RUSI: Latest Commentary

Russia’s Most Dangerous Military Adaptation Is Recovery

Roger N. McDermott,[object Object] — Sun, 06 Sep 2026 23:00:00 GMT

Russia is learning how to restore command, targeting and sustainment after disruption. NATO should measure success by how long the military function stays unavailable.

Europe Started Talking Nuclear Deterrence. Still Missing: A Plan

Aylin Matlé,[object Object] — Thu, 03 Sep 2026 23:00:00 GMT

Europe's nuclear future prominently on the agenda. But talk is cheap, even of grand designs, and the debate lacks an understanding of joint responses or near-term steps.

Unfinished Business: Effective UK Anti-Money Laundering Supervision

Veronica Stratford-Tuke,[object Object] — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 23:00:00 GMT

The UK is overhauling how it oversees the legal and accountancy sectors for anti-money laundering, but making the new system work is the real test.

Cyber Campaigning: Mid-Tier States Can Leverage Civilian Cyber Power

Peter B.M.J. Pijpers and Jelle van Haaster,[object Object],[object Object] — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 23:00:00 GMT

States lacking vast nuclear and conventional capabilities should team with the private sector via letters of marque and digital levée en masse.

The Battery Gap: Building Industrial Strength for a Military Edge

Lukas Trakimavicius,[object Object] — Tue, 01 Sep 2026 23:00:00 GMT

Going without notice until they are not there, batteries are increasingly critical to Defence, but a steady supply is far from assured.

From Tailored Air Group to Tailorable Maritime Aviation

Lieutenant Commander John Darcy,[object Object] — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 23:00:00 GMT

While the Royal Navy's Hybrid Air Wing is often discussed in terms of platforms and technology, its longer-term significance may be to expand the options available to maritime commanders.

Security Cooperation Among the Arctic NATO Allies

Karsten Friis,[object Object] — Thu, 27 Aug 2026 23:00:00 GMT

With seven of the eight Arctic countries now in NATO, how does the security and defence cooperation between these seven look in practice?

Beyond the Hype: AI, Ransomware and Business Models

Will Lyne and Jamie MacColl,[object Object],[object Object] — Wed, 26 Aug 2026 23:00:00 GMT

AI is not (yet) fundamentally reinventing cybercrime. For bold predictions on how it will change, look to history to understand what drives criminal behaviour online.

The Overstretch Facing the US Navy

Sidharth Kaushal and Kevin Rowlands,[object Object],[object Object] — Tue, 25 Aug 2026 23:00:00 GMT

The US is exceeding its own plans for deployment of aircraft carriers, and the knock-on effects, and the strain, should be a cause for concern.

Australia’s Democratic Coordination in an Age of Foreign Interference

Eliza Lockhart,[object Object] — Mon, 24 Aug 2026 23:00:00 GMT

Foreign interference threats to democratic elections are evolving at increasing speed and scale. Australia demonstrates how to build institutions capable of keeping pace.

Hybrid Navy: Building the Maritime Operating System

Steve Prest,[object Object] — Sun, 23 Aug 2026 23:00:00 GMT

To implement the Hybrid Navy, the Royal Navy must follow the example of other successful technology transformations and build an ecosystem, not just a Fleet.

The Next China Shock Will Hit Defence

Andreas Urbanski,[object Object] — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 23:00:00 GMT

If tomorrow’s wars are fought mainly by machines, victory belongs to the power that can fuse AI with robotics and build the result by the million. Today, that is China.

The ‘Extinct Volcanoes’ Problem: Why Unit Strength Is Not Combat Power

Roger N. McDermott,[object Object] — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 23:00:00 GMT

More than a century ago, Aleksandr Svechin warned against mistaking formations that still existed on paper for units that retained real fighting power. Ukraine shows why that distinction still matters.

Balochistan's Insurgency Is Turning Security into a Development Cost

Filza Asim,[object Object] — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 23:00:00 GMT

Pakistan counts militants killed to the digit. It does not routinely measure whether goods can still move through Balochistan.

Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic Security is Not Just Indivisible, it Merges

Philip Shetler-Jones,[object Object] — Mon, 17 Aug 2026 23:00:00 GMT

Conflicts are connecting in Europe and the Middle East, but could Asia be next?

Starmer, Burnham and Foreign Aid: A Troubling Inheritance

Michael Jones,[object Object] — Sun, 16 Aug 2026 23:00:00 GMT

The contraction of UK aid, and its knock-on implications for security, pose big questions and lessons for Starmer’s successor(s).

Private Sector Cybercrime Disruption: Compatible with Statecraft?

Gareth Mott,[object Object] — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 23:00:00 GMT

As organised cybercriminal attacks escalate and threaten national security and social order, should the private sector get (limited) authorisation to take the gloves off?

Age of Optionality: The Future is Not About Replacing the US Dollar

Tom Keatinge and Eliza Lockhart,[object Object],[object Object] — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 23:00:00 GMT

The financial system is evolving toward greater choice rather than a new hegemon, requiring policymakers to rethink how economic power, resilience and sanctions will operate.

Building CBRN Crisis Ready Supply for Protection and Sustainment

David Crouch and Natascha McVeigh,[object Object],[object Object] — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 23:00:00 GMT

The next CBRN crisis will be shaped as much by supply chains, industrial resilience and public trust as by sensors and detection technologies.

Putin’s Political Longevity – A Framework of Considerations

David Roche,[object Object] — Mon, 10 Aug 2026 23:00:00 GMT

Historic economic and social conditions point to a change of leadership in Russia, but a triggering event is still on the horizon for Putin.