballantyne.bsky.social

Dr James Bosbotinis draws on his considerable expertise in naval weaponry and the threats they pose, along with offering insights into geopolitical developments that do not augur well for world peace.

The discussion with host Iain Ballantyne includes the part played by the US Navy and Royal Navy defending international shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden against attack by the Houthi rebels of Yemen, along with Iranian ballistic missile and drone blitzes on Israel.

Western naval stocks being depleted at a time when the threat from Russia and China must also be deterred is considered, along with whether or not Directed Energy Weapons (lasers) offer a cheap, less expensive, means to tackle incoming drones and missiles. Going back to the future is also likely, Iain and James agree, with Western warships bristling with guns.

The Iranian-Russian alliance, and also Moscow’s co-operation with North Korea, crops up in the chat, as does Russia sending military advisors to assist the Houthis in targeting Western warships and merchant vessels. Iain and James discuss Putin possibly supplying even more deadly missiles to the Houthis, raising the prospect of a latter-day Cuban Missile Crisis. Moscow may well miscalculate and cross a red line that could lead to major war with the West, a conflict stretching around the globe with worldwide repercussions.

How Russia might deal with NATO after the Ukraine War draws to an end is also touched on during the conversation, not least the UK’s lack of ballistic missile defences, and the need for the West’s political and military leaders to create credible deterrence that defeats Moscow’s nuclear blackmail.

• Dr James Bosbotinis is a freelance specialist in defence and international affairs and the Book Reviews Editor of ‘The Naval Review’. He has written widely on issues including: development of maritime strategy, long-range strike technologies (including hypersonic weapons) and their impact on strategy; Russian naval and wider military modernisation; China’s evolving strategy and naval force development. Dr Bosbotinis contributes to various international media outlets. He is also an Associate Member of the Corbett Centre for Maritime Policy Studies, King’s College London.

For more information about Dr Bosbotinis visit: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesbosbotinis

He is on X @JamesBosbotinis

•Iain Ballantyne is the founding and current Editor of ‘Warships IFR’ magazine (first published in 1998) along with its ‘Guide to the Royal Navy’ (since 2003) and ‘Guide to the US Navy’ (since 2018). Iain is also author of the books ‘Hunter Killers’ (Orion) and ‘The Deadly Trade’ (Weidenfeld & Nicolson), both about submarine warfare, plus ‘Arnhem: Ten Days in The Cauldron’ and ‘Bismarck: 24 Hours to Doom’ (published by Canelo). In 2017 Iain was awarded a Fellowship by the British Maritime Foundation, which promotes awareness of the United Kingdom’s dependence on the sea and seafarers. Visit his web site Bismarckbattle.com and follow him on X @IBallantyn

The next (November) edition of ‘Warships IFR’ is published on 18.10.24 in the UK and also deployed globally. Visit the magazine web site http://bit.ly/wifrmag Also, follow it on X @WarshipsIFR Facebook @WarshipsIFR and Warships IFR TV on YouTube @warshipsifrtv3668

For more on various editions of the magazine https://bit.ly/wifri

Our guests on this episode of the podcast are Dr Emma Salisbury and Will Freer, who recently wrote a commentary for Warships IFR, headlined ‘How to Achieve a More Lethal Royal Navy’, which was based on their recent report for the Council on Geostrategy.

Here they discuss various topics associated with the report with podcast host Iain Ballantyne. They include the Royal Navy’s role today, what ‘being more lethal’ means in reality and also component parts of ‘more lethality’.

In addition, the ideal size of the Royal Navy’s destroyer and frigate force is touched on and also the importance of fleet size, especially in the drone era. Other aspects of lethality are highlighted, including the Royal Fleet Auxiliary and the importance of an efficient recruitment system for the RN (along with retention of those already in the Naval Service).

Iain asks if, in light of the new UK Government, how likely we are to see a pruning back of current warship orders, for the Type 26 and/or Type 31 frigates.

With the scars of the notorious 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) still running deep - and the state of UK Defence not getting much better during subsequent reviews - can we be optimistic about the defence review now underway, especially with Lord Robertson at the helm? Or can we kiss hopes for a more lethal Royal Navy goodbye?

To read Emma and Will’s report, called ‘A more lethal Royal Navy: Sharpening Britain’s naval power,’ in full  https://www.geostrategy.org.uk/research/a-more-lethal-royal-navy-sharpening-britains-naval-power/

Follow the Council on Geostrategy on X @ConGeostrategy

Web site: geostrategy.org.uk

To read a concise summary of the same report, written by its authors, get the July 2024  edition of Warships IFR https://warshipsifr.com/issues/

•Dr Emma Salisbury is a fellow at the Council on Geostrategy, specialising in naval matters, defence-industrial policy, and military procurement. She recently completed her PhD with a dissertation focused on the history of the US military-industrial complex. She is also a senior staffer for a Member of Parliament and an assistant editor at War on the Rocks.

Follow her on X @salisbot

•William Freer is a Research Fellow in National Security at the Council on Geostrategy, where his work centres around the Council's 'Strategic Advantage Cell' exploring the key foreign and defence policy issues facing the UK. Before joining the Council he did War Studies at King's College London and went on to work in the world of consulting. He is also an Associate Fellow with the Royal Navy's Strategic Studies Centre.

Follow him on X @william_freer 

•Iain Ballantyne is the founding and current Editor of Warships IFR (first published in 1998) along with its ‘Guide to the Royal Navy’ (since 2003) and ‘Guide to the US Navy’ (since 2018). Iain is also author of the books ‘Hunter Killers’ (Orion) and ‘The Deadly Trade’ (Weidenfeld & Nicolson), both about submarine warfare, plus ‘Arnhem: Ten Days in The Cauldron’ and ‘Bismarck: 24 Hours to Doom’ (published by Canelo). In 2017 Iain was awarded a Fellowship by the British Maritime Foundation, which promotes awareness of the United Kingdom’s dependence on the sea and seafarers. Visit his web site Bismarckbattle.com and follow him on X @IBallantyn

The next (Sept) edition of Warships IFR is published on 16.8.24 in the UK and also deployed globally. Visit the magazine web site http://bit.ly/wifrmag  Also, follow it on X @WarshipsIFR Facebook @WarshipsFR and Warships IFR TV on YouTube @warshipsifrtv3668 For more on various editions of the magazine https://bit.ly/wifri

Back for a second discussion of hot topics are guests Dr Gary Blackburn and Dr David Blagden. With host Iain Ballantyne, they weigh up the prospect of European NATO nations being forced to cope with a bigger burden of defence, if a re-elected President Trump decides to to pull American land forces out of the Continent. It is a policy that is being called ‘Dormant NATO’ by some commentators.

They also consider whether or not the confrontation between missile-firing Houthi rebels and Western navies in the Red Sea is becoming a forgotten contest, with warships that were once committed to protecting sea trade now diverted elsewhere.

With European taxpayers getting a subsidy on their own defence - due to the USA carrying the NATO burden -  it is suggested that (even if America did not pull out or scale back forces in annoyance) its strategic and military rivalry with China - which is building a huge navy - may force Washington to concentrate even more on Asia-Pacific.

In discussing the fact that certain sanctions on Russia, for invading Ukraine in 2022, may be less than waterproof, the subject of whether to directly confront Moscow or stick to a long, hard policy of containment - in ‘Cold War 2’ - is also touched upon by the trio.

•The next (July) edition of Warships IFR is published on June 21 in the UK and globally. Visit the magazine web site http://bit.ly/wifrmag  Also, follow us on X @WarshipsIFR Facebook @WarshipsFR and Warships IFR TV on YouTube @warshipsifrtv3668 For more on various editions of the magazine https://bit.ly/wifri

•Dr Gary Blackburn is an honorary fellow of the Centre for Security Studies at the University of Hull. Gary has taught Security Studies and Military History at the Universities of Leeds and Hull, respectively - and has written for Defence Studies and The Critic, and for the latter about aspects of the UK’s 2021 Integrated Review of Defence and Security. Follow him on X at @gjb70

•Dr David Blagden, is Senior Lecturer in International Security at the Strategy and Security Institute (SSI) and in the Department of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Exeter. Dr Blagden has worked in - and subsequently consulted for - the UK Cabinet Office, provided evidence for a number of Parliamentary Select Committees and HM Government policy reviews. 

He is also a Visiting Fellow of the Royal Navy Strategic Studies Centre, an Associate of the Corbett Centre for Maritime Policy Studies. He has written for outlets including The Guardian, The Spectator and the New Statesman. Follow him on X @blagden_david

•Iain Ballantyne is the founding and current Editor of Warships IFR (first published in 1998) along with its ‘Guide to the Royal Navy’ (since 2003) and ‘Guide to the US Navy’ (since 2018). Iain is also author of the books ‘Hunter Killers’ (Orion) and ‘The Deadly Trade’ (Weidenfeld & Nicolson), both about submarine warfare, plus ‘Arnhem: Ten Days in The Cauldron’ and ‘Bismarck: 24 Hours to Doom’ (published by Canelo). In 2017 Iain was awarded a Maritime Fellowship by the British Maritime Foundation. Visit his web site Bismarckbattle.com and follow him on X @IBallantyn

Our guests for this episode are Dr Gary Blackburn and Dr David Blagden who, with host Iain Ballantyne, discuss a recent proposal by the UK Government to introduce a new National Service scheme for 18-year-olds.

Iain asks if it is just a case of blatant electioneering by the incumbent Sunak administration, which looks set to lose a summer General Election to the Labour Party? Or does the proposal offer some merit amid a recruitment crisis for the Royal Navy?

Likewise, was the other recent big defence announcement by the Conservative government - of taking Defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2030 - another gambit to try and win votes?

Also discussed is the state of the Royal Navy, with frigate and destroyer levels now cut to just 15 and yet with warnings of the UK being confronted by a pre-war state. Things may improve in the 2030s, with new warships entering service, but in the meantime it leaves Britain with a small, tired ‘jam tomorrow’ Navy. The effect of sea blindness is also touch upon during the conversation.

And can drones really replace people and warships? Or are they just a seductive illusion?

This is just the first helping of discourse between the trio as in the next episode – out very soon – they tackle the topics of ‘Dormant NATO’ (under a possible second Trump presidency), the wars in the Red and Black seas and whether to directly confront Russia or contain that nuclear state.

•The next (July) edition of Warships IFR is published on June 21 in the UK and globally. Visit the magazine web site http://bit.ly/wifrmag  Also, follow us on X @WarshipsIFR Facebook @WarshipsFR and Warships IFR TV on YouTube @warshipsifrtv3668 For more on various editions of the magazine https://bit.ly/wifri

•Dr Gary Blackburn is an honorary fellow of the Centre for Security Studies at the University of Hull. Gary has taught Security Studies and Military History at the Universities of Leeds and Hull, respectively - and has written for Defence Studies and The Critic, and for the latter about aspects of the UK’s 2021 Integrated Review of Defence and Security. Follow him on X at @gjb70

•Dr David Blagden, is Senior Lecturer in International Security at the Strategy and Security Institute (SSI) and in the Department of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Exeter. Dr Blagden has worked in - and subsequently consulted for - the UK Cabinet Office, provided evidence for a number of Parliamentary Select Committees and HM Government policy reviews. 

He is also a Visiting Fellow of the Royal Navy Strategic Studies Centre, an Associate of the Corbett Centre for Maritime Policy Studies. He has written for outlets including The Guardian, The Spectator and the New Statesman. Follow him on X @blagden_david

•Iain Ballantyne is the founding and current Editor of Warships IFR (first published in 1998) along with its ‘Guide to the Royal Navy’ (since 2003) and ‘Guide to the US Navy’ (since 2018). Iain is also author of the books ‘Hunter Killers’ (Orion) and ‘The Deadly Trade’ (Weidenfeld & Nicolson), both about submarine warfare, plus ‘Arnhem: Ten Days in The Cauldron’ and ‘Bismarck: 24 Hours to Doom’ (published by Canelo). In 2017 Iain was awarded a Fellowship by the British Maritime Foundation, which promotes awareness of the United Kingdom’s dependence on the sea and seafarers. Visit his web site Bismarckbattle.com and follow him on X @IBallantyn