Dr Sophy Antrobus researches contemporary air power in the context of the institutional, cultural and organisational barriers to innovation in modern air forces, in particular the RAF, at the Freeman Air and Space Institute, King’s College London, where she is a Co-Director and Senior Research Fellow.
Her current research areas are on deterrence, integrated air and missile defence, and risk. Previously, Sophy served in the Royal Air Force for twenty years including in Iraq and Afghanistan, and a tour with the Royal Navy.
Ed Arnold is a Senior Research Fellow for European Security within the International Security department at RUSI.
His experience covers defence, intelligence, counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency, within the public and private sector. His primary research focus is on the transformation of European security following Russia’s war on Ukraine. Specifically, he covers the evolving Euro-Atlantic security architecture, the security of northern Europe, and the UK contribution to European security through NATO, the Joint Expeditionary Force, and other fora. Ed has a particular interest in UK National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Reviews.
Ed joined RUSI from the private sector where he was a strategy Director within the defence and security sector. His clients included multiple government departments and multi-national and SME private companies. Prior to consultancy, Ed was an infantry Officer within the British Army. His military career was primarily spent overseas, including deployments to Afghanistan and East Africa and a posting at the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe during the 2014 Ukraine crisis.
Ed holds a MA War Studies from King’s College London and a BA (Hons) in International Politics from the University of Stirling, Scotland.
Ned is Managing Director of Helsing UK and leads our Ukraine operations. He spent fifteen years in His Majesty’s Diplomatic Service, with extensive experience in national security roles, including postings to Afghanistan and Copenhagen. Ned brings deep expertise in geo-politics, diplomacy, defence, and the latest developments in modern conflict, which he is now applying to Helsing's own operations.
General (Ret.) Sir Richard Barrons served as Commander Joint Forces Command, one of the six ‘Chiefs of Staff’ leading the UK Armed Forces, 2013-2016. His military career began as an artillery officer and included the last decade of the Cold War, leadership from Captain to General on military operations in Bosnia, Kosovo, Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan, and serving as the Director of all UK military operations as Lieutenant General.
Now as Co-Chairman of Universal Defence & Security Solutions, he advises on senior leadership, defence and national security matters - especially Digital Age transformation for 21st Century warfare - and is a regular media commentator. He was one of the leaders of the UK Prime Minister’s 2025 Strategic Defence Review and is a Senior Consulting Fellow at Chatham House. His latest book, War and Peace, the Life and Times of General Sir Richard Barrons was published in 2024.
Dr Hillary Briffa is a Senior Lecturer in National Security Studies and the Assistant Director of the Centre for Defence Studies in the Department of War Studies at King’s College London. She is on the editorial board of open access, peer-reviewed journal Small States and Territories and serves as the Academic Chair for the Knowledge Hub on Climate for Circle-U, an alliance of nine research-intensive universities.
Beyond the university, she sits on the board of the London Defence Conference and regularly consults on foreign policy and defence issues for the British government and international governments, ranging from Estonia to Fiji. In 2015 she was appointed an Associate Fellow of the Royal Commonwealth Society, and in 2016 became a recipient of the U.S. State Department’s inaugural Emerging Young Leaders award.
Professor Vince Connelly is Professor of Psychology at the Oxford Brookes University Defence and Security Centre and Director of Teaching and Learning for the Psychology programmes at Oxford Brookes. His particular areas of research expertise include Reserve Forces, Military Families and Veterans.
Vince is best known for his work on the Reserve Forces. His research on integrating Reservists and Regulars within the “Whole Force” approach has been especially influential with the British Army and his success in this area led to a “world leading” impact rating from the 2022 UK Research Excellence Framework. A founder member of the UK Future Reserves Research Programme in 2014 he has contributed to, and led, numerous projects examining the Reserve Forces experience. This includes understanding recruitment and retention issues, the need for family support, improving productivity and how to design and deploy Reserve Forces for warfighting. He has authored many peer-reviewed papers and articles on these topics and his 2023 co-edited book, Contemporary Military Reserves: Between the Civilian and Military Worlds, presents a comparative study of international military reserves.
Vince is a Fellow of the Inter-University Seminar on Armed Forces and Society, the academic member of the UK Reserve Forces External Scrutiny Team, a council member of the Royal Signals Institution, a trustee of the Berkshire Yeomanry Museum and a member of the Forces in Mind Trust Research Centre Stakeholder Advisory Panel, among others. Vince has also published many research studies in the field of educational psychology examining the development of literacy skills.
Vince has 40 years’ experience of part time volunteer service with the Armed Forces. He is currently a senior Army Reservist.
Sir Lawrence Freedman is Emeritus Professor of War Studies at King’s College London. Lawrence Freedman was Professor of War Studies at King's College London from 1982 to 2014, and was Vice-Principal from 2003 to 2013. He was educated at Whitley Bay Grammar School and the Universities of Manchester, York and Oxford. Before joining King's he held research appointments at Nuffield College Oxford, IISS and the Royal Institute of International Affairs. Elected a Fellow of the British Academy in 1995, he was appointed Official Historian of the Falklands Campaign in 1997. In June2009 he was appointed to serve as a member of the official inquiry into Britain and the 2003 Iraq War.
Professor Freedman has written extensively on nuclear strategy and the cold war, as well as commentating regularly on contemporary security issues. Among his books are Strategy: A History (2013), The Future of War: A History (2017) and Ukraine and the Art of Strategy (2019). His most recent book is Command: The Politics of Military Operations from Korea to Ukraine. He also has a Substack, 'Comment is Freed' which he writes with his son Sam.
Sidharth Kaushal's research at RUSI covers the impact of technology on maritime doctrine in the 21st century and the role of sea power in a state's grand strategy.
Sidharth holds a doctorate in International Relations from the London School of Economics, where his research examined the ways in which strategic culture shapes the contours of a nation's grand strategy.
Major General John Kendall commissioned into the Royal Signals Reserves after serving as a Lance Corporal in the Berkshire Yeomanry. His career includes Regimental Duty in the UK and Balkans, mentoring Afghan forces, commanding a training unit, and serving as Deputy Commander in both the Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Brigade and the 3rd (UK) Division. He has held staff roles at the Junior Officer Tactics Course, Reserve Advanced Command and Staff Course, Regional and Home Command, and the Royal College of Defence Studies.
John was responsible for Reserves and key innovation work in the ISR Brigade and Reserve mobilisation planning during his time with the Iron Division. He has also researched the Army’s societal and international connections. As DCFA he is responsible for mobilisation and Army Reserves in the Field Army.
In civilian life, he is a strategic analyst and senior research fellow, focusing on complex problems, wargaming, futures research, and leadership development. He supports the South East Reserve Forces and Cadets Association, a Deputy Lieutenant of the Royal County of Berkshire, and is an ally to both the Defence Sikh and Hindu Networks.
He assumed the role of Deputy Commander Field Army on 19 November 2024.
Amber was the MP for Hastings and Rye from 2010 to 2019 and held office in cabinet for four years. She was Energy Secretary 2015-16, Home Secretary 2016-18, and Work and Pensions Secretary 2018-19. She played an active role in the campaign to stay in the EU during the Brexit referendum. She now works as a consultant and advisor in the financial and energy sector.
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).
