Recent Posts
News•Jan 30, 2026
Police Reform at a Glance: Centralisation and a ‘British FBI’?
Home Secretary Yvette Mahmood unveiled the most extensive police reform in eight decades, proposing a National Police Service (NPS) dubbed the "British FBI" to centralise organised‑crime investigations. The plan aims to boost performance, cut costs and ease jurisdictional friction amid a £450 million budget shortfall that could swell to £966 million by 2027. It also introduces a £115 million National Centre for AI in Policing to standardise technology across forces. Critics warn the reforms lack clear funding pathways and could strain already stretched national agencies.
By RUSI
News•Jan 29, 2026
Helicopters Remain a Vital Part of the Joint-Force
Helicopters remain essential to modern joint‑force operations despite recent high‑profile losses. Russian air‑assault failures at Hostomel exposed coordination, intelligence, and air‑defence challenges, while the U.S. operation in Venezuela demonstrated precise, integrated helicopter insertions enabled by extensive SEAD, cyber, and space...
By RUSI
News•Jan 29, 2026
Ukraine’s ‘Kinetic Sanctions’ Change the Game
Ukraine has launched a series of "kinetic sanctions" targeting Russia's shadow‑fleet oil tankers, using maritime drones and alleged limpet mines. Since November, at least eleven tankers – eight carrying crude – have been damaged, driving Black Sea insurance rates up...
By RUSI
News•Jan 28, 2026
Old Ships, Modern Menace: How to Tackle the World’s Shadow Fleets
Shadow fleets—aging, flag‑hopping tankers that spoof AIS—now move roughly 12% of global maritime trade and account for at least 48% of the world’s large oil tankers. The United States seized a seventh covert tanker in January 2026, while France and...
By RUSI
News•Jan 28, 2026
Why Economic Pain Won’t Stop Russia’s War
Sanctions and economic pressure have strained Russia’s economy, but the war persists. The article argues that historical cases show economic pain rarely forces a state to abandon a large‑scale conflict unless it triggers military defeat, elite fragmentation, or regime collapse....
By RUSI
News•Jan 27, 2026
What Are China’s New Wolf Warriors Really Fighting For?
China’s “wolf‑warrior” diplomats have re‑emerged as a visible front of aggressive foreign policy, but their rhetoric is driven largely by internal CCP pressures rather than pure external strategy. Recent investigations of senior Central Military Commission members and the removal of...
By RUSI
News•Jan 26, 2026
Drugs Trafficking in Venezuela Is an Ocean Away From the Capture of Maduro
The article argues that the capture of Nicolás Maduro will have little effect on Venezuela’s role as a major cocaine transit hub. About 250 metric tons of cocaine—roughly 10 % of global output—pass through the country each year, facilitated by criminal groups...
By RUSI
News•Jan 22, 2026
The UK and Trump’s National Security Strategy
The Trump administration’s new National Security Strategy pivots toward a narrow, "America First" agenda, emphasizing national‑interest priorities, Western Hemisphere dominance, great‑power stability, an aggressive Indo‑Pacific posture, and economic revitalisation. It downplays global leadership in Europe, relegating the U.S. role to...
By RUSI