At the end of last month’s Group of 7 summit in Biarritz, hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron as fires raged in the Amazon rainforest in Brazil, Macron announced that G7 member nations had approved an £18 million aid package to combat the fires. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro minimised their impact and rejected the help, with US President Donald Trump’s support.
https://www.iiss.org/blogs/survival-blog/2019/09/coercing-climate-change
Bruce Gilley, David Kinsella
As China’s investments along the Belt and Road expand, its organisations and workers are increasingly vulnerable to security threats. While China is ratcheting up pressure on Pakistan to deal with militants, it is also taking measures to secure its own interests, writes Barbara Kelemen.
https://www.iiss.org/blogs/analysis/2019/09/csdp-militancy-in-pakistan
Barbara Kelemen
Tokyo and Seoul have sought to resolve their latest dispute, but they need to address deep-rooted issues that threaten the strategic balance of the region. One side needs to show genuine contrition and the other side needs to forgive, writes William Choong.
https://www.iiss.org/blogs/analysis/2019/08/south-korea-japan-dispute
The Houthi movement, Ansar Allah, has made use of UAVs as a low-cost way to punish the Saudi-led coalition and inflict reputational and political damage. While the tactical advantage of using UAVs is limited, their symbolic value against the coalition and their territories is significant, writes Dhia Muhsin.
https://www.iiss.org/blogs/analysis/2019/08/houthi-uav-strategy-in-yemen
Dhia Muhsin
Political pressure for a maritime-security response in the Strait of Hormuz is fueling debate in the United Kingdom over the size of the Royal Navy. This has shed light on the difficulty of responding to naval shortfalls and re-growing capabilities in the short term, Nick Childs explains.
https://www.iiss.org/blogs/military-balance/2019/08/naval-capability-challenges
Nick Childs
First produced 60 years ago to address improvements in Soviet tank design, the M60 Patton main battle tank remains in service with countries around the world. As a large international market for upgrades therefore remains, Michael Tong explores how Turkey and Jordan have attempted comprehensive upgrades to extend the life of the M60 Patton.
https://www.iiss.org/blogs/military-balance/2019/07/m60-patton
With the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) having recently concluded that traces of undeclared radioactive material were indeed found at a warehouse in Tehran, Mark Fitzpatrick argues the IAEA investigative process is working. A cooperative approach is the best way to provide for the greater access to suspect sites in Iran the IAEA needs if it is to resolve the issue.
In the new, more contested maritime domain, the United States Navy has hinted that the new design of its future Large Surface Combatant will resemble the Zumwalt-class large destroyers. But given technology trends, the US Navy may end up looking for a different balance of platforms to sustain current capabilities, Nick Childs argues.
https://www.iiss.org/blogs/military-balance/2019/07/us-navy-large-surface-combatant
Nick Childs
For the first time in decades, a window exists for Europe to take care of its own defence. But as Fabrice Pothier discovers, Macron’s vision of a European army requires reforms to EU institutions.
https://www.iiss.org/blogs/analysis/2019/01/macron-european-army-reality
Fabrice Pothier
United Kingdom Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt delivered the 34th IISS Fullerton Lecture in Singapore reflecting on Britain’s relationship with its allies after Brexit. As the UK prepares to leave the European Union, Mr Hunt said the example of Singapore had much to offer the UK. ‘Britain can draw encouragement from how Singapore’s separation from the Peninsula did not make it more insular but more open.’ Looking ahead to the New Year, Mr Hunt said there was plenty of evidence to suggest that the so-called rules-based international order is under threat, and that democracy is in retreat.
https://www.iiss.org/events/2019/01/fullerton-lecture-britain-role-post-brexit-world
