War Studies

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

Join us in celebrating Professor Didier Bigo's groundbreaking research that has fundamentally challenged and expanded th...
29/05/2026

Join us in celebrating Professor Didier Bigo's groundbreaking research that has fundamentally challenged and expanded the field of international relations. Drawing on the rich traditions of relational sociology — from Norbert Elias and Pierre Bourdieu to Ulrich Beck and Michel Foucault — Didier has brought a bold, interdisciplinary lens to some of the most pressing issues of our time: terrorism and counterterrorism, policing, intelligence, war, conflict, border security, migration, refugees, human rights, and democracy monitoring. He has pushed back against the narrow American political science orthodoxies that long dominated the field, opening international relations up to political sociology, political theory, critical literature, and anthropological methodologies.

The main part of this event is a panel of Didier's former doctoral students who will share how Didier's work inspired their research and highlight his remarkable contribution to critical scholarship and the field of international relations.

🗓️ 8 June | 🕠 17:30 | 📍Strand
🔗https://ow.ly/ew6l50Z5G3g

⏰ NEXT MONDAY: The Forum for Private Security Research invites you to an insightful seminar focusing on the emergence an...
29/05/2026

⏰ NEXT MONDAY: The Forum for Private Security Research invites you to an insightful seminar focusing on the emergence and evolution of Private Maritime Security Companies (PMSCs) over the past two to three decades, particularly in relation to counter-piracy operations in the Indian Ocean.

This event is based on the speaker’s ongoing research as a visiting fellow at the Defence Studies Department, King’s College London. It will specifically explore the structural factors that have led to the resurgence of PMSCs in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, including globalisation, the expansion of the merchant fleet, and shifts in naval capabilities and strategic priorities. Attendees will gain insights into the ongoing challenges of balancing various diverse maritime security threats, securing vast sea lines of communication, and the implications of PMSCs for state authority and maritime governance. Additionally, the discussion will place PMSCs within a historical context, highlighting their role in the broader narrative of maritime and naval history.
🗓️ 1 June | 🕒 17:30 | 📍Strand
🔗 https://ow.ly/hMOQ50YTaOQ

🎙️New podcast! Afghanistan: 25 Years After 9/11. On the Brink of Another Crisis? In this latest episode, Colin Smith, co...
28/05/2026

🎙️New podcast!

Afghanistan: 25 Years After 9/11. On the Brink of Another Crisis?

In this latest episode, Colin Smith, co-ordinator of the UN Security Council’s 1267/1988 Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, joins Tim Willasey-Wilsey, Graham Aikin and Dr Paul McGarr to examine Afghanistan nearly 25 years after 9/11 and assess whether it is again becoming a base for international terrorism under Taliban rule.

The discussion explores the presence of groups such as al-Qaeda, ISIL-K and regional militants, the Taliban’s internal dynamics, and how the global terrorist threat has become more fragmented and decentralised. It also considers evolving radicalisation pathways, the role of new technologies and the challenges facing Western counterterrorism policy.

🎧Listen now:
☁️ https://bit.ly/3RyJomE
🟢 https://bit.ly/3PsxEBt
🍎 https://bit.ly/4uETyRh

▶️Watch the interview: https://bit.ly/3Rz7gGB

Is South Korea entering the elite loyal-wingman race?South Korea has announced a programme to develop a 4,500lb-class (2...
28/05/2026

Is South Korea entering the elite loyal-wingman race?

South Korea has announced a programme to develop a 4,500lb-class (2,040kg) turbofan engine by 2029. It will be suitable for collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) systems and other unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) platforms.

Dr Bence Nemeth says the effort is not aimed at replicating cheap UAVs such as the Iranian Shahed model, but instead points towards CCA, loyal-wingman and higher-end unmanned aircraft.

He argues that the war in Ukraine, along with Iranian drone operations, has demonstrated the importance of mass and affordability in drone warfare, while also showing that propulsion is a critical bottleneck across the drone spectrum.

With this development, South Korea appears to be targeting the upper end of the market, where its aerospace and defence-industrial strengths are more relevant.

🔗https://bit.ly/4wRgUo8

Is power diminishing in the Middle East?“We’re probably seeing the final days of American empire in the Middle East,” ...
27/05/2026

Is power diminishing in the Middle East?

“We’re probably seeing the final days of American empire in the Middle East,” says Dr Andreas Krieg.

and the US are working to reach an agreement.

According to Dr Krieg, states were shocked by the degree to which Washington prioritised protecting Israel from Iranian and , despite trillions of dollars in Gulf investment flowing into the US.

“Across the Gulf, there is complete disillusionment with American influence and the ability of America to lead,” he explains.

🔗https://bit.ly/4xaU0sf

⏰ TOMORROW: Ships and the shipping industry occupy a liminal place in most understandings of Britain at war. When shippi...
27/05/2026

⏰ TOMORROW: Ships and the shipping industry occupy a liminal place in most understandings of Britain at war. When shipping does appear it emerges as a source of vulnerability, or of peril upon the high seas. Shipowners are rendered as archetypal profiteers, wedded to outdated notions of free trade that were unsuitable for an age of mass mobilization and state power. In the First World War, it was only action by the state that seemed to overcome these inherent faults as the Ministry of Shipping finally imposed order upon an otherwise chaotic and antiquated industry. The nationalization of shipping occurred just in time, and too late.

This paper develops an alternative account of the wartime relationship between ships, shipowners, and the state – and thus of Britain at war. Building on Peter Davies’ insistence that shipping be understood in international context, it argues that seeing shipping through a prism of national organization fundamentally distorts how Britain made war between 1914-18. British strategy was predicated upon its capacity to exploit, adjust, and re-make the forms of global connectivity that had underpinned its financial and geopolitical power. This could not be achieved through any measure of state control possible at this time. The state lacked the economic understanding, administrative capacity, or political appetite to dictate world trade. Rather, the state evolved a purposeful policy of partnership and co-operation with maritime business that saw the logic of shipping become central to British strategic decision-making. The dictates of maritime transport ‘controlled’ how the war was fought, and ensured that it was far more than a ‘national’ endeavor.

🗓️ 28 May | 🕔 17:15 | 📍Strand
🔗https://ow.ly/ZqX850YXCbX

📢 Registration is open for the Freeman Air and Space Institute's 2026 Postgraduate Air & Space Conference📅 Monday 8th Ju...
26/05/2026

📢 Registration is open for the Freeman Air and Space Institute's 2026 Postgraduate Air & Space Conference

📅 Monday 8th June
📌 King’s Building, Strand

The day will welcome a number of industry speakers including MA and PhD students from across Europe, bringing diverse knowledge and expertise to their papers.

Secure your place now and hear our expert panellists discuss the latest on air and space power.

Sign up 👇
https://www.kcl.ac.uk/events/air-and-space-postgraduate-conference-2026

Has gained the upper hand in the Strait of Hormuz?Dr Rob Geist Pinfold argues that time is currently on Iran's side. H...
22/05/2026

Has gained the upper hand in the Strait of Hormuz?

Dr Rob Geist Pinfold argues that time is currently on Iran's side. He explains that as the impasse continues, Iran's strategic position strengthens because it can "prolong this strange ceasefire" and use the time to "create facts on the ground that entrench its hold" over the region's most critical waterway.

Dr Pinfold says "Iran has de facto control over the Strait of Hormuz”, a significant shift in power that did not exist before the conflict began. He describes this position as a
"stranglehold over the strait”, noting that Tehran's leverage does not require total administrative governance. Instead, he asserts that "it doesn't need to control everything that goes on in that waterway. All it needs to do is have the proven means and ability to disrupt shipping”.

Regarding diplomatic efforts, he suggests that while a deal focused specifically on reopening the Strait might "give some breathing room in the short term”, it would fail to provide a "definitive end to the war”. He warns that such a proposal would simply mean "the tough issues that caused this war in the first place would be deferred" to a later date, leaving the door open for another round of conflict if talks don't go any further.

🔗https://bit.ly/43kc4SO

"Failing to act militarily in the Middle East was not simply a policy choice but a reputational wound — a sign that Brit...
22/05/2026

"Failing to act militarily in the Middle East was not simply a policy choice but a reputational wound — a sign that Britain had stepped back from the kind of country it believes itself to be.”

In a new article in Global Society, Ben Soodavar examines how the discourse of “loss” shapes British foreign policy identity, tracing the links between moral duty, international standing and humanitarian intervention from nineteenth-century anti-slavery campaigns to the 2013 parliamentary debate on Syria.

Drawing on Hansard archives and discourse analysis, the article argues that Britain’s self-image as a humanitarian power continues to influence how political elites frame action, and inaction, in world affairs.

Read in full: https://bit.ly/3RoQFFo

Could drone flights over the spark a crisis? ’s Baltic allies have detected drones in their airspace. Kyiv accuses o...
22/05/2026

Could drone flights over the spark a crisis?

’s Baltic allies have detected drones in their airspace. Kyiv accuses of diverting them via signal jamming, but denies it.

Dr Marina Miron says it remains difficult to determine whether the alleged deviations in the flight paths of Ukrainian drones are actually the result of signal spoofing.

She argues that electronic warfare can create political and psychological effects on the adversary and its allies without triggering a direct military response.

However, she warns that uncertainty about the origin or intent of attacks amplifies the impact beyond the technical realm, shaping perceptions of security, cohesion among allies, and the allocation of defensive resources. “This creates fertile ground for misunderstandings and, potentially, for dangerous miscalculations,” Dr Miron notes.

🔗https://bit.ly/43ofJ1W

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