Investigative journalist Florian Flade returns to discuss Russia's Harmony Undersea Surveillance System, a project aimed at protecting its nuclear submarine fleet. Florian and Chris cover the international collaboration involved in Florian’s investigation, the strategic importance of the Harmony system, and the challenges of reporting on sensitive military topics. Florian also highlights the broader implications of Russia's military activities in the Arctic and the ongoing efforts to counteract Russian procurement networks for Western technology.

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Follow Florian’s blog and connect on social media

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/florianflade.bsky.social
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Blog: https://ojihad.wordpress.com/

Florian’s reporting discussed in the episode

https://www.tagesschau.de/investigativ/ndr-wdr/russland-harmonie-unterwasser-spaehsystem-atomwaffen-100.html
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/10/23/russia-nuclear-subs-western-technology-surevillance/
https://www.icij.org/investigations/russia-archive/russia-secretly-acquired-western-technology-to-protect-its-nuclear-submarine-fleet/

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Music by Andrew R. Bird

Secrets and Spies sits at the intersection of intelligence, covert action, real-world espionage, and broader geopolitics in a way that is digestible but serious. Hosted by filmmaker Chris Carr and writer Matt Fulton, each episode examines the very topics that real intelligence officers and analysts consider on a daily basis through the lens of global events and geopolitics, featuring expert insights from former spies, authors, and journalists.

In this comprehensive discussion, Sam Lichtenstein from RANE (Risk Assistance Network & Exchange) joins Chris to dissect their annual geopolitical and security forecast. Sam provides insights into the geopolitical landscape for 2026, highlighting the challenges of predicting human behavior, the rise of violent conflicts, and the implications of AI and cybersecurity threats. They cover regional dynamics in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and the Americas, emphasizing the interconnectedness of these issues and the potential for political violence in the US. Sam also discusses the breakdown of the unipolar order and its impact on global security.

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Read RANE’s 2026 Annual Forecast: https://worldview.stratfor.com/article/2026-annual-forecast

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Secrets and Spies is produced by F & P LTD.

Music by Andrew R. Bird

Photo by Harun Ozalp/Getty

Secrets and Spies sits at the intersection of intelligence, covert action, real-world espionage, and broader geopolitics in a way that is digestible but serious. Hosted by filmmaker Chris Carr and writer Matt Fulton, each episode examines the very topics that real intelligence officers and analysts consider on a daily basis through the lens of global events and geopolitics, featuring expert insights from former spies, authors, and journalists.

Shane Harris joins Matt to discuss his latest reporting for The Atlantic on one of the most destabilizing ideas circulating inside the Trump administration: the U.S. acquisition of Greenland. Shane explains how an idea once dismissed as a punchline is now being treated by U.S. and European officials as a real contingency, and why Denmark and Greenland view it as an existential threat. They examine how the proposal took shape inside Trump’s orbit, why political and intelligence pressure campaigns may already be backfiring, and what unilateral action—by force or fiat—would mean for NATO and the future of the transatlantic alliance.

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Read Shane’s reporting on Greenland with Isaac Stanley-Becker and Jonathan Lemire: https://www.theatlantic.com/national-security/2026/01/greenland-trump-venezuela-nato/685511/

Read Shane’s other work at The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/author/shane-harris/

Follow Shane on X and Bluesky:
https://x.com/shaneharris
https://bsky.app/profile/shaneharris.bsky.social

Audio: https://pod.fo/e/37aa41
YouTube: https://youtu.be/E3Szp68dFh0

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Secrets and Spies is produced by F & P LTD.
Music by Andrew R. Bird
Photo by Guglielmo Mangiapane/Reuters

Secrets and Spies sits at the intersection of intelligence, covert action, real-world espionage, and broader geopolitics in a way that is digestible but serious. Hosted by filmmaker Chris Carr and writer Matt Fulton, each episode examines the very topics that real intelligence officers and analysts consider on a daily basis through the lens of global events and geopolitics, featuring expert insights from former spies, authors, and journalists.