RUSI Land Warfare Conference 2026

Colonel Sabah Al-Sabah

Deputy J5, Armed Forces of Kuwait

Colonel Sabah Mohammad Al-Sabah serves as Branch Chief J5/3 at Kuwait Armed Forces Headquarters, Ministry of Defense, where he leads the production, coordination, and dissemination of strategic plans and operational orders that shape the future posture of the Kuwait Armed Forces. In this capacity, he is responsible for translating senior leadership intent into executable doctrine across the joint force, and lectures on Artificial Intelligence, hybrid warfare, and Land Force strategy at the Mubarak Al-Abdullah Joint Command and Staff College. 

Prior to his current assignment, Colonel Al-Sabah served in the Kuwait Land Forces as Deputy G5, Infantry Platoon Leader at the Kuwait Land Forces Institute (KLFI), Instructor at the Ali Al-Sabah Military College, and Aide-de-Camp to the KLFI Commander. His combat service includes Operation Decisive Storm (2015/2016) during the Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen. 

Colonel Al-Sabah holds a Bachelor of Science from the United States Military Academy at West Point and a Master’s in Public Administration from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. He further earned a Master's in Military Science from the Joint Command and Staff College Kuwait and a PgCert from the Royal College of Defence Studies, where he was awarded the Commandant's Prize for Strategic Leadership. 

Brigadier General Sheikh Nawaf Bin Mubarak Al-Thani

President of the Council on International Mediation

Sheikh Nawaf bin Mubarak Al Thani is a Brigadier General with nearly three decades of service across military operations, defence diplomacy, intelligence, strategic communications, and international mediation. He is a former Senior Defence Official and Defence Attaché of the State of Qatar to the United States, Canada, and Mexico. He previously served as Director of  Defence Intelligence Operations at Qatar’s Ministry of Defence and as Director of Strategic Communications, where he became the first official spokesperson for the Qatari Armed Forces.

A veteran of coalition operations, including Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Odyssey Dawn, and NATO’s Operation Unified Protector, he has served in or engaged with several major international security environments, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria, and Washington’s defence and diplomatic policy circles. He is the Founder and President of the Council on International Mediation, with hubs in Washington, D.C. and Doha, and writes and comments regularly on Gulf security, mediation, regional conflict, and strategic affairs.

Jordan Bean

Director of Mission Delivery, Stark

Jordan is the Director of Mission Delivery and Deep Strike Capability Programme Manager at Stark. In this role, he bridges the gap between frontline operations and strategic capability, configuring validated combat performance from Ukraine to meet the requirements of the UK and NATO Allies. Jordan joined Stark following a 21-year career as an RAF Officer, where he specialised in air-land integration in Afghanistan and gained further operational experience across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. A graduate of the Advanced Command and Staff Course, his military career culminated in the MOD’s Security, Policy and Operations directorate, where he spent several years developing international policy and strategy to support Ukraine.

Sam Bendett

Center for Naval Analysis

Samuel Bendett is an adviser with CNA's Regional, Strategy and Policy Analysis Division, where he is a member of the Russia Studies Program. He is also an Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security, and a Senior Associate (Non-resident) with CSIS Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Programme.

His work involves research on Russian military technology developments; uncrewed, robotic, and autonomous military systems; and artificial intelligence. He is also an honorary “Mad Scientist” with the U.S. Army Transformation and Training Command's Mad Scientist Initiative, and a Strategic Advisor with the US National Drone Association.

Mr Bendett's prior employment includes the US Department of War’s National Defense University, where he worked on emerging and disruptive technologies for government response in crisis situations. His previous experience includes working for the U.S. Congress, the private sector, and nonprofit organizations on foreign policy, international conflict resolution, and defence and security issues.

Mr Bendett's analyses, views, and commentary on military robotics, combat autonomy, uncrewed systems and artificial intelligence capabilities appear in major domestic and international news and media outlets. He received an MA in law and diplomacy from the Fletcher School at Tufts University.

Colonel Perry Bishop

Assistant Head Concepts, British Army

Colonel Perry commissioned into the Royal Engineers in 2005 after reading War Studies at King’s College London. As a junior officer, he focused on the counter IED fight in Afghanistan, clearing devices and training fellow EOD operators. Following multiple other deployments, he went on to command an armoured engineer squadron, including leading an all-arms company group in Iraq in support of the liberation of Mosul. He subsequently commanded 21 Engineer Regiment, deploying the regiment on a United Nations mission as a security battalion.

As a staff officer, he has held a range of operational planning roles and force development appointments in the British Army and the UK Ministry of Defence. Notably, he served as the MOD’s Strategic Liaison Officer to the UK Vaccine Task Force during COVID 19 and led several Chief of Defence Staff studies within the Department’s internal think tank. He now leads British Army Concepts, preparing the Army for the next generation of warfare.

A strong advocate for professional military education, he is a graduate of both the Advanced Command and Staff Course and the Battlespace Technology Course, and has completed multiple master’s degrees alongside achieving Chartered Engineer status.

Professor Michael Clarke

RUSI Distinguished fellow

Professor Michael Clarke was Director-General of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) from 2007 to 2015 when he retired from that role. Until 2001 he was Deputy Vice-Principal and Director for Research Development at King’s College London, where he remains a Visiting Professor of Defence Studies. From 1990 to 2001 he was the founding Director of the Centre for Defence Studies at King’s. He was appointed Professor in 1995. He is now a Fellow of King’s College London and of the Universities of Aberystwyth and of Exeter, where he is also Associate Director of the Strategic Studies Institute. 

He has previously taught at the Universities of Aberystwyth, Manchester and Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and also at the University of New Brunswick and the Open University. He has been a Guest Fellow at the Brookings Institution, Washington DC, and a Fellow in Foreign Policy Studies at the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House) in London.

He has been a specialist adviser to the House of Commons Defence Committee since 1997, having served previously with the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee 1995-6, and the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Bribery in 2009. In 2004 he was appointed as the UK’s member of the UN Secretary General’s Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters. In 2009 he was appointed to the Prime Minister’s National Security Forum and in 2010 to the Chief of Defence Staff’s Strategic Advisory Group. He also served on the Strategic Advisory Panel on Defence for UK Trade and Industry and in 2014 was Chairman of the Defence Communications Advisory panel for the Ministry of Defence.

In March 2014 he was appointed by the Deputy Prime Minister to chair an Independent Surveillance Review at RUSI which reported in 2015. That report, A Democratic Licence to Operate: The Report of the Independent Surveillance Review, was published as part of the public discussion around the Investigatory Powers Bill, due to be enacted into law by December 2016.

In January 2016 he was appointed a specialist adviser to the Joint National Committee on Security Strategy for the period of the current Parliament. 

Stephen Covington

Consultant, SSP LLC

Stephen Covington is the longest Serving Adviser in Alliance History to 13 Supreme Allied Commanders, Europe (SACEUR) since 1989. He has developed an expertise in strategy, international security/defense, and Russian affairs practiced from the end of the Cold War to post-Cold War strategic partnership with Russia, NATO 'out of area' crisis management era operations and Alliance return to collective defense. 

Stephen has led high-level international negotiations. Strategist and author of the Alliance’s 21st Century DDA collective defense strategy. He has been strategic affairs adviser to NATO capitals. His focus is on leadership engagement and he has made speeches in Europe, Eurasia, Middle East, South Asia, South America, and IndoPacific.

Sam Cranny-Evans

RUSI Associate Fellow

Sam Cranny-Evans was a Research Analyst at RUSI in C4ISR between October 2021 and December 2022. During his time at RUSI he focused on multi-domain integration, electronic warfare, and the war in Ukraine. He co-led the establishment of the Red Team project, which provides analysis of the Russian and Chinese militaries. He has also spent time researching lethal autonomous weapons and their proliferation risk. He now works at Helsing, a defence AI company providing thought leadership and in government affairs.

Previously, he worked for five years at the Janes Information Group where he finished as a lead analyst in land warfare platforms. His primary role was the creation and maintenance of the Janes Armoured Fighting Vehicles yearbooks and online content set. His research in this area encompassed a range of topics from armoured vehicle design to their interaction with UAVs.

Alongside this he contributed to the Janes news and analysis publications, and assisted with or wrote more than 500 news articles during his time with the company. His research has included the development and modernisation of China’s People’s Liberation Army, artillery tactics in Ukraine and Russia’s concepts of escalation management.

Sam has a degree in War Studies from the University of Kent, where he graduated with first class honours in 2012 having written a dissertation on the morale of the Russian population during the Second World War. His studies included conflicts throughout history from the Punic Wars to the Falklands.

Lieutenant General Philippe de Montenon

Commander - French Land Forces, French Army

Born in Paris on November 23, 1972, Philippe de Montenon is married to Amélie. They have 5 children. He is a graduate of Saint-Cyr Military Academy – Class of 1994, and initially joined armored cavalry as his branch. 

He was first assigned to 13th Régiment de Dragons Parachutistes (RDP), the French Special Forces reconnaissance regiment in DIEUZE, in 1995. There, he served as a lieutenant, leading a High Altitude Low Opening (HALO) team. 

He was deployed three times to the Balkans and Africa. After two years as a young Captain in the 1/2 Chasseurs Regiment (Tanks) of VERDUN, he returned to 13th RDP, to take command of the 5th Squadron with which he was deployed again to the Balkans. 

In 2002, he was assigned to the Office of the general commanding the IHEDN (Institute for Advanced Defense Studies) in PARIS. He then completed a Master in Business Administration (MBA) at HEC Business School, and attended the Command and General Staff College at FORT LEAVENWORTH (KANSAS). Back in PARIS in 2006, he served in the Financial Division of the Joint Staff HQ. During the summer 2008, he was reassigned to 13th RDP as Chief of the Operations and Training Office and was deployed to Afghanistan. 

In 2010, he was assigned to the personal office (« cabinet ») of the Minister of Defense, as an adviser for intelligence. From 2010 to 2013, he served under the authority of four Ministers. In 2012, he attended the Advanced European Studies Course at France’s National School of Administration (ENA). In 2013, he assumed command of the 13th RDP at Camp SOUGE. He was deployed to the Sahel as Commander of a Counter Terrorism Special Operations Task Group. 

In 2015, he was assigned to the French embassy in Washington DC as a deputy defence attaché in charge of strategic affairs. From 2018 to 2019, he attended the Centre des hautes études militaires – Center for Higher military Studies – and the Institut des hautes études de défense nationale – National defence institute. 

In 2019, he was appointed to the French Cybercommand as deputy commander. From 2022 to 2025, he served in the Joint strategic operation center (CPCO) as deputy for current operations and then commander. He was promoted to Lieutenant general and assumed command of the French Land forces and Army Command Europe on 1st August 2025. 

LTG de Montenon enjoys choir singing, reading, hiking and running. In 2007, he translated and presented for publication (Economica Publishing House) a book written by David Galula 'Counter-insurgency; Theory and Practice'.

Professor David Des Roches

Professor, Thayer Marshall Institute

David B. Des Roches is Professor at the Thayer Marshall Institute. From 2011 to 2025 he was Professor of Practice at the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies (NESA) at National Defense University. His academic work focuses on developments in weapons and warfare, and security in Europe and the Middle East, particularly the Gulf.  

Prior to this, he was a career civil servant in the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the White House, working as Director of Arabian Peninsula Policy, as the Defense Liaison to the Department of Homeland Security, as the Senior Country Director for Pakistan, as NATO Operations Director, and as Deputy Director for Peacekeeping. In the White House he was a Special Assistant for Strategy.

Darya Dolzikova

Research Fellow, RUSI

Darya Dolzikova is a Research Fellow with RUSI’s Proliferation and Nuclear Policy programme. Her work focuses on understanding and countering the proliferation of nuclear weapons technology and strategic aspects of civil nuclear technology. She has conducted research on the Iranian nuclear programme and related diplomacy, Iranian and North Korean proliferation-related sanctions evasion, nuclear safety in Ukraine, the role of Russia in global civil nuclear supply chains, and other issues relating to nuclear technology and proliferation.

Prior to joining RUSI, Darya had served as the manager of government relations and policy development at Canada’s national aerospace industry association. She also has experience working in the due diligence sector and on defence-related issues in Canada’s Parliament.

Darya holds an MA in Security Studies from Georgetown University and a BSocSc in International Studies and Modern Languages from the University of Ottawa.

Rachel Ellehuus

Director-General, RUSI

Rachel Ellehuus became Director-General of RUSI on 6 January 2025.

Rachel joined RUSI after serving nearly three years at the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) as the United States Secretary of Defense Representative in Europe and Defense Advisor to the United States’ Mission to NATO.

Prior to that, she was Deputy Director of the Europe and Eurasia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, DC and a Senior Advisor at WestExec Advisors. Previously, she served in multiple roles in the U.S. Department of Defense to include Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for European and NATO Policy. Her time in the Pentagon also included an exchange to the UK Ministry of Defence's Strategy Unit, where she worked on the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review.

Rachel has numerous publications to her name, most recently Europe’s High-End Military Challenges (2022) and The Challenge of Political Will in Europe (2022). She holds a BA from Colgate University and a MA from the College of Europe.

Lieutenant General Mike Elviss CB MBE

Commander Field Army

Mike Elviss commissioned into the Royal Regiment of Artillery in August 1995, joining 29th Commando Regiment RA. He deployed to Iraq twice in 2003 in artillery and infantry roles. In 2008 he deployed to Afghanistan as a battery commander. 

He assumed command of 1st Regiment RHA in September 2011 and commanded the Task Force Helmand Joint Fires and Targeting Group throughout Operation HERRICK 18. 

In March 2014 he was appointed Assistant Head Operations of the Afghanistan and Pakistan Current Commitments Team in the Ministry of Defence. After attendance on the Higher Command and Staff Course in 2015 he returned to the Operations Directorate as Head Operations Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, and Syria. 

Elviss commanded 20th Armoured Infantry Brigade between July 2016 and July 2018. He became a member of the Royal College of Defence Studies in September 2018 prior to filling the post of Assistant Chief of Staff Field Army. 

Elviss became General Officer Commanding 3rd (UK) Division in February 2020 and was subsequently Chief of Staff (Operations) at the UK’s Permanent Joint Headquarters between October 2021 and February 2024. 

Lieutenant General Elviss assumed command of the Field Army on 18 March 2024.

Brigadier Nick English MBE PhD

Commander, 1 Aviation Brigade, British Army

Brigadier Nick English MBE PhD is Head of Joint Plans in the Ministry of Defence, responsible for shaping Strategic Force Development across a range of Joint capabilities including digital, AI, autonomy, and lethality. This directly drives the modernisation, integration, and readiness of those capabilities required to successfully deliver robust defence and deterrence for NATO, allies, and partners.

He has spent the last three years commanding the 1st Aviation Brigade, deploying forces across Eastern Europe and the Middle East for large-scale NATO exercises and crisis response operations. During this time, the Brigade has successfully fielded Apache AH64E onto operations, integrated new uncrewed systems with crewed platforms, and integrated a digital targeting web. Previously, he led the Strategy and Force Design team in Army Futures, establishing the new Futures directorate, and was at the core of the small team that developed the British Army’s new Land Operating Concept and associated force design.

He holds a Master’s degree in Engineering from the University of Cambridge and a PhD in Behavioural Psychology, specialising in why military organizations struggle with complex problems. A Chartered Engineer and former Directing Staff at the Staff College, his approach combines advanced systems engineering with the behavioural insights needed to unlock the organisational agility required to rapidly field disruptive innovations alongside legacy combat systems.

Dr Jonathan Eyal

Associate Director, Strategic Research Partnerships, and International Director, RUSI

Dr Eyal is the Associate Director, Strategic Research Partnerships, and International Director, at the Royal United Services Institute.

He was born in Romania, but has lived most of his life in Britain. Educated at Oxford and London Universities, his initial training was in International Law and Relations, in which he obtained both his first degree and his Master's with a Distinction. His Doctorate, completed at Oxford in 1987, analysed relations between ethnic minorities in Eastern Europe since the end of the First World War.

After teaching at Oxford for three years, Dr Eyal was appointed a researcher at RUSI. Since 1990, Dr Eyal has been Director of Studies at the Institute, and also serves as a Senior Research Fellow and Editor of the RUSI Newsbrief .

Dr Eyal has completed books on military expenditure in the former Warsaw Pact and published a study on military relations in the Balkans during the time of Communism. He is a regular commentator on East European affairs for The Guardian, The Independent, The Times dailies and the Observer newspaper on Sundays.

He has also given evidence to the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee on the conduct of British foreign policy in Eastern Europe, and the teams of experts which contributed to the peace plans for the former Yugoslavia. He has acted as an adviser to the European Union's studies on the process of dividing the assets of the former Yugoslav state, and has published two studies on the errors committed by the West in handling the Balkan conflict since 1991.

He is fluent in English, French, Romanian, Italian, Hungarian and German.

Lieutenant General Dr Christian Freuding

Commander, German Army

Lieutenant General Dr. Christian Freuding is the Chief of the Army of Germany's Federal Armed Forces since October 2025. Previously, he served as Head of the Joint Planning and Command Staff at the Federal Ministry of Defence (2023–2025) and as Director of the Ministry’s Ukraine Special Staff (2022–2023). From 2019 to 2022, he commanded the 9th Armoured Brigade and held senior staff positions, including Senior Military Assistant to the Defence Minister. With over three decades of experience, he served as Battalion Commander of the Reconnaissance Battalion 3 in Lüneburg.

He was promoted to Major General in 2023 and Lieutenant General in 2025. His operational deployments include Bosnia and Herzegovina with SFOR (2002) and Afghanistan with International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), 2007-2008. He holds a PhD in Political Science from the Helmut Schmidt Uni and completed an Advanced Command and Staff Course at the Joint Service Command and Staff College in Shrivenham. 

Kier Giles

Associate Fellow, Russia and Eurasia Programme, Chatham House

Keir Giles is an Associate Fellow with the Russia and Eurasia Programme at Chatham House in London. He also works with the Conflict Studies Research Centre, a small group of subject matter experts in Eurasian security based in the UK.

Keir has supported Chatham House in its research since 2013. Previously, he worked with the BBC Monitoring Service and the UK Defence Academy, writing and advising on Russian military issues including strategy and doctrine, cyber and information warfare, and Russian intent with regard to its European neighbours. 

Keir is the author of multiple publications explaining the Russian approach to warfare and how to counter it, including the Handbook of Russian Information Warfare (NATO Defense College, 2016), and Moscow Rules: What Drives Russia to Confront the West (2019). He analysed consistent patterns of Western success and failure in deterring Russian aggression in What Deters Russia (2021), and the human impact of Russia's campaigns around the world in Russia's War on Everybody (2022).

His most recent book, published in late 2024, is Who Will Defend Europe? which predicted the impact on European defence and security of a new Trump presidency and called for urgent action by European leaders to mitigate it.

Brigadier Jim Hadfield OBE

Commander Designate, 20 Armoured Brigade, British Army

Jim commissioned into the 1^st Battalion The Light Infantry (now The Rifles) in 2003. Operationally, he has commanded at every level from Platoon to Battlegroup and Task Force across Northern Ireland, Iraq, Afghanistan, and eastern Europe in both conventional and unconventional roles. 

On the staff, he was Chief of Staff of the UK Counter Terrorism Task Force in Afghanistan and Chief of Staff of 20^th Armoured Infantry Brigade before attending the Joint Advanced Warfighting School in Virginia, USA, graduating at the top of his class. After Battlegroup command, including a deployment to Estonia and the delivery of Op INTERFLEX 1, he was Head of Overseas Crisis and Plans in the UK Ministry of Defence and orchestrated the UK non-combatant evacuation operation from Sudan. He served as MA1 to the Chief of the General Staff before further operational deployments. 

He assumes command of 20 Armoured Brigade Combat Team in July 2026.

Lieutenant General Sir Simon Hamilton KBE

Deputy Chief of the General Staff, British Army

Lieutenant General Simon Hamilton was commissioned into the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers in 1995. He served with the King’s Royal Hussars, commanded 2 (Close Support) Battalion and 101 Logistics Brigade, and deployed on operations in Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan. He completed the Advanced Command and Staff Course at the Australian Staff College and the Higher Command and Staff Course at the Defence Academy.

His staff appointments included Deputy Chief of Staff, 20th Armoured Brigade, 1* Head Equipment at Army Headquarters, Head Vehicle Support Team at DE&S, and 1* Capability and Acquisition Reform. 

On promotion to Major General, he became Director Support, later Director Programmes, at the Army Headquarters, responsible for sustaining Army equipment and bringing new capabilities into service.

In 2023, he was appointed Director General (Land) at DE&S before becoming Deputy CEO and Director General Systems Integration during DE&S reform. In Oct 25, he became Interim CEO, leading the organisation through its transition into National Armaments. 

Lieutenant General Hamilton was appointed Master General of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers on 1 Apr 26. He was appointed KBE in June 2026. He is married with four children. 

Andriy Hrytseniuk

Director, Brave1

Brave1 CEO Andrii Hrytseniuk is a technology executive with over 20 years of experience in digital transformation, product development, and large-scale IT systems. Since 2025, he has led Ukraine’s defense tech cluster Brave1, focused on accelerating battlefield innovations and scaling technologies for frontline deployment. 

Previously, Andrii worked at the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, where he led the development of flagship digital products, including Diia and Mriia. Before joining the government, he served as CIO and Board Member at PrivatBank and Sense Bank, leading large-scale banking transformations and strengthening the resilience of critical financial infrastructure during wartime. In 2022, he was recognised CIO of the Year by The Banker.

Dan Jarvis MBE MP

Secretary of State for Defence, His Majesty's Government

Dan graduated from Aberystwyth University with a degree in International Politics and Strategic Studies before attending the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. From Sandhurst he was commissioned into The Parachute Regiment and subsequently deployed to Kosovo, Northern Ireland, and on multiple times to Iraq and Afghanistan.

His service included: Platoon Commander with 1 Para, Aide de Camp to General Sir Mike Jackson, Adjutant 3 Para. On promotion to Major he worked as a staff planner in the Permanent Joint Headquarters and then at the Army’s Headquarters. He served as a Company Commander in the Special Forces Support Group.

In 2011, he became the first person since the Second World War to resign his commission in order to contest a parliamentary by-election. He was subsequently awarded the MBE for his service in the British Army, making him the first serving MP to be decorated for military service in many years.

On entering Parliament, Dan sat on the Business, Innovation and Skills Select Committee before being made a Shadow Minister for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. In 2013, he was appointed as Shadow Minister for Justice. In 2015, he was made a Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs before returning to the Backbenches and being elected as the first Mayor of South Yorkshire in 2018.

After serving as Mayor for a 4-year term that included unlocking a devolution deal, responding to Covid-19 and severe flooding, Dan was appointed Shadow Security Minister in September 2023.

In his limited spare time, Dan enjoys reading, walking his Springer-Spaniel, fell-running, hill walking and supporting Barnsley FC – all of which can be hard work at times. He has a very long-standing passion for tree planting and the British countryside. He is a patron of the Barnsley Youth Choir and Barnsley Hospice and the author of Long Way Home, which was published in 2020.

Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton KCB ADC FREng

Chief of the Defence Staff

Brought up in Derbyshire and educated at the local comprehensive school, Rich joined the Royal Air Force in 1988 as a University Cadet and studied Engineering at Clare College Cambridge. He spent his early career in frontline roles working on Nimrod Maritime Patrol Aircraft, Tornado and in several roles within the Harrier Force. He served as the Station Commander at Royal Air Force Wittering where he was also the RAF’s Logistics Force Commander.

Rich has held a range of staff appointments in the Ministry of Defence, Air Command and in acquisition and support. He has been closely involved in strategic and capability planning, including as Deputy Chief of Defence Staff for Military Capability in the Ministry of Defence and Deputy Commander Capability and People in the Royal Air Force.

As Chief of the Air Staff Rich was responsible for the strategic planning and delivery of all aspects of Royal Air Force operations, people and capability. During his time as Chief of the Air Staff he led the RAF during the most intense period of operational demand on the Service for more than a decade, with the Royal Air Force operating alongside global allies including conducting air strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen, protecting NATO skies and supplying much-needed aid to Gaza and Ukraine.

He has completed the Advanced Command and Staff Course and attended the Royal College of Defence Studies and the UK Pinnacle Course. He is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineers, holds an Honorary Doctorate from Derby University and is an Honorary Fellow of Clare College Cambridge. He is an ambassador for the Royal Air Force Charitable Trust and the Royal Air Forces Association. He was appointed to the Military Division of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath as a Commander (CB) in 2017 and as Knight Commander (KCB) in 2023.

On 27 June 2025 The Prime Minister announced that Sir Rich will be the next Chief of the Defence Staff from September 2025.

James Lawson

Director, Helsing

James Lawson is a Director at Helsing. He leads the UK Land and Uncrewed Systems business. Helsing is Europe's leading Defence Tech company, and has raised over 2 billion in venture capital funding. 

Before Helsing, James was most recently a Senior Special Adviser in the Cabinet Office. At Microsoft he led the UK defence business, delivering a landmark agreement with UK MOD, including the deployment of mission capabilities and the first MODCloud commitment. James has previously held leadership roles at two AI startups, DataRobot and WorkFusion.

Outside of Helsing, James is Chairman of the Adam Smith Institute, ranked as the UK’s leading Economics think tank by the University of Pennsylvania. He is an occasional guest columnist on AI and wider public policy issues. 

Dr Chris Lewis

Director for Business Growth, Babcock International Group

Dr Chris Lewis is the Director for Business Growth a Babcock International Group and is an Associate Fellow of RUSI. His research interests cover the military and defence ecosystem, defence industrial strategy, and ambidexterity in defence. Chris has worked in and around the defence ecosystem for several decades. Within industry he delivers senior level leadership to business development, business growth, and strategy across all the domains for UK and International markets.

Chris believes that it is only through collaborative engagement that industry will be able to effectively respond to an ever changing, complex multidimensional environment, and deliver capability to the UK and aligned nations. As such, he is personally driven to understand the needs of defence for the next quarter of a century.

Having earned a Doctorate in Business Growth Strategy (focused on ambidextrous challenges and tensions in the United Kingdom defence and security sector), Chris has an MA in Sales Management (e-procurement in the public sector), and has a first degree in Biochemistry. Prior to his career in industry, Chris served in the British Army with both the regulars and reserves of the Royal Signals.

Major General Jonny Lindfors

Commander, Swedish Army

Major General Jonny Lindfors assumed Command over the Swedish Army on June 18, 2023. Prior to this he held the position as the Armed Forces expert in the National Defense Commission, tasked with preparing the next white book of Sweden’s National Defense.

He was born and raised in Kiruna where he also spent his early service years as a Ranger Officer at the Lappland Ranger Regiment. After a period focused on technical systems and maintenance within the infantry he turned to positions of command. His command assignments include the King’s Battalion at the Royal Lifeguard Regiment as well as the Norrbotten Regiment, a Mechanized Brigade platform.

He also commanded the Joint Force Training Directorate with the responsibility of manning and training the Swedish Armed Forces. The task included planning, execution and coordination of operational level exercises, managing the finances and allocating resources and tasks regarding manning and training for the Joint Force Generation. During his career he has also been deployed, serving among Swedish units in Afghanistan and Kosovo.

In addition to studies at the Swedish Military Academies and a Master’s Degree in War Science from the Swedish National Defence University, he also holds a Master’s Degree in Strategy from US Army War College. He is also a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Science.

Dr Burcu Ozcelik

Senior Research Fellow for Middle East Security, RUSI

Dr Burcu Ozcelik is a Senior Research Fellow for Middle East Security within the International Security department at RUSI.

With over 15 years’ experience in geopolitical risk analysis, security and threat assessments, and strategic advisory in both the public and private sector, Burcu specialises in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, Turkey and the Eastern Mediterranean. Prior to joining RUSI, Burcu worked as an Associate Director at a London-based consultancy firm leading the MENA practice. She previously worked with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Her research sits at the intersection of the international relations of the Middle East, political theories of recognition, reconciliation and democratisation and contributes to a critical literature on the crisis and evolution of state sovereignty, the role of non-state actors, extremist ideologies, and the politics of borders and territoriality in the Middle East.

Burcu holds a PhD in Politics and International Studies and an MPhil in Development Studies from the University of Cambridge and subsequently held the Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship at the Department of Politics and International Studies where she taught Conflict, Peacebuilding, and the Politics of the Middle East. She has extensive experience with Turkey, Iraq, Syria, Iran, and Israel.

Her peer-reviewed article, ‘What Can a Political Form of Reconciliation Look Like in Divided Societies? The Deliberative “Right to Justification” and Agonistic Democracy’, was awarded the inaugural Iris Young & David Held International Prize in Democratic Theory.

Rupert Pearce

National Armaments Director, UK Ministry of Defence

Rupert Pearce is the UK’s National Armaments Director (NAD) and a member of the Defence Board, as a 4*/Permanent Secretary grade civil servant.

Rupert has spent over40 years as an accomplished business leader with a distinguished career spanning law, technology, telecommunications, energy, and venture capital. With extensive experience as a CEO, chairman, and venture partner, and has a proven track record of driving growth, innovation, and transformation in global, high-growth, and capital[1]intensive businesses.

As a Venture Partner and Chair of UK-based tech companies and venture capital firms Rupert has advised on investment strategies, supported portfolio companies, and identified new opportunities in the technology sector.

From 2012 to 2021, Rupert was CEO of Inmarsat plc, a FTSE 100 global leader in mobile satellite communications. During his tenure, he oversaw the launch of six satellites, the development of the groundbreaking Global Xpress broadband network, and the establishment of market-leading business units in aviation, maritime, defence and government sectors. He also led Inmarsat’s transition to private ownership in one of the largest take-private deals on the London Stock Exchange.

Rupert began his career as a lawyer, rising to become an equity partner at the international law firm Linklaters, where he spent 13 years specialising in corporate finance, M&A and private equity transactions.

Beyond his executive roles, Rupert has contributed to industry and government initiatives, including serving on the UK Government’s Trade Advisory Group for telecom services, the ITU/UNESCO Broadband Commission, and the boards of TechUK and the Smart Africa Initiative. He is also a published author and former Visiting Fellow at Imperial College London.

An Oxford graduate with a First-Class BA and MA in Modern History, Rupert also completed a Fulbright Fellowship in US Securities Law at Georgetown University. He is married with three children.

His career reflects a commitment to innovation, leadership, and delivering transformative results across diverse industries.

Brigadier General Jyri Raitasalo

Chief of Logistics, Finnish Defence Command

Brigadier General, Dr.Pol.Sc. Jyri Raitasalo is Chief of Logistics (ACOS J4) at Defence Command Finland. He holds the title of Docent of strategy and security policy at the Finnish National Defence University (FNDU).

During his latest assignments, Jyri Raitasalo has served as Commander of Karelia Brigade, head of strategic planning sector at Defence Command Finland, military professor of War Studies at the FNDU, senior staff officer (strategic planning) at the Finnish MOD, the Commanding Officer of the Helsinki Air Defence Regiment (Armoured Brigade), Head Lecturer of Strategy at the Finnish National Defence University and Aide-de-camp to the Chief of Defence.

Jyri Raitasalo is a called member of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences. He has published many academic monographs and articles, focusing mainly on the post-Cold War era Western security and defence policy and the changing character of war. He is a called member of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences.

Nick Reynolds

Research Fellow, RUSI

Nick Reynolds is the Research Fellow for Land Warfare at RUSI. His research interests include land power, wargaming and simulation. Prior to joining RUSI he worked for Constellis.

He holds a BA in War Studies and an MA in Conflict, Security & Development from King’s College London.

During his time at KCL, he was Head of Operations of the KCL Crisis Team, which organises large-scale crisis simulation events.

Rosalind Roberts

Director of Research, RUSI

Rosalind Roberts joined RUSI in January 2026 as the Director of Research, overseeing the Institute’s research output.

Ros came to RUSI following four years as the Head of Research Analysts in the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) where she led the FCDO's in-house research analyst cadre delivering expert regional and thematic advice to ministers and officials.

Prior to this she served as the Head of Capability for All Source Analysis in the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD), with responsibility for the professional development of MOD's all source intelligence analysis capability. Over her career, she has served in a range of analytic and leadership roles in the intelligence analysis profession in MOD, FCDO and the Home Office. As an analyst, Ros specialised in conflict and peace building in the Middle East and has also worked on a range of wider geopolitical and security issues, leading teams focused on other geographic regions, terrorism and extremism, counter proliferation and emerging technology.

Ros has a degree in International Politics and Security Studies and a Masters in International Peace and Security.

Matthew Savill

Director of Military Sciences, RUSI

Matthew Savill is the Director of Military Sciences at RUSI, focussing on developments and trends in modern conflict, and the use of force in the 21st Century.

Before joining RUSI he spent over 20 years as a civil servant working on defence and security, predominantly in the Ministry of Defence. He joined the MOD in 2003, starting his career in Defence Intelligence as an Iraq analyst before moving to intelligence coordination and support to operations, and later roles in private office, approvals and scrutiny of major procurement projects, before a return to analysis and a secondment to the Cabinet Office. 

He has also specialised in strategy and policy, with roles in: Defence Strategy and Priorities, working on the Integrated Review; the MOD’s Operations Directorate, where he was responsible for operational policy for the Middle East and overseas counter-terrorism; the Cabinet Office National Security Secretariat, to cover intelligence oversight and then Middle East policy; the MOD team responsible for the deployment of the UK Carrier Strike Group in 2021; and operations and crisis team responding to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. His final role in the MOD was responsibility for Special Operations policy, covering oversight of UK Special Forces and intelligence operations.

He attended the Advanced Command and Staff Course at the Defence Academy Shrivenham in 2010-11, and the Higher Command and Staff Course in 2020, and has a Masters in Defence Studies from King’s College London. He has had articles published in Defence Studies and on The Wavell Room website.

He has deployed on operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and across the Middle East for the military campaign against Daesh.

Matthew was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List in 2008. 

Air Marshal Jonny Stringer

Deputy Commander Allied Air Command

Air Marshal Johnny Stringer, Royal Air Force, has been the Deputy Commander of NATO's Allied Air Command, headquartered at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, since August 2022.

Air Marshal Johnny Stringer was born in Sale and educated at Watford Boys’ Grammar School and New College, University of Oxford. Johnny was sponsored by the Royal Air Force (RAF) through both 6th Form and University, and after officer and pilot training, he joined the Jaguar Force at Royal Air Force (RAF) Coltishall in 1993. A Qualified Weapon Instructor, he flew operationally over the Former Yugoslavia and helped enforce the Northern Iraq No Fly Zone. His staff experience at Squadron Leader (OF-3) and Wing Commander (OF-4) included tours in the RAF’s fast jet group Headquarters and in the Ministry of Defence on future combat air capability.

From 2007 to 2009, Johnny commanded 29 Squadron, the Typhoon Operational Conversion Unit at RAF Coningsby; leaving on promotion, he spent two years as Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff (DACOS) Joint Effects in the J3 Division of the UK Permanent Joint Headquarters at Northwood. He returned to New College as a visiting Trenchard Fellow on the Oxford Changing Character of War programme in autumn 2011.

Between October 2012 and September 2014, Johnny commanded RAF Coningsby and its Typhoon Wing, supporting national and overseas Typhoon operations, and displayed the Spitfire and Hurricane with the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. He was posted as Assistant Chief of Staff Operations (ACOS Ops) to Headquarters Air Command in August 2015 before commanding No.83 Expeditionary Air Group as the U.K. Air Component Commander between October 2016 and October 17, in charge of all national air operations in the fight against Daesh (also known as the Islamic State) in Operation SHADER and across the region.

Promoted to Air Vice-Marshal, Johnny was Chief of Staff at U.K. Joint Forces Command (JFC) and subsequently Director Strategy as JFC evolved into UK Strategic Command, overseeing its work on the 2021 UK Defence and Security Integrated Review. He has recently concluded a professional placement with Rebellion Defence.

Johnny is a graduate of the UK Advanced and Higher Command and Staff Courses, the Royal College of Defence Studies and holds Masters degrees from Oxford and Kings College London. He has over 3,000 flying hours, predominantly on single seat combat aircraft.

Elie Tenenbaum

Director, Security Studies Centre, IFRI

Elie Tenenbaum is the director of Ifri's Security Studies Center. After years of focusing on irregular warfare and counterterrorism, his research now leads him to cover general strategic and military issues, in particular European security and defense policy.

He holds a PhD (2015) in History and a MA in International Relations from Sciences Po (2010). He was a visiting fellow at Columbia University (2013-2014) and spent a year at the War Studies Department, at King's College London (2006). He now teaches international security at Sciences Po and at the Sorbonne. As director of the Security Studies Center, he leads a team of 10 analysts, including four active-duty senior military officers, covering all defense matters. He ensures the partnerships with French MOD, MFA, Joint Staff as well as Defense Industrials.

He is the author of numerous articles and books on history and strategy, including The Twenty-Year War: Jihadism & Counter-Terrorism in the 21st Century (in French) with Marc Hecker (Robert Laffont: 2021). His most recent publications include Return to the East: the Russian Threat and the French Pivot to Europe's Eastern Flank with Amelie Zima (Ifri report, June 2024), Ukraine’s Security Now Depends on Europe with Leo Litra (Foreign Affairs, December 2024) and more recently Mapping the MilTech War: Eight Lessons from Ukraine’s Battlefield (Ifri report, 2025). He has published for various think tanks such as Carnegie Europe, Atlantic Council, Hague Center for Strategic Studies, ECFR, SWP, Chatham House, and contributes to international media (Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Le Monde, FAZ, Rzeczpospolita, etc.)

Major General Richard Vagg DSC

Head Land Capability, Australian Army

Major General Richard Vagg DSC has extensive experience across capability development, operations, and senior staff roles that directly inform his current responsibilities as Head Land Capability for the Australian Army. Commissioned into the Royal Australian Artillery after graduating from the Royal Military College – Duntroon, he has served in key regimental appointments, including within the 4th Field Regiment, the 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, and on exchange with the British Army’s 40 Regiment.

His command experience includes leading 16 Air Land Regiment, while his instructional roles at the School of Artillery and Duntroon underpin a strong foundation in training and professional military education. His staff career spans strategic and intelligence environments, including roles within the Defence Intelligence Organisation, British Defence Intelligence Staff, Army modernisation and strategic planning branches. 

Major General Vagg has held senior capability and analytical appointments, including Director General Systems and Integration – Army and Director General Air Land Combat Analysis. He also contributed as a co-author to Australia’s 2023 Defence Strategic Review. His operational deployments in Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq, including command of Task Group Taji, further reinforce his expertise in joint operations and capability integration at scale. 

General Sir Roly Walker KCB DSO ADC Gen

Chief of the General Staff

General Walker was appointed as the Chief of the General Staff on 15 June 2024. He commissioned in 1993 and has commanded at company, squadron, battle group (1^st Battalion, The Grenadier Guards), brigade and SF group levels, variously in Northern Ireland, Afghanistan, Iraq, as well as joint command of operations across Europe, the broader Middle East, Africa and South America. On the staff, he has served in brigade, divisional, army and strategic HQs, most recently as Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Military Strategy & Operations) in the Ministry of Defence. Married, with three daughters, he lives in Herefordshire.

Dr Jack Watling

Senior Research Fellow for Land Warfare, RUSI

Dr Jack Watling is Senior Research Fellow for Land Warfare at the Institute. Jack works extensively with the British and allied militaries on force development and operational analysis. Jack has worked extensively in Ukraine during Russia’s invasion, in Iraq during the campaign to defeat Daesh, in Mali, Rwanda and further afield. He is the Co-author alongside Nick Reynolds of War by Others’ Means: Delivering Effective Partner Force Capacity Building (2021).

: https://rusi.org/people/jack-watling

Emma Winberg

Executive Director, Centre for Strategic Advantage

Emma Winberg is the founder and CEO of Next Level Initiatives and its research arm, The Centre for Strategic Advantage (CSA), which has since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine focused on understanding Russian supply chain vulnerabilities and global competition for resources and capabilities. Prior to this, Emma spent over ten years in the Middle East, first as an Arabist with the UK FCDO, then in strategic communications and late in operational impact delivery at Mayday Rescue, the incubator for the White Helmets rescue organisation in Syria. An Anglo-Swede, Emma holds a MSc in Economics and Management from the Stockholm School of Economics (SSE) and began her career in investment banking. 

Lieutenant General Michael Wright CMM MMV MSM CD

Commander, Canadian Army

Born and raised in Southern Ontario, Lieutenant General Wright enrolled in the Canadian Armed Forces in 1990 and joined Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI) in 1994. He has served in all three Canadian Mechanized Brigade Groups and deployed operationally with all three Regular Force infantry regiments. He spent 11 years with 2 PPCLI in Winnipeg and Shilo, commanding at the platoon, company, and battalion levels, and also served three years with the Second Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment. From 2017 to 2018, he commanded 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group. 

Operationally, Lieutenant General Wright has deployed to Bosnia, Afghanistan, and the Middle East, and supported domestic operations during the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics and the 2011 Manitoba floods. As a rifle company commander in Kandahar Province in 2006–07, he was awarded the Medal of Military Valour and the Meritorious Service Medal. From May 2020 to May 2021, he commanded Joint Task Force Impact and Task Force Central, leading CAF missions in the Middle East. 

He subsequently served as Commander Canadian Forces Intelligence Command and Chief of Defence Intelligence from June 2021 to July 2024. Promoted to Lieutenant General in July 2024, he was appointed Commander of the Canadian Army. 

Lieutenant General Wright holds an Honours degree in History and Political Science, a Master of Defence Studies from RMC, is a graduate of the National Security Programme and the US Army War College.

Private Dmytro Zhluktenko

413 USF Regiment (RAID)

Dmytro Zhluktenko is an active-duty Ukrainian soldier with 413th Unmanned Systems Regiment "RAID", drone pilot, Lessons Learned analyst, and defense technologist with frontline experience in drone warfare. He holds an MPA from the Ukrainian Catholic University and co-founded Dzyga’s Paw, a charitable initiative internationally crowdfunding defence equipment for Ukrainian forces. A published book author and analyst, his work has appeared in War on the Rocks, the Atlantic Council, the Kyiv Independent, and other outlets. Dmytro studies how Ukraine transformed the modern battlefield through drone warfare, and what implications it is going to have for the future of warfare.