The talk will begin with discussing the parameters of the Strategic Defence Review, including its terms of reference and the major factors that affected. This will be followed by some reflections on the method adopted for this (unique for UK) externally-led Review. To conclude, some personal reflections on the reality of command at strategic and Theatre level, including in the transition from post-Cold War era to a new era of state-level confrontation.

Why did France lose to the Nazis, despite its defenders having more tanks, troops, and guns? How did Ukraine repel Russia’s initial onslaught? In his new book, Warhead, Wright journeys through the brain to show us how it shapes human behaviour in conflict and war. Cutting-edge research comes to life through battle stories from history: What was it like for American or Chinese foot soldiers in World War Two? How did leaders like Churchill or Eisenhower make wiser decisions?

The digital revolution and the development of artificial intelligence are affecting an ever-growing range of fields, and intelligence analysis is no exception. Amid such dynamic changes, reflection is needed to better understand their nature, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of both traditional and emerging analytical techniques. One domain that perhaps best captures the current situation is open-source analysis.

The last half century has seen society, technology, the character of conflict and the British Army itself all change greatly. From a low point in the 1970s, the Army's war fighting capability increased in the 1980s in the face of a prospective war with the Soviet Union. This capability was then tested on operations from Kuwait in 1991 through to Afghanistan in 2001 and the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Richard was an Australian Fulbright Scholar to Yale University where he was a Global Justice Fellow. He was the inaugural Chief of Navy Fellow and a Visiting Fellow to the Changing Character of War Centre at Pembroke College, Oxford. He holds doctorates: from the University of Western Australia and from the University of New South Wales. He is interested in the relationship between law and ethics, in public responsibility, in character, and in relationships between leadership, organisational culture, and risk. He serves in the Royal Australian Navy in the rank a commander.

The Changing Character of War will convene a panel to discuss Patrick Porter's new book with Stanford University Press. Porter makes the case for realism in the age of war, economic dislocation and climate crisis. Porter tackles three prominent criticisms of realism: that it is immoral, unrealistic, and provincial.

American foreign and defence policy is in the throes of change. A new national defence strategy points to a reduced focus on Europe and a heightened emphasis on the western hemisphere in general and the American homeland in particular. Military action against Iran and alleged drug cartels offers preliminary evidence of how the president thinks about the use of force. But there are larger unanswered questions over the administration's approach to nuclear strategy, competition with China and the proper balance of forces between different theatres.