Arun Dawson

Arun Dawson is a PhD candidate at the Freeman Air and Space Institute, King's College London, and a Researcher with the RUSI-led Nuclear Deterrence Network (NDN). He specialises in defence acquisition, airpower and grand strategy, from Cold War fighter jet procurement in his doctorate to working with the NDN on analysing the UK’s resumption of an airborne nuclear deterrent. Arun brings a multidisciplinary perspective to these topics, having trained in both engineering (Oxford) and security studies (King’s).

Alongside his academic career, Arun serves as Parliamentary Researcher to The Lord Stirrup, former Chief of the Defence Staff (2006–2010). He previously held roles at NATO Headquarters, the Baltic Defence College and the Smithsonian Institution, the latter as a Guggenheim Fellow. His expertise is sought by a range of public and private sector clients, and by media outlets such as the BBC and The Conversation, on subjects spanning drones to the "Chinese Spy Balloon." Arun was awarded the Associateship of King’s College in 2024.