Defence Talks: Securing UK Advantage

In this episode, AVM Mark Ridgway DBA , Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff (Futures and Force Design), explores how UK Defence approaches long term planning, from strategic foresight to force design and capability development. In conversation with Viktorija Starych-Samuolienė , Co-President of the Council on Geostrategy, AVM Ridgway draws on Global Strategic Trends out to 2055 and Future Operati...

With steady-state peacetime patrols officially over and the countdown to full warfighting readiness by 2029 underway, General Sir Gwyn Jenkins – First Sea Lord, Chief of the Naval Staff, and the first Royal Marine in history to lead the Royal Navy – sits down for an exclusive, wide-ranging deep dive on Defence Talks . In conversation with Viktorija Starych-Samuolienė and Paul Mason , the head of t...

In this episode, we unpack everything you need to know about information warfare, the cognitive battlespace, and how democracies can counter hostile state narratives. Viktorija Starych-Samuolienė is joined by: * Dr Rob Johnson , Director of the Oxford Strategy, Statecraft, and Technology Centre, and former Director, Secretary of State’s Office for Net Assessment and Challenge (SONAC); * Simon Berg...

In this Special Episode, we unpack everything you need to know about the Farnborough International Airshow this week. Viktorija Starych-Samuoliene is joined by: * Kevin Craven, CEO, ADS Group; * Véronique Bardelmann – CEO, SVP Europe; CEI, Safran Group and, ADS Vice President for Aerospace The conversation unpacks the main themes and aims of the Farnborough International Airshow, the geopolitical...

In Season 3, Episode 3, we unpack everything you need to know about the recent NATO Summit in Ankara. Paul and Viktorija are joined by: * Sir Stuart Atha KBE CB DSO, Director at BAE Systems, Head of the UK NATO Industrial Advisory Group; * Emma Baker, Group Facilitator, UK NIAG Delegation; * Charles Clover, Defence and Security Correspondent, Financial Times . The conversation tackles the primary...

How does the UK transition its armed forces to a true warfighting footing?  In Season 3, Episode 2, we are joined by Luke Pollard MP, Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, to discuss the structural and cultural changes required to rebuild Britain's defence industrial base. The conversation tackles the reality of legacy procurement delays and the push for faster, more adaptable equipment del...

As global threats escalate and technological innovation outpaces traditional training, the UK defence sector faces a defining strategic challenge: an industry-wide skills shortage. In the Season 3 premiere of Defence Talks , we are joined by: * R. Adm. Rose OBE , Director of People and Training for the Royal Navy; * Dr Mary Haigh , Deputy Global Chief Information Officer and Director Digital Deliv...

Welcome back to Season 2 of ‘Defence Talks: Securing UK Advantage’. In this special episode, Viktorija Starych-Samuolienė , our Co-founder (Strategy), and Paul Mason , journalist, author and our Adjunct Fellow, are joined by Baroness Dr Sophy Antrobus MBE, Co-director of the Freeman Air and Space Institute and Member of the House of Lords, and Shashank Joshi , Defence Editor, The Economist . What...

Welcome back to Season 2 of ‘Defence Talks: Securing UK Advantage’. In Episode 15, Viktorija Starych-Samuolienė , our Co-founder (Strategy), and Paul Mason , journalist, author and our Adjunct Fellow, are joined by Prof. Peter Frankopan , Professor of Global History at the University of Oxford, and James Rogers , our Co-founder (Research). What is the strategic outlook for 2026? We unpack the curr...

Welcome back to Season 2 of ‘Defence Talks: Securing UK Advantage’. In Episode 14, Viktorija Starych-Samuolienė , our Co-founder (Strategy), and Paul Mason , journalist, author and our Adjunct Fellow, are joined by Richard Berthon , Director Future Combat Air in the United Kingdom (UK) at the Ministry of Defence, and Herman Claesen , Managing Director, Future Combat Air Systems at BAE Systems. The...

Welcome back to Season 2 of ‘Defence Talks: Securing UK Advantage’. In Episode 13, Viktorija Starych-Samuolienė , our Co-founder (Strategy), and Paul Mason , journalist, author and our Adjunct Fellow, are joined by Cat Calder , Housing Specialist at Army Families Federation, and Natalie Elphicke Ross OBE , Chair of the Defence Housing Strategy review team, and Director and Head of Housing at the H...

Welcome back to Season 2 of ‘Defence Talks: Securing UK Advantage’. In Episode 12, Viktorija Starych-Samuolienė , our Co-founder (Strategy), and Paul Mason , journalist, author and our Adjunct Fellow, are joined by Dr Tanya Suárez , CEO and founder of IoT Tribe, and Brigadier (rtd.) John Ridge , Adoption Lead, NATO Innovation Fund. The discussion explore how NATO is accelerating innovation to stre...

Welcome back to Season 2 of ‘Defence Talks: Securing UK Advantage’. In Episode 11, Viktorija Starych-Samuolienė , our Co-founder (Strategy), and Paul Mason , journalist, author and our Adjunct Fellow, are joined by Alex Baker MP , Member of Parliament for Aldershot and Chair of the Defence and Security Sectors Supporting Local Communities All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG). The discussion covers...

Welcome back to Season 2 of ‘Defence Talks: Securing UK Advantage’. In Episode 10, Viktorija Starych-Samuolienė , our Co-founder (Strategy), and Paul Mason , journalist, author and our Adjunct Fellow, are joined by Dr Paul Hollinshead MBA OBE , Chief Executive of Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL), and Finbar O’Keeffe , Head of Future Software Capability for BAE Systems Maritime and...

Welcome back to Season 2 of ‘Defence Talks: Securing UK Advantage’. In Episode 9, Viktorija Starych-Samuolienė , our Co-founder (Strategy), and Paul Mason , journalist, author and our Adjunct Fellow, are joined by Andy Start , acting National Armaments Director and Chief Executive, Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S), and Air Vice Marshal (rtd.) Gary Waterfall , Senior Military Adviser, DSEI UK....

Welcome back to Season 2 of ‘Defence Talks: Securing UK Advantage’. In Episode 8, Viktorija Starych-Samuolienė , our Co-founder (Strategy), and Paul Mason , journalist, author and our Associate Fellow, are joined by Rob Murray , Chief Executive Officer, Defence, Security and Resilience (DSR) Bank, and Aimie Stone , Chief Economist, ADS Group. Viktorija, Paul, Rob and Aimie explore financing and in...

Welcome back to Season 2 of ‘Defence Talks: Securing UK Advantage’. In Episode 7, Viktorija Starych-Samuolienė , our Co-founder (Strategy), and Paul Mason , journalist, author and our Associate Fellow, are joined by Kevin Craven , CEO, ADS Group, and Air Marshal (rtd.) Edward Stringer CB CBE , Director, iJ7, and Senior Fellow, Policy Exchange. Viktorija, Paul, Kevin and Edward explore the Strategi...

Welcome back to Season 2 of ‘Defence Talks: Securing UK Advantage’. In Episode 6, Viktorija Starych-Samuolienė , our Co-founder (Strategy), and Paul Mason , journalist, author and our Associate Fellow, are joined by Lt. Col. Dan Sawyers , Head of the jHub, UK Strategic Command, and Robert Merryweather , Group Technology Director, BAE Systems. Viktorija, Paul, Dan and Rob explore innovation through...

Welcome back to Season 2 of ‘Defence Talks: Securing UK Advantage’. In Episode 5, Viktorija Starych-Samuolienė , our Co-founder (Strategy), and Paul Mason , journalist, author and our Associate Fellow, are joined by Iain Martin , Director, London Defence Conference, and Dr Hillary Briffa , Senior Lecturer in National Security Studies, King’s College London. Viktorija, Paul, Iain and Hillary explor...

Welcome back to Season 2 of ‘Defence Talks: Securing UK Advantage’. In Episode 4, Viktorija Starych-Samuolienė , Co-founder (Strategy), Council on Geostrategy, is joined by Gen. (Rtd.) Philippe Lavigne , former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (2021 - 2024), and Prof. Sir Hew Strachan , Professor of International Relations, University of St Andrews. Viktorija, Gen. (Rtd.) Lavigne, and...

Welcome back to Season 2 of ‘Defence Talks: Securing UK Advantage’. In Episode 3, hosts Viktorija Starych-Samuolienė , Co-founder (Strategy), Council on Geostrategy, and Paul Mason, journalist and author, are joined by Prof. Sir Lawrence Freedman , Emeritus Professor of War Studies, King’s College London, and James Rogers , Co-founder (Research), Council on Geostrategy. Viktorija, Paul, Sir Lawren...

Welcome to Season 2 of ‘Defence Talks: Securing UK Advantage’. In Episode 2, hosts Viktorija Starych-Samuolienė , Co-founder (Strategy), Council on Geostrategy, and Paul Mason , journalist and author, are joined by Nathan Mathiot , Head of Policy, ADS Group. Viktorija, Paul, and Nathan explore the implications of the Industrial Strategy and the forthcoming Defence Industrial Strategy on the defenc...

Welcome to Season 2 of ‘Defence Talks: Securing UK Advantage’. In this episode, hosts Viktorija Starych-Samuolienė, Co-founder (Strategy), Council on Geostrategy, and Paul Mason , journalist and author, are joined by Angus Lapsley, Assistant Secretary General for Defence Policy and Planning, North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). Viktorija, Paul and Angus explore the changing geopolitical envi...

In July 2024, NATO members and partners came together in Washington DC to reaffirm its support for Ukraine and the importance of the alliance in the face of growing aggression. Joined by David Quarrey CMG , Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to NATO, and Sir Stuart Atha , Head of the UK delegation to the NATO Industry Advisory Group, we discuss their experiences at the recent summit an...

Every two years, advanced manufacturing industries are invited to Farnborough International Exhibition & Conference Centre for the Airshow. Joined by Kevin Craven, CEO of ADS Group and Gareth Rogers, CEO of Farnborough International, we explore how Farnborough International Airshow brings together these industries, convening the conversations that matter. We investigate how far the Airshow, no...