Security and defence 2024

UK defence policy in a heightened security landscape

• What does the war in Ukraine tells us about the traditional warfare dimensions of land, sea and air? What lessons should be incorporated into 21st-century defence policy as a result?

• What has the Israel-Hamas War shown the role of smaller states to be as mediators in conflict zones and has this shifted the diplomatic balance when it comes to global security?

• Have recent conflicts exposed a misperception in the way that defence policymakers view current deterrence strategies and do these stakeholders need to urgently review their processes?

• How has private sector involvement in providing technological resources, intelligence services, and logistics support for Ukraine impacted the dynamics of the conflict?

• What does Sweden’s accession to NATO and the country’s rapid move away from strategic neutrality mean for the alliance’s northern flank?

• Is it likely that more countries step up to exceed the 2 per cent of GDP defence spending target to replace dwindling munitions stockpiles and provide a credible deterrence position?

• Why is effective public and private industry collaboration essential in securing production resiliency in an ever-changing security landscape?

• What do ‘minilateral’ agreements, such as AUKUS and the Quad, mean for the future of NATO?

• Why is a mastery of the ‘high ground’ of space so crucial to on-the-ground conflicts?

• Where should the private sector be looking to invest their research and development resources to support governments’ space defence targets?

• What challenges does space mining pose to the international community?

• Which international agreements or frameworks can help ensure responsible behaviour in the context of space competition?

• What challenges must be overcome to secure effective cross-continental defence collaboration? How would this benefit European security?

• Where should governments focus their attention when it comes to future security challenges: Russia or China? Somewhere else entirely?

• Is the era of ‘high north; low tension’ over for the Arctic Circle? How do European states counter rising tensions in the polar north?

• What role will the UK play in the future of European security and defence? Can it position itself as a technological leader in this space?

• Is the growing scale and severity of threats to critical infrastructure reshaping their perceived importance compared to traditional land, sea and air threats?

• Why do attacks on critical infrastructure have such far-reaching effects? How do countries secure their technological resources to minimize these consequences?

• Will fragility in sub-sea cabling and sub-sea pipeline infrastructure mark the next domain of conflict for actors to counter?

• How can collaboration between defence entities, government agencies and the private sector enhance the overall resilience of critical infrastructure?

• Should special attention be given to non-state actors and their capabilities to wage cyber wars?

Exclusive to in-person participants and held under the Chatham House Rule.

• Why does the rapid advancement of AI technology present such a fundamental change to traditional battlefield threats?

• What are the concerns and implications surrounding the possibility of an arms race in AI development, particularly in relation to the creation and deployment of autonomous weapons?

• Should regulating military AI be of urgent concern to the international community? What does China’s participation in the 2023 AI Safety Summit say about the country’s views on these emerging technologies?

• How does the international community apply learnings from the rapid advancement of AI to understand the risks posed by emerging technologies like quantum computing?

Exclusive to in-person participants and held under the Chatham House Rule.

• What will the cascading risks associated with climate change be for the security and defence ecosystem?

• How will potential shortages of critical mineral and energy supplies intensify competition between countries?

• How should alliances and international organizations integrate climate risk prevention strategies into their security policies to ensure high-level support?

• Is decarbonization a priority for the defence industry? Should it be more of a focus for large players?