Royal United Services Institute

The situation in the Western Sahara might appear to be just another ‘frozen conflict’ in a world increasingly defined by crises. But there is a workable solution on the table, and the UK should give...

‘Success is not final, and failure is not fatal – it is the courage to continue that counts’. In the first month of this war, the Ukrainian will to fight has lived up to the sentiment in these words...

Russia's military setbacks in Ukraine pose a new set of security challenges in Europe and beyond.

Compared to its initial operations around Kyiv and in the southwest of Ukraine, Russia likely has a measure of localised air superiority in Donbas. However, this is unlikely to produce decisive...

This investigation shows that Moscow's well-known UAV relies on complex supply chains that reach far beyond Russia's borders.

While Russia has experienced difficulties elsewhere on the battlefield, artillery has been central to its ability to hold Ukrainian forces at bay. This article explores how the Russian armed forces...

Cluster munitions would be valuable in breaking through Russian trenches, while the threat to civilians is negligible amid Russia’s mass emplacement of unmarked minefields.

The Russian president is attempting to lure new recruits - but it may not be enough after mass casualties and as ammunition runs low

This study of the early phases of the 2022 war sheds light on Ukraine's strengths and vulnerabilities, and the need for further Western support.

There are several reasons for the collapse of the Afghan army, but a duplicitous US negotiation with the Taliban was the most potent, and the insurgents exploited the uncertainty brilliantly.

This report details Russia’s unconventional military activities outside Ukraine, including efforts to prepare for destabilisation in European countries, expeditionary operations in Africa to seize...

Given the difficulties facing the US and EU in securing buy-in for the latest round of assistance to Ukraine, it is worth considering the consequences that a Russian victory would entail.

On the fifth day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, one of many unanswered questions is why Russia has launched a military campaign at huge cost with maximalist objectives, and then declined to use...

Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the Territorial Defence Forces have played a crucial role in thwarting Russian plans. But what does the future hold for these determined fighters?

Examining the commercial success of the Bayraktar drone despite its underwhelming performance.

An assessment of the methods used by Russia to compel Norway to comply with its policy and security objectives.

The spectre of Donald Trump returning to the White House looms over European security and Ukraine. Instead of displaying indignation at Trump’s increasingly anti-NATO rhetoric, Europeans need to...

Further Western support is needed to ensure that Kyiv can counter Moscow's updated approach to the air war in Ukraine.

Russian defences and military adaptations pose challenges for Ukraine's 2023 offensive.

Russian tactics are changing as lessons are learned from military failures in the war in Ukraine.

If the West is serious about the possibility of a great power conflict, it needs to take a hard look at its capacity to wage a protracted war and to pursue a strategy focused on attrition rather than...

Royal United Services Institute

The UK is right to arm Ukraine but must replenish its stocks if it is to avoid disarming itself.

Holding Russia’s logistics and command and control at risk is a key contributor to shaping the conditions for successful Ukrainian offensive operations.

Adaptations are necessary if heavy armoured forces are to remain relevant. This paper argues that the primary requirement is to implement a comparative shift away from protection and towards mobility.

Recent proposals backed by the US and the UK imperil efforts to create broad-based representative democracy and instead allow for segregation.

The Russian Army has suffered tactical defeats, but to prevent its recovery the pressure must be sustained.

No options should be ruled out when it comes to helping Ukraine. But the idea of transferring UK fighter aircraft makes little military sense.

The lack of a breakthrough in Ukraine’s summer offensive and the shift in materiel advantage mean that Kyiv must fight carefully if it is to retain the initiative.

In 2022, the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) came of age. As it develops a ‘10-year vision’ to be signed off at its next leaders’ meeting, there are several areas of development that could stretch...

By pressuring the Yemeni government and its allies to draw down operations against the Houthis, the international community gave the militant group a chance to rebuild its strength, as demonstrated...

What is the added value of a 70-year-old politico-military alliance when some of its members no longer share the same values and, more importantly, when the behaviour of one member – Turkey –...

President Macron’s aspiration to mediate between Putin, who does not respect him, and Ukraine, which does not trust him, is damaging French influence at a time when European leadership is critical.

Russian tactics are changing as lessons are learned from military failures in the war in Ukraine.

Both powers are fostering a reconciliation between Armenia and Azerbaijan to promote greater stability in the region.

Despite the threats to critical infrastructure such as undersea cables highlighted by the wider Ukraine conflict, Ireland’s military continues to struggle to retain staff, let alone expand its...

Cluster munitions would be valuable in breaking through Russian trenches, while the threat to civilians is negligible amid Russia’s mass emplacement of unmarked minefields.

If the army and government continue to block regional and national elections, they will only increase the scale of Imran Khan’s eventual victory. Fear of Imran’s brand of careless populism coincides...

The development of a next-generation fighter as part of the Global Combat Air Programme risks being held back by unrealistic cost and investment estimates. Either it must be funded properly, radica...

An investigation into the Chinese criminal networks helping to prop up the rogue nuclear regime

Artificial intelligence is both an opportunity and a challenge for the UK intelligence community.

Strategic blindness in Germany’s approach to China has led to mounting costs in terms of national sovereignty, economic independence and civil liberties. Disentangling from Beijing will not be easy,...

Russia's military setbacks in Ukraine pose a new set of security challenges in Europe and beyond.

NATO’s European members must ramp up investment in ammunition production and focus military training and force structures against key mission sets to credibly deter Russia from exploiting a clash...

Evolving Russian tactics and sustained pressure along the frontline have pushed Ukrainian forces onto the defensive in 2024. If the West wants to keep Ukraine in the fight, it must adapt its security...