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War Studies The Department of War Studies at King's College London is a leading department in its field; devoted exclusively to the study of conflict and security

🎙️ New War Stories episode!In the latest episode of our podcast, Rupert Lane and Nick Denning take us to sea with Andr...
21/10/2026

🎙️ New War Stories episode!
In the latest episode of our podcast, Rupert Lane and Nick Denning take us to sea with Andrew Young (BA War Studies 2004-2007, current War Studies PhD candidate). Andrew reflects on his service as a naval officer and specialist educator, including deployments to Libya in 2014 and 2015, when naval operations were redirected to respond to humanitarian crises.
Andrew shares how the crews had to adapt rapidly to situations they were not originally prepared for - a superb example of the military principle of “adapt and overcome.”

🎧 Listen to the episode to explore Andrew's experiences on how to adapt in rapid time to a new mission.
☁️https://bit.ly/3UasVqk
🟢https://bit.ly/4seRXku
🍎https://bit.ly/4i6p9Gf
▶️Watch the interview: https://bit.ly/4zIs8vR

Is copying ’s playbook in the Black Sea?At least 8 cargo vessels in the western Black Sea were attacked over the past...
19/10/2026

Is copying ’s playbook in the Black Sea?

At least 8 cargo vessels in the western Black Sea were attacked over the past month. Dr Rod Thornton notes that Moscow had previously been reluctant to risk provoking by striking in the Black Sea, but that mounting pressure from may have convinced Vladimir of a need to raise the stakes.

“If one state like Iran is probably quite effective in its activity in the Strait of the Hormuz, then it makes kind of perfect sense for the Russians to try and copy that,” he adds.

Dr Thornton analyses that these attacks are virtually risk-free for Russia because they target unregistered, "flag of convenience" vessels crewed by mariners from the developing world. By avoiding the deaths of Western nationals, Moscow can directly intimidate eastern NATO members like Romania and Bulgaria.

Crucially, the tactic relies on plausible deniability due to the difficulty of pinpointing the precise origin of the drone strikes. Because the attacks occur in exclusive economic zones rather than territorial waters, they exploit a legal grey area regarding NATO's Article 5 protections.

🔗https://bit.ly/47yfJP5

Why is so important to ?Dr Mark Hilborne notes that while satellite communications are not military technology, they ...
19/10/2026

Why is so important to ?

Dr Mark Hilborne notes that while satellite communications are not military technology, they enable armed forces to communicate and build a real-time, multi-domain picture of the battlefield that few others currently possess. Low-Earth orbit networks like and Starshield deliver high bandwidth with virtually no signal delay, allowing vast amounts of information to pass seamlessly.

He explains that Starshield provides specialised military capabilities that grow out of the operational experience of Starlink. Operating with a much smaller number of satellites, Starshield incorporates high-grade encryption and advanced sensors for Earth observation, providing radar imaging capabilities that offer distinct advantages over standard optical pictures.

Regarding the conflict in Ukraine, Dr Hilborne describes Starshield as "highly critical" to battlefield operations. When speed restrictions are imposed on military devices, communications suddenly cut off once velocity thresholds are crossed, leaving fast-moving equipment without navigation data and forcing them to “fly blind”.

This loss of connectivity poses a major challenge for unmanned aerial operations on the front lines. Dr Hilborne notes that stable satellite signals are vital not only for launching offensive medium-range drone strikes, but also for maintaining Ukraine's ability to fly defensive drones to intercept incoming attacks from Russian drones.

🔗https://bit.ly/4dNNBuS

⏰ NEXT MONDAYThis talk will emphasise the dynamic and evolving nature of the interactions of belligerents, offering new ...
16/10/2026

⏰ NEXT MONDAY
This talk will emphasise the dynamic and evolving nature of the interactions of belligerents, offering new insights into how the organisation of warring parties influences the conduct of war, and conversely, how the fighting impacts the organisational structure of the belligerents.

🗓️ 19 Oct | 🕧12:30-14:00 | 📍Strand Campus
🔗https://bit.ly/4AFb2jD

📕 Book talk!The Research Centre in International Relations (RCIR) is delighted to invite you to the book talk by Dr Mirk...
15/10/2026

📕 Book talk!
The Research Centre in International Relations (RCIR) is delighted to invite you to the book talk by Dr Mirko Palestrino.
In this talk, Dr Palestrino will present his new book that rethinks hegemonic understandings of military victory as the outcome of war by focusing on the relationship between victory and time.
The book demonstrates that the end of war has little to do with warfighting. Wars are made to end through a series of victory practices that seek to clearly mark a conflict’s temporal boundaries to convince key audiences of its definitive outcome.
🗓️ 11 November | 🕔 17:00-19:00 | 📍Strand Campus
🔗Register here: https://bit.ly/4zEeD0h

Is the RAF Fairford incident exposing the UK government’s dilemma?Dr Rob Geist Pinfold notes that the UK government has ...
14/10/2026

Is the RAF Fairford incident exposing the UK government’s dilemma?

Dr Rob Geist Pinfold notes that the UK government has to walk a "very, very strange tightrope" of not being part of the war effort. Unlike other European nations, the UK has granted permission for the US to launch operations against Iran from RAF Fairford, which is why Iran "painted a target on Fairford".

As Pinfold observes, "[The UK] certainly doesn't think the war was a good idea now, but at the same time it doesn't want to alienate the US" while continuing to view Iran as a national security threat.

This diplomatic balancing act places Prime Minister Andy Burnham in a "tough spot". Dr Pinfold notes that Burnham "might find himself doing the same thing as [former Prime Minister] Keir Starmer, trying to pretend the special relationship is still alive and well when there are very clear cracks in the surface."

However, he also analyses that while the UK views the Iran conflict as a threat to national security, it presents a "potential opportunity simply because Gulf states are looking to diversify the security partnerships".

🔗https://bit.ly/4s8HIyq

⏰TOMORROW: This workshop brings together academia, government and industry to explore these challenges and discuss oppor...
14/10/2026

⏰TOMORROW: This workshop brings together academia, government and industry to explore these challenges and discuss opportunities for collaboration, with a particular focus on the AUKUS partnership.

🗓️ 15 Oct | 🕙 10:00-15:00 | 📍Strand Campus
🔗https://bit.ly/3UZVjLY

⏰ TOMORROW: Featuring a curated selection of art and poetry created by young people aged 9 to 18 from around the world, ...
13/10/2026

⏰ TOMORROW: Featuring a curated selection of art and poetry created by young people aged 9 to 18 from around the world, this exhibition offers unique, unfiltered perspectives on conflict, peace, and reconciliation, all rooted in the personal experiences of a younger generation.

The exhibition will be open at all times to King’s staff and students and from 15:00-17:00 daily between 19 and 23 October for members of the public.

Exhibition Opening:
🗓️ 14 Oct | 🕡 18:30-21:00 | 📍Strand Campus
🔗https://bit.ly/4yRYkwh

Is diplomacy dead in the Saudi Arabia-Houthi conflict?Last Saturday's attack on Saudi Arabia, including the strike on Ri...
12/10/2026

Is diplomacy dead in the Saudi Arabia-Houthi conflict?

Last Saturday's attack on Saudi Arabia, including the strike on Riyadh Airport, marked a major escalation.

Dr Nawaf Obaid notes that the Saudi-led coalition's sequential airstrikes are continuously degrading Houthi drone and missile capabilities, provoking Houthi retaliation as pressure mounts. While guarding a territory larger than Western Europe presents spatial challenges, Saudi Arabia’s multi-layered air defences, supported by international partners like France, continue to intercept the vast majority of incoming strikes.

Having achieved limited success against military installations, Houthi forces have resorted to targeting civilian infrastructure, including Riyadh Airport. Intentionally targeting non-military civilian assets to force a return to the negotiating table, as Dr Obaid highlights, constitutes a war crime that borders on crimes against humanity.

While advanced Royal Saudi Air Force operations and allied geospatial intelligence support have made targeting highly effective, airpower alone cannot resolve the conflict. Neutralising the Houthi threat requires a coordinated tri-component strategy spanning air, land, and sea capabilities.

Dr Obaid argues that overcoming ground vulnerabilities will require unifying Yemeni command structures alongside continued technical and ground assistance from allies like Turkey and Pakistan. Consequently, he does not believe there can be any hope for diplomacy or an off-ramp at this point, "after everything that's happened", especially for a country as important and globally consequential as Saudi Arabia.

🔗https://bit.ly/47bgLAv

The SCORE Religions & Peacebuilding programme, led by Dr Stacey Gutkowski, is part of the Social Consequences of Religio...
12/10/2026

The SCORE Religions & Peacebuilding programme, led by Dr Stacey Gutkowski, is part of the Social Consequences of Religions (SCORE) Initiative. Funded by the Templeton Religion Trust, SCORE looks at the effects of religious beliefs, behaviours and institutions across areas including social cooperation, peacebuilding, economic development, and health and wellbeing.

The Religion & Peacebuilding Commons is the first living, global archive of research and practice on religion and peacebuilding.

We’re inviting people working in the field to help grow the Commons and expand its existing collection of research and resources.

Contributions could include:

- Peer-reviewed academic publications
- Individual and organisational profiles
- Datasets
- Ongoing research projects
- Policy briefs
- Peace practitioner publications
- Peace practitioner evaluation and learning tools
- Upcoming events or job opportunities

If you have work or resources that you think would be useful to include, we’d be very happy to hear from you.

🔗: https://religionandpeacebuilding.com/

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