Air Power Assn

In our latest High Ground podcast we get a privileged look into the workings of the @RoyalAirForce at a special event held at @RAFBrizeNorton. This is the first of three podcasts from there and covers the role of Control of the Air. airspacepower.com/the-high-groun…

🚨🇺🇸 The biggest concern now may be whether America can sustain another conflict. Fmr deputy Commander at RAF Air Command Greg Bagwell says stockpiles are no longer at levels needed to deter or fight a major power like China. He says that creates a serious strategic vulnerability. @gregbagwell

EXCLUSIVE: The UK is preparing a new version of a major plan to ready the whole nation - from the military and police to hospitals and industry - for the transition to war, the head of the armed forces has told Sky News. Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton said the updated iteration of what was called the Government War Book would require people to think differently about resilience, drawing on lessons from the Cold War but "in a modern context, with a modern society, with modern infrastructure". In an interview on Friday at the London Defence Conference, he also revealed that a threat by the UK to seize ships that are part of Russia's murky "shadow fleet" is already having an effect, even though British forces have yet to board any vessels. The chief of the defence staff said the mere knowledge that London was ready to target a sanctioned tanker was forcing Moscow to escort them or divert them away from UK waters. However, shadow fleet ships have still been spotted off the coastline without being stopped. Asked whether an actual boarding operation was imminent, Air Chief Marshal Knighton said: "Be in no doubt. We are ready." You can read about the full interview here ⬇️ news.sky.com/story/uk-prepa…

Tune in now to our latest High Ground podcast with @gregbagwell and @BellusUK as they discuss the ceasefire in Iran and unpick what America has achieved. They also take a look at the incredible rescue of the downed F-15E aircrew. airspacepower.com/the-high-groun…

@gregbagwell @BellusUK On YT here: youtube.com/watch? And Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/2oy5Ke…?

Can Britain achieve its Arctic ambitions? Join us for an online panel discussion to explore the UK’s Arctic ambitions across air, land & sea. What does it want to achieve, and what trade-offs are being accepted? 📅 17 April ⏲️10am BST 📍Zoom 👇 kcl.ac.uk/events/arctic-…

Yesterday was a tough day at the office for American airpower, and it added losses to a small but growing number. It sounds like at least 2 x A-10, an F-15E and a Reaper drone were lost on (not so Good) Friday, and a number of aircraft damaged. What lessons can we glean? 🧵1/13

In our latest high Ground podcast @gregbagwell and @BellusUK assess the the Iran war three weeks on, and what the possible outcomes might be, including the impact on Ukraine. airspacepower.com/the-high-groun…

There have been quite a few politicians calling for the UK to join strikes against Iran, particularly against those systems posing any threat to UK bases and personnel. Let me explain some of the challenges with taking that approach. Let’s start with the threat. 🧵1/10

British military bases in Cyprus. This is what Ukraine’s security proposal could look like – our experts would place interception teams, and set up radars and acoustic coverage, and this would all work. If Iran launched a large-scale attack – similar to Russian attacks – we would guarantee protection. This is the kind of reinforcement we offer, and it may soon be needed across Europe. And drones can be launched not only from land, but also from ships at sea. Such long-range strikes are no longer rare. Different countries already use them. And since European seas still have many tankers from Russia’s shadow fleet, launching drones from such vessels is no longer something unexpected. From my address to the Parliament of the United Kingdom (5/7)

scoop: The UK drone interceptor start-up Cambridge Aerospace, founded in 2024, is in funding talks at $1bn-plus valuation. Full details: ft.com/content/78a9fc…

Trump is desperately seeking an off ramp in Iran, where he can both claim victory and reduce US effort. He has decimated Iran’s missiles and Navy, but other objectives, such as Iran’s nuclear capability, remain elusive. But the Oil situation is now forcing his hand.🧵1/10

Tune in to our latest High Ground podcast with @gregbagwell and @BellusUK as they discuss the conduct of the war in Iran, how it started and why, where the UK fits in and how it ends. Our thanks to the @RoyalAirForce for the loan of an aircraft! airspacepower.com/the-high-groun…

Also available on YouTube m.youtube.com/watch?v=8pnN_C… and Spotify open.spotify.com/episode/75UZIj…

Our latest High Ground podcast is out now. Sean @BellusUK and I discuss the first 2 weeks of the War on Iran and how it might finish: airspacepower.com/the-high-groun…. Our thanks to the @RoyalAirForce for the loan of a C17! However, the views expressed are entirely ours, not theirs.

Sean @BellusUK and I have been at RAF Brize Norton the last few days with our small podcast team. We witnessed the @RoyalAirForce’s annual Air & Space Combat Power “exhibition”, and will soon be posting a series of podcasts covering the capabilities and themes on show. 🧵1/3

With calls growing for @Keir_Starmer to accelerate plans to rebuild the UK’s armed forces, we tracked our military shrinkage from 1983 (a year after UK forces seized back the Falklands from Argentina) to now. Personnel numbers are down by almost two thirds news.sky.com/story/uk-must-…

Nous devons penser notre stratégie de dissuasion dans la profondeur du continent européen, dans le plein respect de notre souveraineté, avec la mise en place progressive de ce que j’appellerai une dissuasion avancée.

Tune into our High Ground podcast with @gregbagwell and @BellusUK as they examine the build-up to the US air and missile strikes on Iran, launched today, their legality, what the UK might do, and what the consequences might be. airspacepower.com/the-high-groun…

Now on stage at the Security and Defence Conference at Chatham House: Drones: The defence buzz word. Exploring how widespread drone use could signal the rise of autonomous armies and reshape armed forces training. 'Drone is a catch-all term now that can mean all things to all people. They can do almost all of the roles that we perhaps gave our assistance to, some better than others. I think it's therefore important that we understand which of those are applicable to us going forward. There is no doubt that these are as relevant to the land of maritime domain as they have been to the air’ - Air Marshal Greg Bagwell CB CBE, Distinguished Fellow, Military Sciences, Royal United Services Institute Find out more 🔗 chathamhouse.org/events/all/con… #CHSecDef #ChathamHouse #SecurityAndDefence