On 19 January, Dr. Jack Watling, a senior research fellow at RUSI in London, joins CSPC to discuss how technology is affecting the modern battlefield, what lessons Ukraine holds for conflicts more broadly, and his superb new book “The Arms of the Future”.
Russia’s expanded war against Ukraine has been described as a mash-up between “All Quiet on the Western Front” and “Blade Runner”, and with good reason.
First-person drones attack Russian troops in networks of trenches. Modern fire ships—uncrewed ships guided by Starlink and GPS signals—strike Russian naval vessels in port. Mass artillery batteries are joined by long-range precision munitions and loitering drones to disrupt logistics networks deep behind enemy lines. It is a curious proving ground of both old concepts and new technology.
What lessons should the U.S. and allied militaries draw from this conflict and how will emerging technology affect future force planning and development? Please join CSPC for this fascinating conversation and RSVP via the link, below.
Dr Jack Watling is Senior Research Fellow for Land Warfare at the Royal United Services Institute. Jack works closely with the British military on the development of concepts of operation, assessments of the future operating environment, and conducts operational analysis of contemporary conflicts.
Jack’s PhD examined the evolution of Britain’s policy responses to civil war in the early twentieth century. Jack has worked extensively on Ukraine, Iraq, Yemen, Mali, Rwanda, and further afield. Jack is a Global Fellow at the Wilson Center in Washington DC.
Originally a journalist he has contributed to Reuters, The Atlantic, Foreign Policy, the Guardian, Jane’s Intelligence Review, Haaretz, and others. Jack was shortlisted for the European Press Prize Distinguished Writing Award in 2016 and won the Breakaway Award at the International Media Awards in 2017.
If you have any questions, please contact ben.pickert@thepresidency.org.