Defence Studies
@dsdkings.bsky.social
310 followers 37 following 83 posts
The Defence Studies Department at King's College London. World-leading research on #war & #conflict | Contact: [email protected] Website: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/dsd
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Dr Domitilla Sagramoso discusses the broader implications of the #SCOSummit, noting that it sends a clear message that "the policy of the United States to decouple Russia from China is really not being very successful."

⏯️Watch:https://bit.ly/3UYuKUc

#SCO2025 @dsagramoso.bsky.social
Reposted by Defence Studies
warstudieskcl.bsky.social
Dr Natasha Kuhrt describes the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (#SCO) as a "loose grouping" with "disparate interests", emphasising that it "is not an organisation like #NATO" & doesn't function as a collective security or defence alliance.

⏯️ bit.ly/45KkUeG

#SCOSummit @natashakuhrt.bsky.social
Reposted by Defence Studies
warstudieskcl.bsky.social
The US's absence from #PacificFutureForum has sparked concern among experts.

Prof Alessio Patalano called it “remarkable” that the US missed “the opportunity to be on stage alongside #NATO and East Asian allies to discuss the value of ever-closer ties.”

➡️Read more: bit.ly/45VKnAz
dsdkings.bsky.social
Dr Rod Thornton and Dr Marina Miron highlight Ukraine’s western #Donetsk “fortress belt” as a crucial defence against Russia.

“If Kyiv does accede, though, then this may amount to #Ukraine accepting its overall defeat. It may, indeed, lose the war.”

➡️Read more: bit.ly/4lSppIU
dsdkings.bsky.social
📄Read the full analysis by Dr Zeno Leoni and Dr Geraint Hughes:

“A ‘Reverse Kissinger’? Why Trump’s Anti-China Rapprochement with Russia Is Likely to Fail”

➡️ bit.ly/4lWoO9d
dsdkings.bsky.social
Dr Zeno Leoni says Trump’s idea to “un-unite” Russia and China misreads today’s geopolitics.

Unlike the Cold War, Russia and China now share a stable partnership. The US should focus on strengthening alliances and managing competition with China.

🔗Read: bit.ly/3HCwaka
dsdkings.bsky.social
Dr Ahron Bregman highlights the widening rifts between key social and political groups could escalate dangerously.

“Tensions within Israeli society are so high that the situation could easily deteriorate into an open civil war,” he says.

🔗Read more: bit.ly/4mEwy0I
dsdkings.bsky.social
Join us for a seminar exploring the evolution of cyber operations, the use of plausible deniability, and China’s efforts to influence global cyber narratives.

📅3 Oct | 🕘16:00 |📍Strand Campus

🛡️Secure your spot now: bit.ly/4mRb3cv

@monicakello.bsky.social #CyberSecurity #CyberCrime
Ransomware and Beyond: Exploring Strategic Objectives of Chinese Cyber Operations
This seminar explores the Chinese Communist Party's ties to criminal networks and their use of cybercrime tactics like ransomware.
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dsdkings.bsky.social
How has drone warfare changed the trajectory of Sudan’s civil war?

“Drones have made the war feel omnipresent...This inescapable threat has become part of daily life in many parts of Sudan.” - Dr Andreas Krieg

Read: bit.ly/4p0iLmO

@andreaskrieg.bsky.social

#Sudan #CivilWar #DroneWarfare #UAV
In Sudan, the skies have turned deadly
Drones have become the new face of modern warfare, dominating headlines as Russia and Ukraine trade near-daily aerial strikes.But unmanned aircraft vehicles (UAVs) are wreaking havoc in another of the...
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dsdkings.bsky.social
Dr Marina Miron highlights the ambiguity of the US position & expresses doubts about direct military involvement by #NATO.

“Ukraine wants a lot, but how much of those #securityguarantees that #Ukraine envisages it will get is another question.”

🔗Read more:
bit.ly/3HnsKlc

#UkraineWar #Zelenskyy
dsdkings.bsky.social
What if close intelligence allies see the world differently?

“Abandoning a close partner in an existential conflict left NATO allies, including the UK, wondering whether Washington viewed any standing commitments as firm.” -
Prof David Gioe, a former US intelligence officer

🔗Read:
bit.ly/3JdPsNc
UK spy chiefs spooked as Trump strains the special relati...
When the US president doesn’t accept intelligence he doesn’t like, where does that leave the UK?
bit.ly
Reposted by Defence Studies
warstudieskcl.bsky.social
Dr @paulmcgarr.bsky.social draws on newly declassified British documents to reveal how, during the #ColdWar, India’s Congress government, the CIA & British intelligence took covert actions to undermine the Communist Party of India in #Kerala in the late 1950s.

Read more:
bit.ly/3JjPwe6
Reposted by Defence Studies
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What does the #Alaska summit suggest about US–Russia relations & global stability?

“It tells the world that the Trump administration does not consider the Russian government to be an adversary, but a partner and perhaps a friend.” - Dr @ruthdeyermond.bsky.social

🔗 www.kcl.ac.uk/trump-putin-...
dsdkings.bsky.social
What influence do European leaders have over a potential deal between #Putin and #Trump in #Alaska?

"The Europeans shouldn’t overstate what they can do, but they can actually do quite a lot to keep the Ukrainians going," says Prof Michael Clarke @mikeclarke2020s.bsky.social.

Watch:
bit.ly/45IVZHk
Analysis: Can Europe influence what happens between Russia and Ukraine?
Military Analyst Professor Michael Clarke explains whether European leaders have any influence over a possible deal made by Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump during their meeting in Alaska.
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dsdkings.bsky.social
Can battlefield gains shape peace talks?

Putin heads to #Alaska for a summit with Trump amid Russian advances in eastern Ukraine.

“Putin has much stronger cards to play than his opponents... The Russian army is on the offensive & they are dictating the rules.” - Dr Marina Miron.

🔗 bit.ly/47vfJjY
dsdkings.bsky.social
General Anthony Cotton, Commander of the United States Strategic Command, spoke at King’s on the role of strategic deterrence, nuclear security & global collaboration in today’s complex threat landscape.

He stressed the need to develop adaptable, innovative future leaders.

🔗Read: bit.ly/45ttFbG
Inspiring the next generation of strategic deterrence thinkers at King's
The Commander of the United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) - General Anthony Cotton - emphasised the importance of the next generation in meeting future global security challenges during a rece...
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dsdkings.bsky.social
What challenges face a Ukraine peace deal?

The UK military may face difficulties committing troops without impacting #NATO duties, while Dr Marina Miron notes Russia is unlikely to accept Western peacekeepers, given its strong leverage in negotiations.

Read more:
bit.ly/45AjNNq
UK military 'too stretched' to provide troops under Ukraine peace deal
Armed forces may have to be pulled off existing commitments in order to be deployed should Trump manage to strike a peace deal for Ukraine, former MoD official warns
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dsdkings.bsky.social
How will the collision between Chinese vessels near #ScarboroughShoal affect tensions with the Philippines?

“This was highly unprofessional and dangerous,” says Prof Alessio Patalano, adding the manoeuvre showed “no seamanship-like behaviour to speak of.”

Read more:
bit.ly/46Tx8mi
Chinese ‘overkill’ in dispute with Philippines damaged two Chinese ships. Why it could have been much worse | CNN
It’s hard to call the collision of two multi-thousand-ton military ships “fortunate,” but that’s exactly what analysts are saying about the incident in the South China Sea this week that left a China ...
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Research, educate and partner with the Defence Academy of the UK.

Join us at the forefront of interdisciplinary research and professional military education.

Full-time, indefinite contracts.

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dsdkings.bsky.social
Is chaos in Gaza part of a deliberate strategy?

In this Al Jazeera interview, Dr @Rob Geist Pinfold, Lecturer in International Security, examines how Israel’s “day-after plan” may involve long-term destabilisation intended to make Gaza unliveable.
👉📺Watch here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=BD-f...
Creating chaos in Gaza ‘part of Israel’s day-after plan’
YouTube video by Al Jazeera English
www.youtube.com
Reposted by Defence Studies
fasikcl.bsky.social
Can Germany help to further strengthen Ukraine's air defence?

Hear Dr Domitilla Sagramoso discuss the difference two German Patriot systems could make to Ukraine's future defence.

👇
www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUd4...
Reposted by Defence Studies
fasikcl.bsky.social
💡Can high-altitude intelligence balloons boost the UK's national security?

With the ability to fly above most military aircraft, uncrewed balloons offer a low-cost surveillance and communications capability, alternative to traditional solutions.

Read👇
www.gov.uk/government/n...
UK high-altitude research and intelligence balloon soars to new heights
The UK has successfully trialed high-altitude balloons which can conduct intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.
www.gov.uk
Reposted by Defence Studies
fasikcl.bsky.social
How should the UK respond to the growing threat of space conflict?

FASI's @nuclearbalm.bsky.social explains "The use of dual-use civilian space systems further complicates escalation, as interference may unintentionally draw private actors into conflict."

Read 👇
inews.co.uk/news/world/r...
Russia and China could kick off war in space - here's how Britain can fight back
Maj-Gen Paul Tedman, the head of UK Space Command, says the threat of war in space is 'here, now' - and growing
inews.co.uk
dsdkings.bsky.social
Can Syria’s new government survive without legitimacy or control?

In this article Dr Rob Geist Pinfold, examines how recent violence in Sweida reveals the risks of state failure if Damascus can’t build capacity and trust.

👉 Explore the article here: mecouncil.org/blog_posts/h...
How Syria's New Government Risks Undermining Itself
Syria’s caretaker government is struggling to contain violence in Sweida and Latakia, exposing cracks in authority, legitimacy, and national unity.
mecouncil.org
dsdkings.bsky.social
Does moving nuclear submarines closer to Russia make America safer — or more vulnerable?

Prof Michael Clarke, Visiting Professor in the School of Security Studies, examines Trump’s claim and why it makes no strategic sense.

👉 Explore the article here: www.thetimes.com/us/american-...
Why did Trump move his best nuclear deterrent? Not for strategic gain
The US president says he has deployed submarines closer to Russia — but this would only make the boats more vulnerable to attack
www.thetimes.com