The Military Sciences research group carries out cutting-edge research to deliver intellectual challenge and thought leadership on military and defence matters. We take a long-term perspective, grounded in a rigorous historical evidence base and an examination of the conduct of adversaries and contemporary conflict, in order to shape defence policies.
We draw on considerable in-house expertise in the air, land, maritime, cyber and space domains, and on an unrivalled network of connections and affiliations in conflict zones, to provide real-time contemporary lessons. This enables us to combine our research with practical experience and contextual awareness. As part of this work, our staff engage with military, defence industrial and governmental stakeholders from the operational to the senior leadership level, in the UK and overseas.
The group’s research portfolio includes four primary lines of activity:
- Competition: What it means to be in an era of great power competition, especially for medium powers whose impact is typically magnified in alliances.
- Adversaries: What our adversaries and potential adversaries are doing, and how competitive our approaches to conflict are.
- Conflict: How technology and concepts are changing the character of conflict.
- Institutions: How well-equipped government, defence industrial and defence institutions are to deliver the armed forces needed to prevail today and in the future.
Programmes
View the research programmes and projects by the Military Science research group
Great Power Competition Programme
This programme considers the implications of a return to great power competition, especially for medium powers whose impact is typically magnified in alliances.
Adversaries Programme
We seek to understand how opponents think about war, and how they organise and fight. This programme brings together practitioners and theorists from across the world to discuss these matters.
Future Conflict Programme
This programme examines factors shaping the likely nature of armed conflict in both the near future and further out, with a view to assessing their likely implications for both armed forces and policymakers.
Space Security Programme
Our research analyses UK and international space policy, the military aspects of space power, and what the future of space conflict will look like.
Military and Defence Ecosystem Programme
This programme examines the context, structures, processes and people that deliver defence outputs, since success ultimately depends on how well they can manage the complexity with which they are faced.
Profession of Arms Programme
This programme examines factors shaping the likely nature of armed conflict in both the near future and further out, with a view to assessing their likely implications for both armed forces and policymakers.
Our team
Paul O’Neill
Director, Military Sciences
Military Sciences
Professor Justin Bronk
Senior Research Fellow, Airpower & Technology
Military Sciences
Dr Jack Watling
Senior Research Fellow, Land Warfare
Military Sciences
Dr Sidharth Kaushal
Research Fellow, Sea Power
Military Sciences
Nick Reynolds
Research Fellow, Land Warfare
Military Sciences
Juliana Suess
Research Analyst and Policy Lead
Military Sciences
Noah Sylvia
Research Analyst for C4ISR
Military Sciences
Si Horne
British Army Visiting Fellow
Military Sciences
René Balletta
First Sea Lord’s Visiting Fellow
Military Sciences
Dr Emma Butcher
Senior Project Officer
Military Sciences
Hamish Mundell
Community Manager for Military Sciences
Military Sciences
Latest publications
Fellows
Air Marshal Greg Bagwell CB CBE
Distinguished Fellow
General Sir Richard Barrons KCB CBE
Distinguished Fellow
Gill Bennett OBE
Senior Associate Fellow; Former Chief Historian, Foreign & Commonwealth Office
Richard Bennett
Associate Fellow - Expert in utilising archaeology and heritage to promote wellbeing
Dr Bleddyn Bowen
Associate Fellow
Brigadier (Ret’d) Robbie Boyd OBE
Associate Fellow
Sir Julian Brazier TD
Distinguished Fellow
Al Brown
Associate Fellow - Expert in neurosymbolic artificial intelligence
Sir David Capewell KCB OBE
Distinguished Fellow
Vice Admiral Patrick Chevallereau
Distinguished Fellow
Professor Michael Clarke
Distinguished Fellow
Emilie Cleret
Associate Fellow
Michael Codner
Senior Associate Fellow for Military History
Sam Cranny-Evans
Associate Fellow
Oleksandr V Danylyuk
Associate Fellow - Expert in Russian multidimensional warfare
Lucy Fisher
Associate Fellow; Whitehall Editor at the Financial Times
Admiral Sir Ian Forbes KCB CBE
Distinguished Fellow
Niklas Granholm
Associate Fellow; Deputy Director of Studies at FOI
John Griffiths-Spielman
Distinguished Fellow; Head of Security and Defence Studies, AthenaLab, Chile
Michael Harwood CB CBE MA
Senior Associate Fellow
Beatrice Heuser
Senior Associate Fellow
Lieutenant General (Ret’d) Ben Hodges
Distinguished Fellow
Dr Frank Hoffman
Senior Associate Fellow
Vice Admiral Peter Hudson
Distinguished Fellow
Professor Valur Ingimundarson
Senior Associate Fellow; Professor of Contemporary History, University of Iceland
Dr Rebecca Jensen
Associate Fellow - Expert in operational art, military operations, and military strategy
Will Jessett CBE
Senior Associate Fellow
Vice Admiral Sir Clive Johnstone KBE CB
Distinguished Fellow
Admiral Sir Philip Jones GCB DL
Trustee
Dr Daniel Jonsson
Associate Fellow
Professor Mary Kaldor
Senior Associate Fellow
Dan Kaszeta
Associate Fellow
Professor David Kirkpatrick
Senior Associate Fellow
Dr Nina Kollars
Senior Associate Fellow; Associate Professor in the Cyber and Innovation Policy Institute (CIPI)
Vice Admiral Jerry Kyd CBE
Distinguished Fellow
Sarah Lain
Associate Fellow
Ewan Lawson
Associate Fellow
Dr Peter Layton
Associate Fellow
Dr Chris Lewis
Associate Fellow
Dr Sarah Lockyer
Senior Associate Fellow; Casualty Identification Coordinator for Canada’s Department of National Defence
Whit Mason
Associate Fellow
Major General Mungo Melvin CB OBE MA
Senior Associate Fellow
Dr Ziya Meral
Senior Associate Fellow
General Sir Gordon Messenger KCB DSO* OBE
Distinguished Fellow
Professor Alessio Patalano
Senior Associate Fellow; Professor of War and Strategy in East Asia, War Studies, KCL
Sir Nick Parker KCB CBE
Distinguished Fellow
Christopher Parry CBE
Mark Phillips
Associate Fellow
Dr Brad Pietras
Associate Fellow; Senior Commercial Advisor to DARPA
Professor Patrick Porter
Senior Associate Fellow; Professor of International Security and Strategy at the University of Birmingham
Mark Proctor OBE
Associate Fellow
Professor Peter Roberts
Senior Associate Fellow
Major General (Ret) Bill Robins CB OBE
Senior Associate Fellow
Peter Quentin
Associate Fellow
Elizabeth Quintana
Associate Fellow - Specialist in Futures and Technology
Natia Seskuria
Associate Fellow; Founder and Executive Director of RISS
Juan Pablo Toro
Senior Associate Fellow; Executive Director of AthenaLab, Chile
Dr Paddy Walker
Associate Fellow
Dr Heather Williams
Associate Fellow
Dr Thomas Withington
Associate Fellow - Expert in electronic warfare and air defence
