Security Policy
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Book Review: Intelligence In An Insecure World
Peter Gill and Mark Phythian, (Polity 3rd Edition, 2018). pp. 256. For a Hollywood buff, Peter Gill and Mark Phythian’s Intelligence in an Insecure World feels a bit off because it doesn’t really romanticise espionage. Instead of just lingering on secretive heroics or that familiar operational myth thing, the authors drop the reader into how… Read More
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Missile-Induced Systemic Compression And Crisis Stability In South Asia
Abstract: Technological acceleration is compressing decision-making timelines between nuclear-armed adversaries in ways classical deterrence theory did not anticipate. This essay introduces the concept of “missile-induced systemic compression” to explain how supersonic velocity and dual-capable ambiguity—the inability to distinguish conventional from nuclear warheads—systematically reduce crisis decision windows below the threshold required for deliberative management. Examining the… Read More
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The Next Phase of GCC Deterrence
Abstract: Across many waves of indiscriminate missile and drone attacks by Iran, the performance of defensive systems deployed by the GCC, especially the UAE, has been both consistent and strategically consequential. In a region where stability is both a security imperative and an economic necessity, this represents a major strategic achievement. The next phase of… Read More
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China’s Smart Power Play For Hearts And Minds
Abstract: The People’s Republic of China’s contemporary power strategy extends beyond military modernisation. It integrates overt strategic signalling, digitally amplified emotional storytelling, and Confucian moral framing into a unified hybrid model of influence. Through spectacles such as the 2025 Victory Day Parade, curated soldier narratives, and globally celebrated athletic achievements, Beijing projects deterrence while cultivating… Read More
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The U.S.’ Strategic Flexibility In A Multipolar Era
Abstract: The 2026 Hormuz Crisis is often misinterpreted as a fraying of Western influence; however, a closer look reveals a calculated recalibration of U.S. power. This article examines Washington’s pivot toward “Strategic Autonomy”, a move that shifts the burden of regional stability onto competitors while insulating Western markets. Problem statement: How can the U.S. redefine… Read More
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On Rebooting An Army: Part II/II
Abstract: Modern armed forces face a paradox: the longer peace endures, the less prepared they become for war. This essay develops the concept of military entropy to explain the institutional decay that afflicts militaries during prolonged, unchallenged stability. Using the German Bundeswehr as a contemporary case study and the Prussian defeat of 1806 as a… Read More
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Britain Cannot Claim Restraint While Enabling War
Abstract: Britain’s decision to allow the United States to use RAF Fairford and Diego Garcia in military action tied to the Iran crisis raises a simple but serious question. Can a state still call itself restrained when it provides the territory, access, and infrastructure that enable escalation? This article argues that it cannot. Once British-controlled… Read More
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Russia’s Warning Echoes A Hard Truth About Afghanistan
Abstract: Russia’s latest warning on Afghanistan matters because it lines up with the broader picture described in recent international reporting. The central issue is not whether Moscow has motives; it does. The issue is whether the underlying security assessment is credible. On that question, the evidence points in one direction. Afghanistan remains a permissive space… Read More
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Why Strong Militaries Still Lose: Legitimacy and Strategic Failure
Abstract: This paper examines why militarily advanced states often fail to achieve their objectives through foreign policy efforts despite possessing superior forces relative to an adversary. Based on a political-strategic model, this research argues that the political legitimacy of a state with respect to its decision-making and level of strategic coherence will determine whether or… Read More
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The Hidden Political Economy of Security Cooperation
Abstract: This paper examines how external security cooperation (SC) can reshape the political economies of fragile states. Often framed as a neutral transfer of training and equipment, SC is inherently political-economic, redistributing rents, reconfiguring authority, and altering elite bargains. The paper advances a four-mechanism framework—patronage, veto players, deterritorialisation of authority, and legitimacy—to explain how assistance… Read More
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