Paul Barnes
British Army Visiting Fellow
Paul
British Army Visiting Fellow
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The Military Sciences research group examines the utility of military power from strategic concepts to technical platforms.
The Military Sciences group includes experts in the traditional Air, Land and Maritime domains as well as Cyber, Influence Operations and Space. Our aim is to contribute to the nuance of UK public, media and policy discussions on defence by combining research with practical experience and contextual awareness. As part of this work, Military Sciences staff engage with military, defence industrial and governmental stakeholders from the operational to the senior leadership level in the UK and overseas.
The cornerstone of the Military Sciences group’s work is the Martial Power Programme which forms a conceptual framework aimed at providing UK decision makers with a deeper evidence base to feed into defence policy.
Focus
The Military Sciences research group aims to:
- Conduct world class research and analysis on defence issues.
- Provide evidence and advice to assist UK policy makers in defence and security matters.
- Provide a forum for open and frank discussion of UK and international defence matters between the military, defence industry, academia and other stakeholders, where rank is not an issue.
- Promote public understanding of defence issues through engagement with the media.
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Latest
Second Strike Communications
RUSI Newsbrief, 17 May 2019
Elisabeth Braw
To counter disinformation campaigns, liberal democracies should focus on second-strike capabilities.
Tags: Modern Deterrence, Military Sciences, Domestic Security, National Security, Technology
"Jonathan Freedland compares the drive to attract more women into intelligence and cybersecurity today to the recruitment of women at Bletchley Park during World War Two.
Featuring Elisabeth Braw. "
Women in Intelligence and Cybersecurity
In The News, 14 May 2019 Tags: Modern Deterrence, Military Sciences
"“Russia wishes to be considered a key power in international affairs and in many ways Russia has achieved this,” said Emily Ferris, Research Fellow at the London-based Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies. However, she said “Russia’s strategy of sowing discord and encouraging divisions is likely to continue to drive up tensions with the West.” "
U.S., Russia Commit to Repairing Ties, but Frictions Remain
In The News, 14 May 2019 Tags: Russia, Military Sciences, Europe
"Late last month, as troops at Fort Bragg, the United States’ largest military base, were conducting a deployment exercise, the power went out. For hours, the 50,000-odd soldiers and officers at the base struggled to carry on with their work, the inconvenience compounded by the fact that they had no idea what had happened. "
We must learn what to do if the lights go out
In The News, 10 May 2019The civilian population needs training in how to respond to cyberattacks on infrastructure
Tags: Modern Deterrence, Military Sciences
Apollo Plus Fifty: Lunar Ambitions and the New ‘Space Race’
RUSI Newsbrief, 3 May 2019
Alexandra Stickings
50 years on from the first lunar landing, the Moon is once again taking centre stage in international space ambitions. Yet, within a more democratised and complex space environment, and with Mars and other celestial bodies seen as additional exploratory targets, talk of a new ‘space race’ may be misplaced.
Tags: Aerospace, Military Sciences
What is the Agenda for the New Defence Secretary?
Multimedia, 2 May 2019
Dr Jack Watling, Research Fellow at RUSI, discusses what the new agenda might be for the new Defence Secretary, Penny Mordaunt.
Tags: Military Sciences, UK, UK DefencePages
Britain’s Declining Tank Numbers Highlights a Wider Problem
Commentary, 24 April 2019Jack Watling
The current debate about Britain’s shrinking numbers of main battle tanks obscures the need for a much deeper discussion about the country’s strategic choices.
Armed Forces, Defence Spending, Equipment and Acquisitions, Global Strategy and Commitments, Military Sciences, UK, UK Defence, Europe
Ukraine’s Impractical Martial Law
Commentary, 19 December 2018Sébastien Gobert
Ukraine’s decision to impose martial law in parts of its territory in the wake of the latest Russian military provocation is not helpful and does not answer Ukraine’s strategic weaknesses.
Civil–Military Relations, Ukraine, Military Sciences, Defence Management, Defence Policy, Martial Power Programme, Law and Ethics, Military Personnel, National Security
The Army’s ‘Recruitment Crisis’ is Not Just an IT Failure
Commentary, 14 December 2018Jack Watling
The British Army’s experience with outsourcing its recruitment to a commercial firm is not going well.
Armed Forces, Defence Spending, Military Sciences, Defence Management, UK, Securing Britain, Land Forces, Land Operations, Military Personnel, UK Defence
NATO’s Trident Juncture 2018 Exercise: Political Theatre with a Purpose
Commentary, 20 November 2018Jack Watling
NATO’s Trident Juncture 2018 military exercise has served to solidify ties between member states, but the Alliance remains vulnerable in the eventuality of a military confrontation from Russia.
United States, NATO, Russia, Military Sciences, Global Security Issues, Land Forces, Military Personnel, Europe
Britain’s Defence and the Arctic: A Timely Reminder
Commentary, 29 October 2018Elisabeth Braw
The House of Commons Defence Committee has released a report looking at defence developments in the High North. It should serve as a timely reminder of defence priorities, both among decision-makers in London and the general public
Modern Deterrence, Global Strategy and Commitments, International Security Studies, Military Sciences, UK, Global Security Issues, Maritime Forces, UK DefencePages
Rethinking the Combat Air Survivability Mix Conference
Conference Reports, 10 April 2019Justin Bronk
On 20 March 2019, RUSI brought together a conference that re-examined what the optimal survivability mix might look like in the late 2020s and 2030s, in light of current trends of both combat air...
Aerospace, United States, Conference Reports, Military Sciences, UK
Missile Defence Conference 2019: Beyond Ballistic Missiles? Missile Defence in an Era of Great Power Competition
Conference Reports, 29 March 2019Sidharth Kaushal
In February 2019, RUSI's 19th Missile Defence Conference brought together experts to discuss the changing role of missile defence in a time of near-peer conflicts and evolving technologies.
Aerospace, Air Power and Technology, Conference Reports, Military Sciences, Defence Management, Global Security Issues, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy
Is Space the New Cyber? UK Dependencies and Vulnerabilities
Conference Reports, 13 March 2019Alexandra Stickings
On 16 January 2019, RUSI convened a conference to discuss the ways in which the UK government is dependent upon space and the threats and hazards to space assets that create vulnerabilities in...
Aerospace, Conference Reports, Military Sciences, UK
Considering a UN Peacekeeping Mission in the Donbas
Conference Reports, 20 February 2019Ewan Lawson
In December 2018, the RUSI Military Sciences research group organised its annual wargame to examine some of the challenges of establishing a peacekeeping mission in Eastern Ukraine
United Nations, Ukraine, Conference Reports, Military Sciences, Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding
Iran's Objectives and Capabilities: Deterrence and Subversion
Occasional Papers, 19 February 2019Jack Watling
This Occasional Paper explores Iran's foreign policy objectives through a strategic lens, considering strengths, weaknesses, and proxy relationships.
Civil–Military Relations, Iran's Nuclear Programme, Iran, Occasional Papers, Global Strategy and Commitments, Military Sciences, Defence Management, Defence Policy, Global Security Issues, Military Personnel, Terrorism, Middle East and North AfricaPages
International Day of the Peacekeepers 17th Annual Conference: The Thin Blue Line
Conference, 23 May 2019This annual conference, jointly organised by the United Nations Association – UK, UNA-Westminster and RUSI, is the UK’s most authoritative public review of UN peacekeeping activities.
Military Sciences
Combat Air Survivability Conference
Conference, 20 March 2019This conference will seek to re-examine what the optimal survivability mix might look like in the late 2020s, 2030s, in light of current trends of both combat air systems design and emerging...
Air Power Conference 2016: Inspiration and Innovation, Military Sciences
RUSI Modern Deterrence Conference 2018: Securing Societies
Conference, 6 November 2018The conference, the first of its kind, featured senior executives and government officials in charge of total defence and civil protection. It aimed to identify practical steps that can be taken to...
Modern Deterrence, Military Sciences, Defence Policy
General Stephen Townsend to Deliver the Annual Kermit Roosevelt Lecture 2018
Events, 15 June 2018General Stephen J. Townsend, commander of the US Army Training and Doctrinal Command will deliver the 72nd Annual Kermit Roosevelt Lecture.
United States, Military Sciences, UK
Missile Defence Conference 2018
Conference, 30 May 2018A major highlight in the missile defence calendar, the RUSI Missile Defence Conference will contribute to the evolution of policy with a stimulating discussion of missile defence issues between...
Military SciencesPages
What is the Agenda for the New Defence Secretary?
Multimedia, 2 May 2019Dr Jack Watling, Research Fellow at RUSI, discusses what the new agenda might be for the new Defence Secretary, Penny Mordaunt.
Tags: Military Sciences, UK, UK Defence
The Royal Air Force at 100
Multimedia, 29 March 2018Justin Bronk, RUSI's Research Fellow for Airpower and Technology reflects on the 100th anniversary of the Royal Air Force, established on 1 April 1918.
Tags: Aerospace, Military Sciences
British Army Recruitment
Multimedia, 11 January 2018 Tags: Armed Forces, Military Sciences, Defence Policy, UK, Land Forces, Military Personnel, UK Defence
US Air Strikes Against Syrian Air Base
Multimedia, 7 April 2017Justin Bronk, Research Fellow at RUSI assesses the US airstrike against a Syrian airbase following the Syrian government's chemical attack in the Idlib province.
Tags: Aerospace, Military Sciences, Syria
Westminster Attack: Encryption and Intelligence Gathering
Multimedia, 28 March 2017Ewan Lawson, Senior Research Fellow examines the debate around WhatsApp encryption and whether the app should be more freely available to law enforcement.
Tags: UK Counter-terrorism, Military Sciences, UK, Terrorism
The Russian Ambassador who Overreached: Why Russia’s Approach to Belarus Could Change
The End of the Two-State Solution to the Israel–Palestine Conflict? Turkey and the Kushner Plan
Reflections from the Non-Proliferation Treaty Preparatory Committee Meeting