Defence
The medieval English matriarch was a force to be reckoned with
Like many 15th-century women, Margaret Paston was a fearless protector of her family, supremely capable, in her husband’s absence, of defending their property against predatory neighbours
John Healey’s ‘joint declaration’ with Germany is pure waffle
The new cabinet cannot be accused of laziness. John Healey, secretary of state for defence, has just been on a…
The cost of European peace
After six months of delay, the US Senate has finally passed a $60 billion foreign-aid package which will send urgently…
Britain doesn’t need an Iron Dome
Air defence was in the news this week, after Israel, with the help of allies including the UK, shot down…
Germany’s missteps in Ukraine have left Scholz fighting for his political life
Difficult though it may be to believe, there is chaos at the top of the German government over its mishandling…
Will Nato accept Ukraine?
Shortly after the invasion of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky made an offer to Vladimir Putin. Ukraine would drop its ambition to…
Nato is no longer 'brain dead'
Finland and Sweden will be formally invited to join Nato today. Them joining the alliance will bolster Nato’s presence in the…
France is strong where Britain and America are weak
Emmanuel Macron unveiled his campaign manifesto in a carefully orchestrated press conference on Thursday and his pledges to cut taxes…
Can Britain afford to spend more on defence?
With rumours swirling that the Ministry of Defence will see its budget boosted in next week’s spring statement it’s hard…
Putin’s invasion has exposed the frailty of Europe’s armies
Putin’s forces are currently steamrolling Ukraine’s defences, with Russian troops circling the capital and invading from the south and east…
What I really said to Gordon Brown: Field Marshal Lord Guthrie sets the record straight
A headline in the Mail on Sunday, taken up eagerly by the BBC’s Todayprogramme, claimed recently: ‘The SAS is getting…
Defence contractors were the real winners in Afghanistan
The fall of Kabul, like the fall of Saigon, will be taught in classrooms for decades to come. But the…
Has Britain learned from its failures in Afghanistan?
As the Americans prepare to leave Afghanistan, and in the UK we hold our own Defence Review, should we not…
The terrifying development of AI warfare
The Chauvet-Pont-d’Arc Cave in France contains some of the earliest known Palaeolithic cave paintings, including those of lions, bears, and…
Tanking the tanks could be a big mistake
That an abundance of tanks is no guarantee of a happy and secure nation was evident from the Soviet Union’s…
An off-the-shelf insect repellent could help kill Covid-19
Should we be spraying surfaces, and ourselves, with an off-the-shelf mosquito repellent to tackle the spread of Covid-19? The Ministry…
Australia’s choice: Chinese trade – or American security?
Sydney For decades, Australia has been known as ‘the lucky country’. At the end of the world geographically, we are…
Will Britain find a new role in the world after Brexit?
Britain’s imperial past distorts the debate about our place in the world, but not in the way that is commonly…
If he’s lucky, Jeremy Corbyn might be as good on defence as Nero
Chief of the Defence Staff Sir Nicholas Houghton is worried that Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn will never use the existing…
Wanted: a party leader willing to talk about defence
In the 1984 US presidential election, Ronald Reagan came up with an effective way of embarrassing his rival Walter Mondale…
In this election, won't someone please weaponise defence?
Britain is forfeiting its position on the world stage. With no national debate, we are surrendering our claim to be…
Hadrian’s advice for a new Defence Secretary
Michael Fallon, the new Defence Secretary, is a classicist by training. What lessons, if any, might he take from his…
How I learned to stop worrying and love the Bomb
Just as every child now thinks he’s going to die of global warming, so those of us who grew up…
Max Hastings’ diary: I love the British Army (but not the Blackadder version of it)
The looming centenary of the outbreak of the first world war offers an opportunity to break away from the Blackadder/Oh!…
