The return of geopolitical rivalry has fundamentally altered the demands on British defence. Established in 2023, our Strategic Defence Unit addresses the most pressing questions regarding Britain’s security – from the Euro-Atlantic to the Indo-Pacific.
We look beyond the immediate headlines to analyse long-term trends in deterrence, space power, asymmetric advantage, defence economics, and allies and partners. Our work is driven by a clear mission: to explain how Britain can maintain a decisive edge over its rivals, while strengthening its key alliances and partnerships.
Latest research
Rebuilding the ladder: Options for boosting Britain’s nuclear posture
The Wider North: Refocusing on NATO’s northern flank
Deterrence: Integrating Britain’s conventional and nuclear forces
UK space strategy and the national space interest: A methodological approach
Extended deterrence: From ‘tripwires’ to ‘cobwebs’
Collective defence: The Strategic Defence Review and capability gaps in a changing NATO
United Kingdom-United States Strategic Forum
Established in 2026, the United Kingdom-United States Strategic Forum aims to help uphold the critical partnership between London and Washington amidst intensifying geopolitical competition.
Operating as a crucible for new policy ideas, this invite-only forum convenes a select group of stakeholders to interrogate the shared challenges of the past decade and propose concrete solutions for the next.
Media appearances
James Rogers responds to John Healey’s resignation with an op-ed for LBC
William Freer interviewed on how NATO supply lines are at risk of collapse
Britain’s World
Britain’s World is the Council on Geostrategy’s online magazine. We are the premier place for discussion of the United Kingdom’s international posture, how the world affects and sees Britain, and how Britain sees and affects the world.
Experts
William D. James
Sir Eyre Crowe Adjunct Fellow in Grand Strategy
Main areas of expertise: Grand strategy and British defence policy
Dr William James is an Assistant Professor in Strategic Studies at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Singapore and an Associate Fellow of the Royal Navy’s Strategic Studies Centre. He holds a DPhil from the University of Oxford, and previously held research fellowships at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, the University of Oxford and King’s College London. He published his first book, British Grand Strategy in the Age of American Hegemony, in 2024.