Defence Talks: Securing UK Advantage

With steady-state peacetime patrols officially over and the countdown to full warfighting readiness by 2029 underway, General Sir Gwyn Jenkins – First Sea Lord, Chief of the Naval Staff, and the first Royal Marine in history to lead the Royal Navy – sits down for an exclusive, wide-ranging deep dive on Defence Talks.
In conversation with Viktorija Starych-Samuolienė and Paul Mason, the head of the Royal Navy offers an unvarnished assessment of a volatile global landscape, exposing the escalating Russian subsurface threat actively targeting critical underwater data and energy infrastructure. Drawing direct lessons from asymmetric Ukrainian victories in the Black Sea, he details why maritime power is undergoing its biggest paradigm shift in a century and why the Royal Navy must adapt at pace.
The discussion unpacks deep interchangeability with Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) allies across the High North, alongside the blueprint for a lethal hybrid fleet pairing conventional crewed warships with autonomous escorts and deploying the cutting-edge Atlantic Net surveillance network. Crucially, General Sir Gwyn Jenkins also outlines an internal overhaul of the Royal Navy itself: transforming officer education, top-down leadership, and empowering frontline innovators to build a force equipped to win.


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In this episode, we unpack everything you need to know about information warfare, the cognitive battlespace, and how democracies can counter hostile state narratives.
Viktorija Starych-Samuolienė is joined by:
* Dr Rob Johnson, Director of the Oxford Strategy, Statecraft, and Technology Centre, and former Director, Secretary of State’s Office for Net Assessment and Challenge (SONAC);
* Simon Bergman, CEO of M&C Saatchi World Services and former British Army officer.
The conversation tackles the escalating geostrategic pressures across the digital domain and how adversaries like Russia, the People’s Republic of China (PRC), and Iran conduct influence operations below the threshold of conventional armed conflict. We explore the spending disparities between allies and hostile states, the critical role commercial and creative industries play in modern national security, and how rapid developments in Artificial Intelligence (AI) are reshaping cyber resilience and data warfare. Finally, we examine how democratic societies can build cognitive resilience through better data hygiene, proactive communication strategies, and whole-of-government agility.


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In this Special Episode, we unpack everything you need to know about the Farnborough International Airshow this week.
Viktorija Starych-Samuoliene is joined by:
* Kevin Craven, CEO, ADS Group;
* Véronique Bardelmann – CEO, SVP Europe; CEI, Safran Group and, ADS Vice President for Aerospace
The conversation unpacks the main themes and aims of the Farnborough International Airshow, the geopolitical context that makes the Airshow so important this year, and the relationships that need to be strengthened to ensure the UK’s aerospace and defence industries see the greatest growth.


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In Season 3, Episode 3, we unpack everything you need to know about the recent NATO Summit in Ankara.
Paul and Viktorija are joined by:
* Sir Stuart Atha KBE CB DSO, Director at BAE Systems, Head of the UK NATO Industrial Advisory Group;
* Emma Baker, Group Facilitator, UK NIAG Delegation;
* Charles Clover, Defence and Security Correspondent, Financial Times.
The conversation tackles the primary geostrategic pressures driving the alliance. We unpack the key takeaways from the summit and the recent NATO Industrial Advisory Group Plenary hosted in the United Kingdom (UK) for the first time this century. We also explore the practical implications of a ‘NATO-first’ posture for UK defence planning, and the critical capability gaps European allies must address as the United States’ priorities shift.


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How does the UK transition its armed forces to a true warfighting footing? 
In Season 3, Episode 2, we are joined by Luke Pollard MP, Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, to discuss the structural and cultural changes required to rebuild Britain's defence industrial base.
The conversation tackles the reality of legacy procurement delays and the push for faster, more adaptable equipment delivery. Defence Minister Luke Pollard unpacks the Royal Navy’s transition to a hybrid fleet of uncrewed and autonomous platforms, the practical steps being taken to clear hurdles for SMEs, and how a reformed defence strategy can deter peer adversaries while acting as a genuine engine for UK economic growth.
Find Defence Talks: Securing UK Advantage on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Castbox, Radio Public, Soundcloud, Pocketcast and Overcast.


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.britainsworld.org.uk