How does the UK transition its armed forces to a true warfighting footing?

In Season 3, Episode 2, we are joined by Luke Pollard MP, Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, to discuss the structural and cultural changes required to rebuild Britain's defence industrial base.

The conversation tackles the reality of legacy procurement delays and the push for faster, more adaptable equipment delivery. Defence Minister Luke Pollard unpacks the Royal Navy’s transition to a hybrid fleet of uncrewed and autonomous platforms, the practical steps being taken to clear hurdles for SMEs, and how a reformed defence strategy can deter peer adversaries while acting as a genuine engine for UK economic growth.

Find Defence Talks: Securing UK Advantage on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Castbox, Radio Public, Soundcloud, Pocketcast and Overcast.

As global threats escalate and technological innovation outpaces traditional training, the UK defence sector faces a defining strategic challenge: an industry-wide skills shortage.

In the Season 3 premiere of Defence Talks, we are joined by:

* R. Adm. Rose OBE, Director of People and Training for the Royal Navy;

* Dr Mary Haigh, Deputy Global Chief Information Officer and Director Digital Delivery Office at BAE Systems; and

* Paul Oxley, Director General, ADS Skills.

With a significant retirement wave approaching as over 30% of the workforce surpasses the age of 55, a projected surge of up to 50,000 new vacancies, and training pipelines stretched to keep pace with rapid AI and cyber advancements, the sector must adapt decisively. Join us as we unpack the need for cross-sector collaboration, ‘squiggly’ career paths, and a STEM education push.

Our guests set out how to build a resilient, highly-skilled workforce capable of safeguarding our national security while driving national economic growth.

Find Defence Talks: Securing UK Advantage on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Castbox, Radio Public, Soundcloud, Pocketcast and Overcast.

Welcome back to Season 2 of ‘Defence Talks: Securing UK Advantage’.

In this special episode, Viktorija Starych-Samuolienė, our Co-founder (Strategy), and Paul Mason, journalist, author and our Adjunct Fellow, are joined by Baroness Dr Sophy Antrobus MBE, Co-director of the Freeman Air and Space Institute and Member of the House of Lords, and Shashank Joshi, Defence Editor, The Economist.

What lessons does the US-Israel-Iran conflict hold for the UK? The panel examines the strategic environment Britain faces and the interests shaping its response. They discuss key military lessons, including missile production depth, air and naval superiority, and force mix, as well as the geoeconomic impact of rising energy prices. The conversation also explores the wider implications for Russia’s war in Ukraine and Britain’s ability to protect its assets and personnel in the Middle East while safeguarding its interests in the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific.

Find ‘Defence Talks: Securing UK Advantage’ on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Castbox, Radio Public, Soundcloud, Pocketcast and Overcast.

You can find out more about Defence Talks here.

Welcome back to Season 2 of ‘Defence Talks: Securing UK Advantage’.

In Episode 15, Viktorija Starych-Samuolienė, our Co-founder (Strategy), and Paul Mason, journalist, author and our Adjunct Fellow, are joined by Prof. Peter Frankopan, Professor of Global History at the University of Oxford, and James Rogers, our Co-founder (Research).

What is the strategic outlook for 2026? We unpack the current geostrategic power balance to understand the Britain’s place in a volatile world. The discussion tackles major challenges facing the United Kingdom (UK) and its allies in 2026, including Russian aggression, the future of the ‘special relationship’ with the United States (US) and the deepening cooperation between the ‘CRINK’ nations – the People’s Republic of China (PRC), Russia, Iran and North Korea. Finally, we explore how Britain might effectively leverage areas of strength to secure advantage in 2026.

Find ‘Defence Talks: Securing UK Advantage’ on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Castbox, Radio Public, Soundcloud, Pocketcast and Overcast.

You can find out more about Defence Talks here.

Welcome back to Season 2 of ‘Defence Talks: Securing UK Advantage’.

In Episode 14, Viktorija Starych-Samuolienė, our Co-founder (Strategy), and Paul Mason, journalist, author and our Adjunct Fellow, are joined by Richard Berthon, Director Future Combat Air in the United Kingdom (UK) at the Ministry of Defence, and Herman Claesen, Managing Director, Future Combat Air Systems at BAE Systems.

The discussion explores the future of combat air in the UK, with the perspectives of both government and industry. We outline the difference between the UK’s Future Combat Air System and Global Combat Air Programme, with a focus on their respective capabilities and their contribution to the UK’s overall defence and security. The episode will also examine the delivery of future flight capability, the key milestones achieved so far, and the de-risking and future-proofing of the UK’s military capabilities.

Find ‘Defence Talks: Securing UK Advantage’ on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Castbox, Radio Public, Soundcloud, Pocketcast and Overcast.

You can find out more about Defence Talks here.

Welcome back to Season 2 of ‘Defence Talks: Securing UK Advantage’.

In Episode 13, Viktorija Starych-Samuolienė, our Co-founder (Strategy), and Paul Mason, journalist, author and our Adjunct Fellow, are joined by Cat Calder, Housing Specialist at Army Families Federation, and Natalie Elphicke Ross OBE, Chair of the Defence Housing Strategy review team, and Director and Head of Housing at the Housing and Finance Institute.

The discussion offers a window into the quality of life experienced by service personnel and their families, with a focus on housing and infrastructure following the recent publication of the Defence Housing Strategy. We discuss the challenges facing military families, the contribution of safe and good housing to overall living standards in the British Armed Forces, and the impact of wider infrastructure in supporting military families both during and beyond service life.

Find ‘Defence Talks: Securing UK Advantage’ on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Castbox, Radio Public, Soundcloud, Pocketcast and Overcast.

You can find out more about Defence Talks here.

Welcome back to Season 2 of ‘Defence Talks: Securing UK Advantage’.

In Episode 12, Viktorija Starych-Samuolienė, our Co-founder (Strategy), and Paul Mason, journalist, author and our Adjunct Fellow, are joined by Dr Tanya Suárez, CEO and founder of IoT Tribe, and Brigadier (rtd.) John Ridge, Adoption Lead, NATO Innovation Fund.

The discussion explore how NATO is accelerating innovation to strengthen rearmament, deterrence and resilience across the alliance. They explore technological and capability development across the alliance, in particular the contribution of dual-use technology.

Find ‘Defence Talks: Securing UK Advantage’ on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Castbox, Radio Public, Soundcloud, Pocketcast and Overcast.

You can find out more about Defence Talks here.

Welcome back to Season 2 of ‘Defence Talks: Securing UK Advantage’.

In Episode 11, Viktorija Starych-Samuolienė, our Co-founder (Strategy), and Paul Mason, journalist, author and our Adjunct Fellow, are joined by Alex Baker MP, Member of Parliament for Aldershot and Chair of the Defence and Security Sectors Supporting Local Communities All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG).

The discussion covers the contribution of defence to local communities across the UK. They discuss the interaction between the defence sector and local communities, the importance of local engagement, and the opportunities for partnerships to maximise the social and economic potential of defence across the whole of the nation.

Find ‘Defence Talks: Securing UK Advantage’ on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Castbox, Radio Public, Soundcloud, Pocketcast and Overcast.

You can find out more about Defence Talks here.