By Joseph E. Fallon and Robin Ashby Is Russia a threat in the Baltic area? S.B. Ivanov, former Russian Federation Defence Minister, and Deputy Prime Minister, discussing the meaning of "threat" a decade ago, said that its content had drastically changed from the purely standard military threats to the so-called uncertainty factors, which are understood by the Russian Federation Defence Ministry to mean the situation, conflict or process, "which can bring about a significant change of geopolitical environment in the regions of Russia's vital interests, or can directly endanger its security." Th ..read more

We mark the passing of those who have served this country. Contributions from comrades and families welcome. Contact curator robin.ashby.ukdf@gmail.com ..read more

The name HMS Pickle, a schooner with only five cannon, may not call forth patriots today, but it was a stirring sight on the night of 5-6 June 1829 when, after a deadly exchange of cannon fire at close range, she captured the slaver Voladora off Cuba, with slaves bound for American plantations. The Voladora was larger and had a crew twice the size, but the Pickle under J.B.B. MacHardy closed, and after an action of 80 minutes the Voladora, the mainmast shot away, the sails repeatedly holed, and rigging trailing over the stern, surrendered. The British had lost four men, their opponents at leas ..read more

The outbreak of a major war in Europe has been a shock to many. The invasion of Ukraine by Russia in February 2022 has shaken the west out of its post Cold War torpor. The increasing belligerence of Putin's Russia led NATO members to increase their readiness, including the deployment of forces close to the eastern borders of the Alliance. It has also meant a recapitalisation of equipment in many NATO members including the UK. In July 2023 Nick Watts was able to visit an AS 90 self-propelled gun that the UK has gifted to the Ukrainian armed forces. They were in a location somewhere in southern ..read more

Evolving political dynamics and international tensions in the year 2024 pose significant challenges to the rules-based world order, writes Dr Evan Ellis. A series of events that have contributed to the deterioration of the normative structures established by the Allied powers at the end of World War II are analyzed. From territorial threats and military aggression to the proliferation of illiberal governments and the strategic influence of the PRC, key factors that are transforming the global scene are explored. The interconnectedness between changing political, economic and security dynamics ..read more

The UK Defence Forum has done quick media trawl. Houthi rebels have used one-way attack (OWA) drones and anti-ship missiles to target shipping in the Red Sea. https://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/PRESS-RELEASES/Press-Release-View/Article/3605010/houthi-attacks-on-commercial-shipping-in-international-water-continue ..read more

In the undeclared war in the Red Sea and Yemen, the U.S. has misjudged the Houthis, "part of the Bakil confederation, the largest tribal group in Yemen", as it previously had misjudged the Taliban. In doing so, Washington has provided the Houthis, as it did the Taliban, an opportunity to "bleed' America of money and material, undermining an aging U.S. military machine already overstretched, underfunded, undermanned, and lacking the means to successfully fight wars simultaneously in Europe and Asia. This is the real threat Houthi attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea pose to U.S. nation ..read more

Revisiting the Monroe Doctrine - first proclaimed in 1823 by US President James Monroe - should lead us to ask anew how to appropriately engage with our neighbours in Latin America, a task made all the more imperative today by the troubling and often unnoticed activities of China, Russia, and Iran in the hemisphere we share, writes Dr Evan Ellis As the Monroe Doctrine turns 200, its continued success depends on Latin America's choices, rather than its obedience. If Latin America stands in solidarity with the U.S. against the new generation of extra-hemispheric threats, it'll be not because the ..read more

Promotions in and appointments to the military division of the most honourable order of the Bath As Knight Commander Lieutenant General Robert Andrew MAGOWAN, CB, CBE As Dame Commander Lieutenant General Sharon Patricia Moffat NESMITH The remainder of the list is in the next page ..read more

The Chinese are said to value a calm, serene life. To curse them would be to wish them an "interesting life" or "May you live in interesting times." We are living in interesting times. I submit to you that this requires western leadership, General Phil Breedlove told the Berlin Security Conference in Novermber 2023 As we look back at the winter of 2013 and the spring of 2014 we have to ask ourselves - could we have made those times, and today's, "less interesting"? My predecessor, SACEUR #16, Admiral Jim Staviridis commissioned an in-depth Ukraine study at the senior officer level. That decisi ..read more