Episodios

  • 43: The Royal Navy Needs a New Dreadnought Moment

    43: The Royal Navy Needs a New Dreadnought Moment
    Sep 12 2025
    In the second and final part of their discussion defence expert Lee Pilgrim and host Iain Ballantyne resume their survey of the Royal Navy and how to fix it.

    They ponder the need for a new ‘Dreadnought moment’ under a leader as radical as the legendary Admiral Jacky Fisher who introduced war-winning tech and a new mindset.

    Fisher pushed through construction of the all-big-gun, steam turbine powered HMS Dreadnought, which in 1906 made all other battleships obsolete.

    Lee suggests it will also require a latter-day Julian Corbett, the civilian naval visionary who helped Britain forge a strategy for the immensely powerful Royal Navy of the early 20th Century.

    In their lively chat, Lee and Iain weigh up the worth of the UK’s new Atlantic Bastion concept, and the part uncrewed systems will play in it, along with the need to keep humans in the kill chain if drones are to be a major part of policing the Greenland-Iceland-UK (GIUK) gap.

    The latter is the main gateway to the broader Atlantic used by Russian submarines since the Cold War, but Iain and Lee wonder if a less passive, more forward leaning strategy is needed.

    Also touched on in the discussion is the utility of drones as part of the UK Carrier Strike Group and the F-35B jet as a fighter-bomber compared to how the Royal Navy used to do things the last time it had big carriers (in the 1970s).

    •Lee Pilgrim has worked in defence and intelligence - for government and industry - for over 30 years both in the UK and overseas, so has some useful insights into a whole load of interesting things. His social media posts on X are well worth a read. Follow him on that platform @MtarfaL He has also written several articles for Warships IFR and contributed to our forthcoming ‘Guide to the Royal Navy 2026.’

    •Iain Ballantyne is the founding and current Editor of Warships IFR (first published in 1998) along with its ‘Guide to the Royal Navy’ (since 2002) and ‘Guide to the US Navy’ (since 2018). Iain is also author of the books ‘Hunter Killers’ (Orion) and ‘The Deadly Trade’ (Weidenfeld & Nicolson), both about submarine warfare, plus ‘Arnhem: Ten Days in The Cauldron’ (published by Canelo). In 2017 Iain was awarded a Fellowship by the British Maritime Foundation, which promotes awareness of the United Kingdom’s dependence on the sea and seafarers. Visit his web site Bismarckbattle.com and follow him on X @IBallantyn

    The new (October) edition of Warships IFR is out 19.9.25 in the UK and also being deployed globally. Visit the magazine web site http://bit.ly/wifrmag

    Follow us on X @WarshipsIFR Facebook @WarshipsIFR and Warships IFR TV on YouTube @warshipsifrtv3668

    To subscribe to the magazine’s digital and/or hard copy variants https://warshipsifr.com/subscriptions/

    The ‘Guide to the Royal Navy 2026’ mentioned in this podcast episode is published on 18.9.25 and can be ordered here https://sundialmedia.escosubs.co.uk/store/products,guide-to-the-royal-navy-2026_640.htm
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    47 m
  • 42: Dangerous Times Call for Daring Decisions

    42: Dangerous Times Call for Daring Decisions
    Aug 13 2025
    In the first of a two-part discussion, defence expert Lee Pilgrim provides some common sense, but possibly provocative, suggestions on how to sort out the mess in which the Royal Navy currently finds itself.

    In this wide-ranging part one chat Lee considers the current state of the RN - underperforming against the budget given to it - and recommends some radical cures for what ails the Naval Service. These include getting rid of surface warships and submarines that never go to sea in order to ensure the rest of the Fleet is out there being more active.

    In this discussion Lee highlights the need to return the Royal Navy to being a proper fighting force. That was a desire expressed by the new First Sea Lord when he took office recently. In light of that Lee also outlines some of the risks that are being stacked up due to key naval capabilities being hollowed out.

    Lee provides numerous robust opinions, not least about MoD inefficiency, and the crucial need for a new kind of Submarine Service that mixes conventional boats with nuclear-powered ones to properly tackle its tasks. He also mentions the decline of UK amphibious warfare forces - and a whole lot more!

    It is fascinating discussion with podcast host Iain Ballantyne and there will be more prescriptions offered by Dr Lee in part two, which will be out soon.

    •Lee Pilgrim has worked in defence and intelligence - for government and industry - for over 30 years both in the UK and overseas, so has some useful insights into a whole load of interesting things. His social media posts on X are well worth a read. Follow him on that platform @MtarfaL He has also written several articles for Warships IFR and is contributing to our forthcoming ‘Guide to the Royal Navy 2026.’

    •Iain Ballantyne is the founding and current Editor of Warships IFR (first published in 1998) along with its ‘Guide to the Royal Navy’ (since 2002) and ‘Guide to the US Navy’ (since 2018). Iain is also author of the books ‘Hunter Killers’ (Orion) and ‘The Deadly Trade’ (Weidenfeld & Nicolson), both about submarine warfare, plus ‘Arnhem: Ten Days in The Cauldron’ (published by Canelo). In 2017 Iain was awarded a Fellowship by the British Maritime Foundation, which promotes awareness of the United Kingdom’s dependence on the sea and seafarers. Visit his web site Bismarckbattle.com and follow him on X @IBallantyn

    The new (Sept) edition of Warships IFR is out this week in the UK and also being deployed globally. Visit the magazine web site http://bit.ly/wifrmag

    Follow us on X @WarshipsIFR Facebook @WarshipsIFR and Warships IFR TV on YouTube @warshipsifrtv3668

    To subscribe to the magazine’s digital and/or hard copy variants https://warshipsifr.com/subscriptions/

    The ‘Guide to the Royal Navy 2026’ mentioned in this podcast episode will be published later this year.
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    53 m
  • 41: UK Strategic Defence Review ‘Fudge’ & Israel-Iran War

    41: UK Strategic Defence Review ‘Fudge’ & Israel-Iran War
    Jun 20 2025
    In this episode host Iain Ballantyne and returning guest Dr Gary Blackburn convene to discuss the substance, or otherwise, of the UK’s recently published Strategic Defence Review (SDR) paper.

    They also tackle topics relating to the Israel-Iran War, the British reaction to it and also what President Donald Trump may or may not do next.

    Gary proposes that the UK SDR paper was more of a template than anything else, and in fact amounted to a rather big fudge.

    Iain suggests that UK politicians have not yet woken up the to the sheer scale of effort needed - and also urgency required - to properly defend the nation. For example, submarines appear fundamental to the SDR’s vision of national defence and yet the Submarine Service itself is not really getting what it needs to be ready to operate future vessels.

    In sharing his considerable expertise on how Defence economics work, Gary touches on the UK’s creative accounting - ‘cooking the books’. It sees things that are not really part of Defence slotted into the UK’s supposed proportion of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) devoted to creating robust and capable military forces (plus what it needs to qualify for NATO membership).

    The worth of drones and A.I. versus the need for more frigates and submarines is among other things weighed up during a lively chat that also considers the viability of the UK’s new ‘Atlantic Bastion’ concept.

    •Dr Gary Blackburn is an honorary fellow of the Centre for Security Studies at the University of Hull. He has taught Security Studies and Military History at the Universities of Leeds and Hull, respectively - and has written for Defence Studies and The Critic, and for the latter about aspects of the UK’s 2021 Integrated Review of Defence and Security. Follow him on X at @gjb70


    •Iain Ballantyne is the founding and current Editor of Warships IFR (first published in 1998) along with its ‘Guide to the Royal Navy’ (since 2003) and ‘Guide to the US Navy’ (since 2018). Iain is also author of the books ‘Hunter Killers’ (Orion) and ‘The Deadly Trade’ (Weidenfeld & Nicolson), both about submarine warfare, plus ‘Arnhem: Ten Days in The Cauldron’ (published by Canelo). In 2017 Iain was awarded a Fellowship by the British Maritime Foundation, which promotes awareness of the United Kingdom’s dependence on the sea and seafarers. Visit his web site Bismarckbattle.com and follow him on X @IBallantyn

    For more on Warships IFR www.warshipsifr.com
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    57 m
  • 40: Banned by Russia, Decorated by Ukraine

    40: Banned by Russia, Decorated by Ukraine
    May 2 2025
    Our guest is John Foreman, naval officer and former UK Defence Attaché in Moscow and Kyiv. He provides amazing insights into what it was like dealing with the regime of Vladimir Putin as Russia invaded Ukraine and reflects on other dealings with the Russians, at sea and ashore.

    Topics discussed include the halcyon days of the old Cold War ending at sea between the Royal Navy and Russian Navy - amid a fair bit of amity - when the anti-submarine and intelligence-gathering frigate HMS London sailed to Murmansk and Archangel on a defence diplomacy mission. John shares his memories of that summer 1991 voyage, in the wake of the farcical ‘hardliners coup’ in Moscow, with several memorable aspects discussed.

    Podcast host Iain Ballantyne asks John to outline his subsequent exploits as Defence Attaché in Kyiv (2008-2011) and in Moscow (2019-2022). In addition to explaining how he came to be honoured by Ukraine and banned by Russia, John relates what it was like as the relations between the UK and Vladimir Putin’s gangster state with nukes deteriorated.

    Events for which John provides a Moscow embassy insider’s perspective include: the HMS Defender ‘Black Sea incident’ of 2021; the run in to Russia launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine; what it was like to under constant surveillance - including harassment - from Russia’s security services as Putin’s military tried to conquer Ukraine.

    In looking at relations between the UK and Russia as the new period of confrontation beds in, John suggests that - despite the hostility - efforts must be made to stay engaged diplomatically. He also explains how the Royal Navy is a key tool in keeping pressure on Russia, by refusing to cede ownership of international waters and deterring it from further aggression.

    The next (June) edition of Warships IFR is published on 16.5.25 in the UK and is also deployed globally. Visit the magazine web site http://bit.ly/wifrmag Also, follow us on X @WarshipsIFR Facebook @WarshipsFR and Warships IFR TV on YouTube @warshipsifrtv3668 For more on various editions of the magazine https://bit.ly/wifri

    •John Foreman CBE is a naval officer who commanded two warships and a former UK Defence Attaché in Moscow and Kyiv. He has also worked in Washington D.C., NATO and in the EU. He is an Associate Fellow of Chatham House and acts as a senior advisor to various UK defence consultancies. John bills himself on X as ‘banned by Russia and decorated by Ukraine.’ Follow him on X @John_ForemanCBE

    •Iain Ballantyne is the founding and current Editor of Warships IFR (first published in 1998) along with its ‘Guide to the Royal Navy’ (since 2003) and ‘Guide to the US Navy’ (since 2018). Iain is also author of the books ‘Hunter Killers’ (Orion) and ‘The Deadly Trade’ (Weidenfeld & Nicolson), both about submarine warfare, plus ‘Arnhem: Ten Days in The Cauldron’ (published by Canelo). In 2017 Iain was awarded a Fellowship by the British Maritime Foundation, which promotes awareness of the United Kingdom’s dependence on the sea and seafarers. Visit his web site Bismarckbattle.com and follow him on X @IBallantyn
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    58 m
  • 39: A World at War: Inevitable or Avoidable?

    39: A World at War: Inevitable or Avoidable?
    Apr 9 2025
    In this episode of the Warships Pod guests David Murrin and Dr David Blagden, with help from host Iain Ballantyne, discuss a worldwide struggle in a multi-polar era that is rapidly turning kinetic - from Ukraine, to the Red Sea and Gaza. It may soon burn even hotter should China invade Taiwan and/or the USA attack Iran.

    A number of topics are discussed during this episode, including the following:

    *Does the European Union (EU) have a place in such a world, at the top table? Or is it going to be sweeping up the crumbs along with the UK, the latter finding itself a bridge to neither the USA or the EU?

    *Bearing in mind the UK is a maritime nation, is committing what remains of the British armed forces to policing a frozen war in Ukraine unwise? Do we risk a situation where things get bogged down in that theatre while the Russians run amok at sea, with the UK defenceless?

    *With concerted attacks by US Navy carrier jets and cruise missile attacks by other USN units against the Houthis in Yemen is it at odds with the Trump administration’s supposed urgent priority of facing down China and its huge navy? Every missile expended against the Houthis is surely one less for use against the Chinese?

    *Narrowing the discussion down to the UK, with the Labour government announcing plans to cut welfare to pay for Defence boosts, how do the two Davids think the Royal Navy should mould itself?


    Finally - and this is a big one for the episode’s final point of discussion - are we heading inexorably towards what the tabloids might call WW3? Or can it be avoided?

    The May 2025 edition of Warships IFR is published on 22.4.25 in the UK and also deployed globally. Visit the magazine web site http://bit.ly/wifrmag Also, follow it on X @WarshipsIFR Facebook @WarshipsIFR and Warships IFR TV on YouTube @warshipsifrtv3668 For more on various editions of the magazine https://bit.ly/wifri

    •Dr David Blagden is Associate Professor in International Security and Strategy at the University of Exeter. Dr Blagden has previously worked in the Cabinet Office, regularly consults for several UK Government departments, and has served as Specialist Advisor to a Parliamentary Select Committee. He is also a Senior Associate Fellow of the NATO Defense College and a Visiting Fellow of the Royal Navy Strategic Studies Centre. Find him on X @blagden_david

    • David Murrin is a Global Forecaster, investor, polymath and author of ‘Breaking the Code of History’ (2011). He has a talent for spotting and analysing deep-seated patterns in history and using them to try and understand the present and also where we might be going in today’s turbulent geopolitical scene. His other books are ‘Lions Led by Lions’ (2018), ‘Now or Never’ (2021) and ‘Red Lightning’ (2021). The latter is a work of faction that depicts China winning a world war. David Murrin’s web site is https://www.davidmurrin.co.uk/about Find him on X @GlobalForecastr

    •Iain Ballantyne is the founding and current Editor of ‘Warships IFR’ magazine (first published in 1998) along with its ‘Guide to the Royal Navy’ (since 2003) and ‘Guide to the US Navy’ (since 2018). Iain is also author of the books ‘Hunter Killers’ (Orion) and ‘The Deadly Trade’ (Weidenfeld & Nicolson), both about submarine warfare, plus ‘Arnhem: Ten Days in The Cauldron’ and ‘Bismarck: 24 Hours to Doom’ (published by Canelo). In 2017 Iain was awarded a Fellowship by the British Maritime Foundation, which promotes awareness of the United Kingdom’s dependence on the sea and seafarers. Visit his web site Bismarckbattle.com and follow him on X @IBallantyn
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    1 h y 7 m
  • 38: Trump Presidency v2.0 & UK Defence

    38: Trump Presidency v2.0 & UK Defence
    Mar 13 2025
    In this episode of the Warships Pod Dr Gary Blackburn returns to have a chat with host Iain Ballantyne about the impact of the second presidency of Donald Trump.

    Topics discussed include the transactional fashion in which the returning POTUS runs domestic and foreign policies along with defence matters, plus how he seems intent on creating a tripolar world in which the USA, Russia and China have their spheres of influence and every other nation must fall in line.

    Gary points out that none of it should be a shock and while a sense of moral outrage is understandable over some aspects, Trump made no secret of what he intended to do and why.

    Touching on NATO and its future, Gary suggests it may not be ‘a dead duck’. Iain asks Gary if a major difference between how the Trump administration operates and other US Presidents (and their teams) is that they put everything out there, rather than have big falling outs with allies behind closed doors?

    Among the other things Iain and Gary talk about are: the UK’s habit of taking ‘capability holidays’ and expecting the USA in years past to fill in the gaps; concerns about UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s ‘boots on the ground and jets in the air’ proposal for peace-keeping in Ukraine; the UK defence budget and its inclusion of sea-based nuclear weapons and military pensions to ‘cook the books’; the global proxy war between the West and its allies on the one hand and Russia/China/N. Korea on the other; the importance for the UK staying militarily engaged beyond Suez.

    Looking at the UK’s new Strategic Defence Review, Gary ponders whether or not raising the defence budget to 2.5 per cent by 2027 is enough and the dubious move to cut amphibious warfare vessels from the Royal Navy at this turbulent time.

    The April 2025 edition of Warships IFR magazine, which is mentioned during this podcast episode, is out on March 21st. For more details of Warships IFR and its various editions visit http://bit.ly/wifrmag

    Dr Gary Blackburn is an honorary fellow of the Centre for Security Studies at the University of Hull. He has taught Security Studies and Military History at the Universities of Leeds and Hull, respectively - and has written for Defence Studies and The Critic, and for the latter about aspects of the UK’s 2021 Integrated Review of Defence and Security. Follow him on X at @gjb70

    Iain Ballantyne is the founding and current Editor of Warships IFR (first published in 1998) along with its ‘Guide to the Royal Navy’ (since 2003) and ‘Guide to the US Navy’ (since 2018). Iain is also author of the books ‘Hunter Killers’ (Orion) and ‘The Deadly Trade’ (Weidenfeld & Nicolson), both about submarine warfare, plus ‘Arnhem: Ten Days in The Cauldron’ (published by Canelo). In 2017 Iain was awarded a Fellowship by the British Maritime Foundation, which promotes awareness of the United Kingdom’s dependence on the sea and seafarers. Visit his web site Bismarckbattle.com and follow him on X @IBallantyn
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    48 m
  • 37: State of the US Navy Pt2 with David Axe

    37: State of the US Navy Pt2 with David Axe
    Dec 24 2024
    In the second of our podcast episodes devoted to the State of the US Navy - as it and a troubled world sail into 2025 - guest David Axe chats with host Iain Ballantyne. A range of topics, including many covered in the recently published Warships IFR ‘Guide to the US Navy 2025’, are covered in the discussion.

    After giving his overall take on the America’s navy David provides his perspective on how Donald Trump taking office as President for a second time might affect NATO. Iain wonders even if the new POTUS does not pull the US out of the Alliance, might he still scale back the number of destroyers committed to providing Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) for Europe?

    Also touched on is the US-led naval and air campaign to stop Houthi rebels of Yemen firing missiles and drones at merchant shipping. Can even the mighty US Navy sustain such a commitment and expenditure of munitions?

    Looking to Indo-Pacific, Iain asks what the chances are of China invading Taiwan in 2027, as some are suggesting and could the US Navy lose that battle if it happens?

    Turning to the AUKUS defence pact, David weighs up how the plan to provide Australia with nuclear submarines is faring and whether or not President Trump might axe it.

    Looking at the specific arms of the US Navy, Iain asks David for his perspective on how the following are shaping up as we head into a turbulent future: the surface force; the submarine force; naval aviation; the US Marines

    To obtain the ‘Guide to the US Navy’ bit.ly/3z8ms4F

    And please check out the latest edition of the monthly magazine.
    For print subscriptions: https://bit.ly/Wifrsubspe
    For digital subscriptions: https://bit.ly/Wdpm

    * A long-time Warships IFR contributor David Axe also writes for ‘Forbes’ and 'The Daily Telegraph’. His most recent book is ‘Drone War: Vietnam’ (Pen & Sword Military). Follow him on X @daxe

    * Iain Ballantyne is the founding and current Editor of Warships IFR (first published in 1998) along with its ‘Guide to the Royal Navy’ (since 2003) and ‘Guide to the US Navy’ (since 2018). Iain is also author of the books ‘Hunter Killers’ (Orion) and ‘The Deadly Trade’ (Weidenfeld & Nicolson), both about submarine warfare, plus ‘Arnhem: Ten Days in The Cauldron’ and ‘Bismarck: 24 Hours to Doom’ (published by Canelo). In 2017 Iain was awarded a Fellowship by the British Maritime Foundation, which promotes awareness of the United Kingdom’s dependence on the sea and seafarers. Visit his web site Bismarckbattle.com and follow him on X @IBallantyn
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    30 m
  • 36: State of the US Navy Pt1 with Dr Emma Salisbury

    36: State of the US Navy Pt1 with Dr Emma Salisbury
    Dec 19 2024
    In the first of two podcast episodes on the State of the US Navy as it (and a troubled world) sail into 2025, guest Dr Emma Salisbury chats with host Iain Ballantyne

    They look first of all at areas Emma wrote about in the recently published Warships IFR ‘Guide to US Navy 2025’, namely: the USA’s ‘shipbuilding woes’; the future size and composition of the USN; the US Navy and AUKUS - is it mission impossible?

    And is there a solution for the latter - enabling the AUKUS project to survive - should it be impossible to provide the Australians with Virginia Class attack submarines (SSNs) off American production lines?

    Among other topics discussed are the impact of the second Trump presidency (as the new POTUS takes office in January 2025). Also, what kind of message is the UK sending to the USA by cutting naval vessels ahead of its own defence review?

    Emma and Iain look at how US Navy anti-missile and drone defences may evolve and other topics include the elephant in the room - the future of NATO, and whether or not President Trump will pull the USA out of the Alliance.

    The importance of drones and how they might enhance American naval mass and global presence is weighed up, along with how important the US Navy is to us all.

    To obtain the ‘Guide to the US Navy’ https://warshipsifr.com/news/guide-to-the-us-navy-2025/

    And please check out the latest edition of the monthly magazine.
    For print subscriptions: https://sundialmedia.escosubs.co.uk/subscribe/warships.htm
    For digital subscriptions: https://bit.ly/Wdpm

    * Dr Emma Salisbury is a fellow at the Council on Geostrategy, specialising in naval matters, defence-industrial policy, and military procurement. She recently completed her PhD with a dissertation focused on the history of the US military-industrial complex. She is also a senior staffer for a UK Member of Parliament and an assistant editor at War on the Rocks. Follow her on X @salisbot

    * Iain Ballantyne is the founding and current Editor of Warships IFR (first published in 1998) along with its ‘Guide to the Royal Navy’ (since 2003) and ‘Guide to the US Navy’ (since 2018). Iain is also author of the books ‘Hunter Killers’ (Orion) and ‘The Deadly Trade’ (Weidenfeld & Nicolson), both about submarine warfare, plus ‘Arnhem: Ten Days in The Cauldron’ and ‘Bismarck: 24 Hours to Doom’ (published by Canelo). In 2017 Iain was awarded a Fellowship by the British Maritime Foundation, which promotes awareness of the United Kingdom’s dependence on the sea and seafarers. Visit his web site Bismarckbattle.com and follow him on X @IBallantyn
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    41 m