Jolle Demmers and Lauren Gould from Utrecht University discuss the use of remote warfare by democratic states, the reasons why they have chosen to use this type of military engagement and the problems yielded by this practice. Read more
Emily Knowles and Jahara Matisek join Abigail Watson to discuss security force assistance and it can be used as a peacebuilding tool. Read more
Abigail Watson is joined by Mary Harper, the BBC's Africa Editor, to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on Somalia and how the pandemic may affect the prospects for peace in the country. Read more
CIVIC's Daniel Mahanty and Beatrice Godefoy of join the podcast to discuss the protection of civilians in partnered operations. Read more
Our work focuses on areas where the military is responding to conflict and instability. Breaking out of a cycle of violence requires military interventions that contribute to the conditions needed for lasting peace settlements. Otherwise, as we see too often, warfare exists to serve itself, with catastrophic consequences. We work closely with partners in military, government, parliamentary and expert communities to help build effective, accountable and sustainable approaches to defence and security.
This means analysing and understanding the contemporary defence environment. We have seen long wars in Iraq and Afghanistan decrease the risk appetite for military intervention among politicians, parliaments, and publics. When combined with major developments in military technology and an increasing focus on counter-terrorism, this creates an incentive for the British government to take a remote approach to warfare. This involves supporting local groups – who are now doing the bulk of the frontline fighting against terrorist groups – in an attempt to counter threats without putting large numbers of British boots on the ground. The effectiveness of this approach has been under-explored, and efforts to study it are complicated by a lack of government transparency.
In order to fill this gap, we commission and conduct research on the opportunities, risks and costs of remote warfare. By engaging with a broad range of experts in troop-contributing countries as well as on the ground in conflict zones we make sure that our research and policy recommendations are robust, fair, and applicable to contemporary priorities and challenges. This means tailoring our work for the policy-makers, military decision-makers, and parliamentarians that have the power and the responsibility to improve defence and security policy.
The UK needs to better conceptualise its understanding of national security. By acknowledging and accounting for all the drivers of conflict and insecurity the UK can ensure that all its engagements work towards a more peaceful and prosperous world. Read more
This explainer will focus specifically on the UK’s special forces examining what we do know about them, what they do, their history, what they cost, and the UK’s policies towards them.. Read more
This article discusses what direction Labour's security polices could take under Keir Starmer's leadership. Read more
Liam Walpole and Megan Karlshoej-Pedersen discuss the latest defence and security policy developments in UK politics. Read more
This article will examine how COVID-19 contributes to domestic and international drivers of instability. It will argue that the best way to address these challenges is through improved dialogue at the international and local level. Read more
Liam Walpole is joined by two experts from the Danish Institute for International Studies to examine the importance of effective protection of civilians, looking at case studies from the Sahel and West Africa. Read more
Ahead of the upcoming Integrated Review, this briefing addresses how the Review can take into account the key challenges remote warfare could present in the future. Read more
This Explainer will explore what the Integrated Review is, why it is being done and what it might contain. Read more
In this episode, Liam Walpole and Megan Karlshoej-Pedersen talk to David Grealy about the influence of David Owen on the genealogy of Britain’s ethical foreign policy. Read more
Megan Karlshoej-Pedersen and Liam Walpole are joined by Josh Arnold-Forster to discuss the upcoming UK SDSR. Read more
Liam Walpole and Megan return to discuss the latest defence and security policy development in UK politics. Read more
In the second of a two-part podcast series on security in the Sahel, Abigail Watson is joined by Anna Schmauder, Brema Ely Dicko and Zoe Gorman to discuss the local and regional contexts of security in the region. Read more
In the first of a two-part podcast series on security in the Sahel, Abigail Watson is joined by Delina Goxho and Flore Berger to discuss the international engagement in the region. Read more
As the UK moves resources and personnel to the Africa’s Sahel region, we examine what the “pivot to the Sahel” is, why it is happening and what it will look like. Read more
This general election is an opportunity for UK political parties to commit to a review of the UK’s approach to security partnerships to ensure that they are consistent with UK strategic objectives to reduce conflict and build peace abroad. Read more
Many of the most damning accusations against special forces were from their fellow soldiers and not from the external lawyers viewed with suspicion. Read more
On 26 November, the Remote Warfare Programme launched their new report on the roll-out of the UK’s Fusion Doctrine at an event held at Fyvie Hall, London. An expert panel discussed the report's findings. Read more
This report on the roll out of the UK’s new Fusion Doctrine in Africa is the first independent assessment of the Doctrine’s potential to tackle instability on the continent. Read more