Research Fellow @ConGeostrategy on National Security | lover of Leicestershire | Views my own
Joined May 2015
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An interesting read with plenty to agree on, but I think 🇬🇧 should be much more focused on working with the Norwegians on the ‘Bear gap’ rather than the GIUK gap
Given the range of Russian SLCMs if Russian SSNs/SSGNs get into the Norwegian Sea they can hold sites in 🇬🇧 at risk
'If Russia’s Northern Fleet were to tighten control over the Greenland-Iceland-UK (GIUK) Gap, the Royal Navy would face a strategic chokepoint that could sever transatlantic supply lines' writes @Anthonyheron11 in the latest #RUSICommentary.
rusi.org/explore-our-researc…
Putting aside comments about the timing of this (hey if that’s what it took to get us to do finally take this action, I’ll take it), has anyone got a clue how ‘first of its kind’ is being defined?
We’ve definitely seized ships before. Grace 1 in 2019 the most obvious example
Madness from whichever Treasury source made these comments. A reminder of what Denis Healey had to say on this
“Once we cut defence expenditure to the extent where our security is imperilled, we have no houses, we have no hospitals, we have no schools. We have a heap of cinders”
🚨 NEW: A Treasury source attacks John Healey for resigning as Defence Secretary
"Let's be clear on what John is asking for: cuts to schools and hospitals"
h/t @e_casalicchio
As 🇬🇧 national conversation briefly (hopefully it is sustained) becomes aghast at the state of its military compared to where most of the nation thought it was, I’m always reminded of this General Slim quote I dropped into one of our latest reports on European/UK capability gaps
Report can be found here if anyone missed it: geostrategy.org.uk/research/…
Very sad looking ex-HMS Albion cold-moved from Weston Mill Lake to 1 Jetty at South Yard in Devonport today.
Future unclear - possible spares donor for her sister ship sold to Brazil.
Via @Maritimetom
In case anyone missed it, with a lot going on around the world today, Macron delivered his speech on French nuclear doctrine
Delivering the line “To be free we have to be feared” against this setting was a quite the move from the Élysée
10/10 no notes
William Freer retweeted
Hier j'ai eu le plaisir mais aussi le défi de parler de la dissuasion nucléaire 🇫🇷française lors d'une conférence à Londres organisé par deux think tanks 🇬🇧@ConGeostrategy et 🇩🇪@KAS_UKIRL en tant que seul panéliste français et à quelques jours d'un discours majeur du PR sur la dissuasion nucléaire qui devrait (🤞) éclaircir certains points cruciaux en matière de doctrine et de posture de nos forces.
Les débats et questions ont montré une fois de plus que s'il existe un réel intérêt de nos alliés pour notre dissuasion nucléaire, son fonctionnement et ses moyens sont encore trop mal connus, empêchant de réelles discussions sur une architecture de sécurité à l'échelle européenne autonome tout en respectant la souveraineté des États contributeurs sur leurs moyens.
Quelques soient les annonces du PR, il y aura très probablement un gros "service après-vente" à assurer, tant ce discours est attendu et devrait faire couler beaucoup d'encre.
Panel 2 focused on the ‘European nuclear deterrence in practice: Challenges, trade-offs and opportunities’
🗣️ Peter Watkins CB CBE, our Honorary Fellow
🗣️ Dr Karl-Heinz Kamp, @dgapev
🗣️ @DDolzikova, @RUSI_org
🗣️ @Etienne_Marcuz, @FRS_org
🗣️ Moderator: @william_freer, our Research Fellow
Was great to chair this panel, which brought together an excellent array of nuclear expertise. It was especially fantastic because panelists offered suggestions as well as identifying problems
A special shout-out to @Etienne_Marcuz tackling some assumptions on the 🇫🇷 position
Panel 2 focused on the ‘European nuclear deterrence in practice: Challenges, trade-offs and opportunities’
🗣️ Peter Watkins CB CBE, our Honorary Fellow
🗣️ Dr Karl-Heinz Kamp, @dgapev
🗣️ @DDolzikova, @RUSI_org
🗣️ @Etienne_Marcuz, @FRS_org
🗣️ Moderator: @william_freer, our Research Fellow
Would a shed load of these not work?
The Ministry of Defence has launched a new competition to develop a low-cost interceptor intended to counter drones, loitering munitions and missiles at close range with up to 7,000 produced per year. Click image for more.
ukdefencejournal.org.uk/brit…
Turns out there are a few artillery fans out there, so here’s a couple more fun facts from the book:
BAOR expected 85% of a division logistics to be art ammunition needs!
When M270 MLRS entered service the salvo of 1 battery could drop as many bomblets as 33 btns of artillery!
UK/European efforts to ramp up shell production have been very impressive, but for context the BAOR in the 1980s assumed a division with 4 art btns would need 35,000 155mm rounds per day…
More than 12 million over a year, for a single division’s consumption in peer conflict
“Rheinmetall Germany alone will soon be able to produce 1.5 million 155mm artillery shells a year, more than the combined U.S. defense industry.”
- Wall Street Journal
That would suggest that Europe, the UK and Ukraine will be producing 2.8-3 Million 155mm artillery shells a year. However this number maybe significancy higher as the majority of the EU have constantly surpassed the output forecast numbers.
This was a great event to participate in, bringing a suite of academic, operational, political and industrial experience into the room to talk about how the next generation of the maritime community can support and sustain the Royal Navy’s move towards warfighting readiness
Yesterday, we were delighted to host the final session of our Maritime Leaders' Programme!
We were joined by:
⚓ @william_freer, our Research Fellow
⚓ The Rt. Hon. Anne-Marie Trevelyan, Minister of State for Indo-Pacific, @FCDOGovUK (2022-2024)
⚓ Richard Powell OBE DL, @QinetiQ
⚓ @alessionaval, @KingsCollegeLon
For a panel session, Q&A, and workshop focused on the @RoyalNavy’s move towards #warfightingreadiness
The #MLP is kindly sponsored by Wallenius Lines
Some thoughts on implications for 🇬🇧: the good, directional & concerning
Good: reduced risk of attack on 🇬🇾 & potential release of oil to global market
Directional: further evidence of a hard power world, someone please tell Treasury
Concerning: re-emphasised 🇺🇸 desires on 🇬🇱
What are the strategic implications of the 🇺🇸 operation in 🇻🇪?
We asked 6 experts in the first #BigAsk of 2026!
✍️ @william_freer, @joshuachuminski, @RJohnsonCCW1, @kennedycdog, @james_rogers, @GraySergeant
#BritainsWorld
britainsworld.org.uk/p/the-b…
So let me get this straight
We’re willing to put troops into Ukraine with a chance they have to engage Russian forces if a ceasefire breaks down but are (reportedly) worried about Russian retaliation if we support seizing a tanker?
🚨BREAKING: UK officials have held talks with European allies about whether to intervene in the pursuit of a Russian oil tanker fleeing Venezuela.
The UK fears support for a US operation to seize the Marinera oil tanker near UK waters could spark retaliation from Vladimir Putin.
There are similar fears that inaction would widen a rift between Europe and Donald Trump.
As the vessel sails towards European waters, it has the potential to spark a diplomatic headache in the West.
inews.co.uk/news/putins-runa…
Both parts of my piece on Atlantic Bastion now out
I make the case for a more forward vision, one which requires deeper integration both with allied regional plans & between branches of 🇬🇧 armed forces
As you can tell from my pinned, a view I’ve been passionate on for a while
⚓ ‘In the battle of the bastions, the @RoyalNavy will play the leading role in containing 🇷🇺 High North capabilities,’ argues @william_freer and Matthew Palmer in part 2 of the analysis of ‘#AtlanticBastion’
#Memorandum #BritainsWorld
britainsworld.org.uk/p/the-m…
