The Security Podcast

In March 2026, the Russian Army sustained more than 35,000 casualties in Ukraine - 96 per cent of them either killed or wounded by drones. This year, Ukraine is expected to produce around seven million attack and reconnaissance drones. Russia is expected to produce even more.In the latest episode of The Security Podcast, I’m joined by Harry Fullerton, a defence consultant, strategist and transformation expert who once commanded the Household Cavalry Regiment. Together, we examine how drone technology is reshaping the modern battlefield, whether the British Army is psychologically prepared for war, and whether the British public is ready for the profound sacrifices a future conflict may demand.

It is now widely accepted that the British Army requires radical reform if it is to survive, let alone prevail, in a future conflict. But how radical does that reform need to be? Has the time come to challenge sacred cows and think the unthinkable?Are brigades, battalions, companies, platoons and sections still the right force structures for the modern battlefield? Is the RAF Regiment still relevant? Should the Royal Marines continue to exist as a separate entity? Has military parachuting become an outdated concept?Regimental tradition and history remain vital components of any fighting force. But the drone units that may fight — and possibly win — the next war have yet to be created.In this episode, I discuss these questions with Harry Fullerton, a former commanding officer of the Household Cavalry Regiment, who served in Afghanistan at the height of the Taliban insurgency in 2009.You may not agree with all our views, but I’m sure you will find the podcast fascinating.

In this episode of The Security Podcast, I’m joined by strategic studies professor Paul Cornish to examine one of the most pressing questions in global security today: has Donald Trump lost the initiative in the war with Iran?We explore how this conflict may be reshaping the nature of modern warfare and consider whether the United States remains the military superpower it once was.We also turn to the UK, where the war has exposed weaknesses in Britain’s defensive posture, and ask what this means for the future of its armed forces.

In another emergency edition of The Security Podcast, I’m once again joined by former Army Colonel and Military Intelligence Officer Philip Ingram MBE to examine the ongoing conflict in Iran.Together, we reassess President Trump’s strategy and the “strategic ambiguity” surrounding the United States’ military objectives. Is the goal regime change, the destruction of Iran’s ballistic missile capability, or some combination of the two?We also explore the wider regional and global implications, from the impact on the Gulf states to a looming global oil crisis, and ask whether there is a realistic endgame that could satisfy the Trump administration.

In the latest episode of The Security Podcast, I sit down with Paul Cornish, a former Army officer and current Professor of Strategic Studies. We delve into President Donald Trump's objectives regarding Iran and whether the US military have been given a clear mission, and explore Greenland's significance to US security. The episode wraps up with a discussion on the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, now entering its fourth year. Paul shares his insights on why he believes the war could persist until Putin's death.

In the latest episode of The Security Podcast, I’m joined by former Army Colonel and Intelligence Officer Phil Ingram. We delve into President Donald Trump’s controversial remarks regarding NATO troops on the frontline in Afghanistan, as well as the situation in Russia and ongoing peace talks. Additionally, we address Iran, the tragic number of protesters killed by the regime, and the potential for a U.S. military attack.

In the latest episode of The Security Podcast, I take apart the £6.3bn procurement disaster that is Ajax. Billed as the vehicle that would transform the British Army into a force ready to take on the UK’s adversaries anywhere in the world, Ajax was surrounded by hype from the start. The reality is very different. The Army has been left with a dud — a vehicle that has injured soldiers during testing and is still not fit for purpose.My guest is Colonel Harry Fullerton, former commanding officer of the Life Guards and a man who spent much of his career in the reconnaissance vehicles Ajax was meant to replace. He was also involved in the programme years ago, when it was known as the Future Rapid Effects System. Few people are better placed to explain how this went so badly wrong — and why.

In this episode of The Security Podcast, I am joined by Colonel Phil Ingram a former military intelligence officer and media commentator. We discuss why nations spy on one another, what they hope to achieve and the various strategies involved in developing agents and acquiring secret information. Phil also explains how he was once targeted by Chinese intelligence officers and how that experience is now used to help others avoid becoming assets for foreign powers.

In this episode of The Security Podcast, Andres Andreu, the chief operating officer of the cyber security company Constella Intelligence, explains how Agentic AI is changing the threat landscape in the world of cyber security. Andres also reveals how talented teenagers in some of the world's poorest countries are being recruited to work as hackers on huge salaries and what action companies, individuals and states need to undertake to protect against the threat posed by hostile state, terrorists and criminal gangs.

In the latest episode of The Security Podcast, I discuss the Strategic Defence Review with Colonel Harry Fullerton, a former commanding officer of the Household Cavalry Regiment and an Afghanistan War veteran. Harry gives his views on what is both good and bad within the SDR and whether it should be more tactical and less strategic. We also discuss whether Russia is really a threat to the West and Nato and whether Putin has a plan to end the war.

<p>Lawfare - what it means for serving and former members of the British Armed forces - especially those serving in the SAS/SBS is the subject of the latest episode of The Security Podcast. Our guest is Brig (Retd) Phil McEvoy, the former head of Operational Law Army and the Deputy Head of the Service Prosecuting Authority. Recently, the coroner who presided over the inquest into the 1992 Clonoe Ambush, which resulted in the deaths of four IRA terrorists being shot dead by the SAS, submitted his findings of unjustified killings of the terrorist to the Director of Public Prosecutions. This effectively means that the four SAS veterans could face criminal charges. So, are these inquests into legacy killings an SAS witch-hunt or the correct application of the law? This, and other aspects of Lawfare, are discussed in this episode of the Security Podcast. <br /></p>

<p><br>Africa has witnessed a significant surge in the recruitment of child soldiers across conflict zones, exacerbated by Islamic insurgencies advancing southward across the continent. The United Nations has highlighted a notably high increase in child recruitment, primarily by non-state armed groups, estimating that 8,655 children were recruited for conflicts in 2023. Disturbingly, children as young as five, were coerced into joining. <br>In an interview with The Security Podcast , Naomi Haupt, a researcher from the University of the Free State in South Africa, highlighted how the recruitment of child soldiers is driven by factors such as armed conflicts, political instability, poverty, weak governance, and ethnic tensions. Armed groups exploit children's vulnerability, sometimes forcing them into service, she said. Haupt recommends withholding aid to countries where the recruitment of children takes place to strengthen accountability.</p>

<p>In the latest episode of The Security Podcast, Maj (Retd) Wayne Owers MBE, QGM, a former Army bomb disposal officer, explains how his Army career came to a shuddering halt after he was diagnosed with PTSD. Rather than getting help, Wayne, who had served for 27-years, was booted out of the Army. During his career, Wayne completed two tours of duty in Afghanistan firstly as a bomb disposal officers for which he was awarded the Queen's Gallantry Medal. In a second tour as a Weapons Intelligence Specialist, he received an MBE. In the podcast, Wayne talks about coping with losing colleagues, PTSD and why the Army still doesn't know how to properly treat troops with combat-related mental health issues.</p>