The Centre for Historical Analysis and Conflict Research

What next for Ukraine? In the latest episode of CHACR's Facing Coming Storms #podcast George Barros, Iuliia Osmolovska and Nicholas Drummond join Peter Apps to explore Kyiv’s gritty fight, America’s exit shockwave and Europe’s do-or-die moment. Peacekeepers? NATO rearming? Nuclear sharing? The stakes are sky-high. Is this Europe’s wake-up call or Russia’s chance to dominate?

Trump's ripple effect and a new era of international relations. The latest Digest of bite-size insights from the British Army's think tank is out now.

On the latest episode of Facing Coming Storms, Hayat Alvi, Associate Professor of National Security Affairs at the United States Naval War College, joins Peter Apps to explore the constantly changing dynamics of the Middle East and its impact on global defence. With more than 18 years of experience teaching military and government personnel, Hayat shares valuable insights into the region’s complex political, economic and cultural landscape. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the power balance within the Gulf states and the shifts in Syria after the Assad regime’s collapse are among the topics discussed. Hayat also emphasises the importance of critical thinking and a deeper understanding of the region’s history and culture in military education.

“Both politically and militarily, the #UK and #Germany share interests, approaches and culture, and the potential for cooperation at the conceptual and industrial levels is significant. This In-Depth Briefing does not seek to present the Silent Alliance as being the most important, or to place it in a relative position compared to other European partners. It does, however, show that the scope for fruitful cooperation between the two nations is significant, if approached properly, and that the challenges of collective defence, of modernisation, of increased lethality and of innovative technology present significant opportunities for cooperation on a peer-to-peer level.” – Lt Col Oliver Major on UK-German relations and how the nations’ interests are likely to converge in the land domain in any future conflict.

The latest episode of Facing Coming Storms – the new defence podcast from the CHACR and Project for the Study of the 21st Century (PS21) – is out now and features an in-depth chat on #war, #strategy and #leadership with General Sir Nick Carter, one of the most influential British Army commanders of recent times.

What does China’s growing military power mean for global stability? In the latest episode of CHACR's podcast Facing Coming Storms, Mike Studeman and Nigel Inkster discuss China’s rapid militarisation, its focus on Taiwan, and preparations for potential conflict. They explore China’s relationships with Russia and North Korea, and how these alliances are reshaping the global balance of power. Listen now, and follow, using the link below.

“The forensic analysis of the frailties of the UK Armed Forces is painful reading. It draws out that in 21st century conflict attrition is unavoidable and quickly makes a small force irrelevant. Moreover, whilst new and novel technology can buy out some of the challenges, ‘you can’t cyber your way across a river’.” – Major Luke Turrell on Keir Giles' Who Will Defend Europe? ("a product of rigorous academic research resulting in strongly justified argument, analysis and evaluation").

“A huge amount of political and governance information for which the UK had paid dearly in lives and money never made it out of the patrol bases.” – Dr Tom Galloway OBE, Global Insecurities Centre at the University of Bristol, on the sociological factors that contributed to organisational failure in Helmand.

In the second episode of CHACR's new podcast, Brigadier (Retd) Robbie Boyd OBE and Rachel Rizzo join Peter Apps to explore the shifting landscape of global security and reveal how NATO is adapting to the growing threats from Russia and China. We uncover why strengthening alliances with European partners has never been more critical, and how NATO is rethinking its strategy to tackle the emerging challenges of the 21st century. From the rise of cutting-edge military technologies to the unpredictable dynamics of global power, this conversation explores how Europe is preparing for the next era of warfare and what it means for the future of international security. Listen now, and follow, using the link below.

Part 2 of the recording of the CHACR Conference, 'So what for Britain?', is now available to view. Focusing on the 'Axis of Upheaval', the session features the considered thoughts of Professor Tracey German (King’s College London) on Russia; Henry Boyd (IISS) on China; Professor Ali Ansari (University of St Andrews) on Iran; and Doctor Edward Howell (University of Oxford) on North Korea.