Nuclear
The Last Patrol
The United Kingdom has maintained a continuous at-sea deterrent (CASD) since 1969, code-named Operation Relentless, meaning at least one nuclear-armed submarine is always on patrol, hidden in the world's oceans.
Warfare
Nuclear
Echoes of Armageddon: Why We’ve Stopped Fearing Nuclear War and Why That Should Worry Us
Once, nuclear war haunted films, protests, and public imagination. Today, the fear has faded—but the threat hasn’t. This piece explores how we lost our nuclear anxiety, why that might be dangerous, and what we stand to forget if we stop paying attention.
Musings
Europe's Orbital Awakening: How the EU Space Act Rewrites the Rules of Allied Deterrence
On June 20th, 2025, the European Commission quietly released a draft regulation that is one of the most geopolitically consequential documents of the year. Titled the EU Space Act, it mandates new cybersecurity, resilience, and environmental standards for all space systems operating within the Union. On the surface, it appears
Security
Rearming the Ladder: Britain’s F-35A Move and the Return of Tactical Deterrence
The UK’s announcement that it will procure F-35A Lightning II jets and formally commit to NATO’s nuclear sharing mission marks a subtle but significant shift in its approach to deterrence, escalation, and alliance solidarity. After years of strategic ambiguity and a doctrine that placed Trident as the singular
Musings
Ladders and Leverage: Rethinking the UK's Nuclear Deterrent in an Era of Strategic Ambiguity
@jayallen.pro [Bluesky] | LinkedIn As the United Kingdom enters a new era of strategic competition, marked by the resurgence of great power rivalry, the weaponisation of space and cyberspace, and the erosion of arms control norms, questions about how the UK manages escalation and deterrence are becoming more urgent. The
Musings
The Future Defence of Europe: Nuclear Deterrence and the Domains of Cyber and Space
As Europe faces an increasingly complex security environment, questions around the continent’s future defence posture have taken on renewed urgency. The spectre of Russian aggression, underscored by the ongoing war in Ukraine, as well as the imminent return of Donald Trump to the White House, will force European leaders
Musings
The Spectre of Cyber Espionage: A 21st Century Cold War?
As I delve deeper into my Master’s in Global Security Studies, I find myself drawn to the current events unfolding in the news. The upcoming elections in the U.S. and U.K. have sparked my curiosity about the hidden world of global intelligence, espionage, and secret communication. This
AI
The Drone Revolution is Here: How AI-Powered UAVs are Transforming Modern Warfare
The last decade has seen unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), or drones, become ubiquitous on the modern battlefield. As advanced militaries integrate drones into their operations, a convergence with artificial intelligence promises to revolutionise warfare further. Consumer drones, previously seen as toys, have also proven deadly in conflicts such as Ukraine.