Facing Coming Storms: Talking International Defence
by Peter Apps & Urban Podcasts
Latest episode
Lessons from WW2: Getting Blood into Battle
Lessons from WW2: Getting Blood into Battle
About this podcast
Facing Coming Storms is the new international defence podcast from the British Army’s Centre for Historical Analysis and Conflict Research and the Project for the Study of the 21st Century.
From confrontation to conflict, join Peter Apps each Monday for insightful discussions, conversations, and expert analysis.
Facing Coming Storms is produced by Urban Podcasts.
Episodes
The newest 50 of 52 episodes
- Lessons from WW2: Getting Blood into Battle · 35 min · Season 1 Episode 52How did the industrialisation of blood supply transform the battlefield of the Second World War, and what can it teach us about modern conflict? In this episode of Facing Coming…
- NATO's Naval Deterrence · 48 min · Season 1 Episode 51What does it really take to deter a modern adversary at sea when the old rules of the Cold War no longer seem to apply? In this episode of Facing Coming Storms, Pete Apps is…
- The Global Land Warfare Picture · 52 min · Season 1 Episode 50What does the rapidly evolving face of modern warfare mean for the future of global conflict and Western military strategy? In this episode of Facing Coming Storms, we sit down…
- Higher Standards? Military Values & Ethics · 1 h 2 min · Season 1 Episode 49In this episode of Facing Coming Storms, we talk varying multinational approaches military ethics with CHACR director Major General Andrew Sharpe, Colonel Dennis Katolin of the…
- Special Operations: The Network Shaping Modern Warfare · 49 min · Season 1 Episode 48We're recording this from Tampa ahead of Special Operations Forces Week, and it felt like the perfect moment to dig into a world that operates mostly in the shadows but plays a…
- How Mideast Conflict Highlights a Changing World · 58 min · Season 1 Episode 47Clip 1: Trump’s Uncertainty Strategy Uncertainty isn’t a byproduct - it’s the strategy. As global powers hedge their bets, Europe is caught between reinforcing old alliances…
- NATO 2026: Decisions, Divisions and Delivering Deterrence · 54 min · Season 1 Episode 46Audiogram 1 - NATO's Split - Military Cooperation vs. Political Disputes NATO's military cooperation thrives - exercises and ops continue uninterrupted but political disputes…
- US, Allies Kick Off Unpredictable but Critical 2026 · 1 h 2 min · Season 1 Episode 45In our first episode of 2026, we couldn’t have asked for a stronger panel – three experts who’ve spent their careers wrestling with the grey-zone threats reshaping global…
- What War Movies Really Tell Us · 1 h 1 min · Season 1 Episode 44What do war films really teach us - not just about conflict, but about who we think we are, and what we believe we’d do when it matters? In this Christmas episode of Facing…
- Defence Tech, Innovation and Institutional Inertia · 58 min · Season 1 Episode 43What happens when the speed of modern warfare outpaces the systems designed to manage it? In this episode of Facing Coming Storms, we are joined by Eva Sula, Estonian defence…
- Inside Ukraine's Drone Revolution · 34 min · Season 1 Episode 42From volunteering in March 2022 to whispering in the ear of Ukraine’s High Command and authoring the paper that birthed an entirely new branch of the military, Ukrainian-born…
- The Wider Struggle for the World · 43 min · Season 1 Episode 41What happens when the West stops writing the rules and every middle power starts playing its own game at the same time? Peter Apps reunites with Samir Puri, Director of the…
- How the Human Brain Approaches Modern War · 46 min · Season 1 Episode 40We talk with neurologist Dr Nicholas Wright – adviser to the Pentagon Joint Staff and US nuclear strategists amongst others on the functioning of the brain – about his new book…
- "Blood in the Water": From Donbass to Taiwan · 49 min · Season 1 Episode 39As winter grips Ukraine's frontlines and Chinese warships circle Taiwan, the shadows of escalation stretch across two hemispheres, testing alliances and resolve. In this episode…
- UK Defence in a Changing World · 1 h 4 min · Season 1 Episode 38What if the UK's defence future hinges not on its own capabilities, but on bridging gaps in an unpredictable US partnership? In this episode of Facing Coming Storms, Peter Apps…
- Information Operation: Navigating the New Battleground · 1 h 10 min · Season 1 Episode 37What if the real frontline of modern conflict isn’t on the battlefield, but in the minds and screens of everyday people? In this episode of Facing Coming Storms, Peter Apps is…
- Inside U.S. Defence Uncertainty · 56 min · Season 1 Episode 36Power without a plan: what happens when the world’s strongest military hits pause? In this episode of Facing Coming Storms, Pete Apps sits down with Nikolas Gvosdev, Senior…
- The View from Australia · 51 min · Season 1 Episode 35As the balance shifts beneath our feet, new maps are drawn - not on paper, but in power itself. In this episode of Facing Coming Storms, Peter Apps is joined by Dr Peter Layton…
- Ben Barry: The Rise and Fall of the British Army · 1 h 12 min · Season 1 Episode 34What happens when an army built for the past must face an uncertain future? In this episode of Facing Coming Storms, Peter Apps sits down with Ben Barry - Senior Fellow for…
- Preparing for Tomorrow’s Battles: Lessons from History · 49 min · Season 1 Episode 33What if the wars of the future look nothing like the wars of the past? In this live edition of Facing Coming Storms, recorded at the Hereford Military History Festival, Pete Apps…
- A New World of Naval Technology and Risk · 50 min · Season 1 Episode 32What if the next great naval revolution was already underway? In this episode of Facing Coming Storms, Peter Apps speaks with Admiral Nils Wang - former head of the Danish Navy…
- NATO in Flux: Sten Rynning on America, Europe and the New Divide · 54 min · Season 1 Episode 31What if NATO's biggest threat wasn't Russia but America's retreat? In this episode of Facing Coming Storms, we welcome back Sten Rynning, Professor of War Studies at the Danish…
- Ukraine: The Bigger Picture with Bob Seely · 54 min · Season 1 Episode 30The war in Ukraine is not just a regional conflict – it is a testing ground for the future of warfare and a frontline in the wider confrontation between authoritarian regimes and…
- Shifting Defence Technology in the Twenties · 58 min · Season 1 Episode 29What if cutting-edge technology could redefine global defence strategies? In this episode of Facing Coming Storms, Peter Apps is joined by James Black, Deputy Director at RAND…
- Nuclear Risks and War Planning · 1 h 3 min · Season 1 Episode 28What if understanding limited nuclear war could prevent global catastrophe? In this episode of Facing Coming Storms, we explore the chilling realities of nuclear risks and war…
- Inside the Mind of Xi Jinping · 58 min · Season 1 Episode 27What if peering into one leader's mind could shape the future of global defence? In this episode of Facing Coming Storms, Peter Apps explores the psyche of Chinese President Xi…
- The Middle East After the Iran Strikes · 54 min · Season 1 Episode 26What’s shaping the Middle East’s evolving landscape? In this episode of Facing Coming Storms, we’re joined by Hayat Alvi, Ph.D., a professor at the US Naval War College, to…
- Russia and China's Militaries: Similarities and Differences · 50 min · Season 1 Episode 25How do Russia's and China's militaries align and differ in today’s world? In this episode of Facing Coming Storms, Mark Cozad, a RAND Corporation senior defence researcher and…
- Understanding Modern Combat with Battle Research Group · 52 min · Season 1 Episode 24Ben Connable, a former US Marine and leader of the Battle Research Group, discusses the realities of ground combat and their implications for future warfare. We explore the…
- After the Summit: Europe's Defence Industrial Base · 56 min · Season 1 Episode 23Can Europe’s fragmented defence industry meet the demands of a shifting geopolitical landscape? In this episode of Facing Coming Storms, Stuart Dee from RAND Europe joins Peter…
- An Evolving "Trump Doctrine" and Its Implications · 50 min · Season 1 Episode 22What’s really shaping America’s foreign policy under Trump, and how does it ripple out to the rest of us? In this episode of Facing Coming Storms, we are joined with Nikolas…
- Drones and Data: The New Face of Global Conflict · 56 min · Season 1 Episode 21How are drone strikes and precision targeting transforming warfare? In this episode of Facing Coming Storms, George Barrows from the Institute for the Study of War and Brian…
- Britain’s Battle Plan: Land Warfare 2025 · 1 h 1 min · Season 1 Episode 20In this episode of Facing Coming Storms, we explore how the British Army is preparing for growing global threats. I’m joined by Nicholas Drummond, a former Army officer and KNDS…
- Storm Proofing: Will AI Change the Way Soldiers Think? · 37 min · Episode 19Artificial intelligence is reshaping warfare, and in this episode, we explore its profound implications with Michael Nyberg, a professor at the US Army War College, and Tom…
- Understanding the Taiwan Confrontation · 1 h 5 min · Season 1 Episode 18In this episode of Facing Coming Storms, Matthew Sperzel and Daniel Shats from the Institute for the Study of War join us to explore rising tensions in the Taiwan Strait. We…
- Jets, Drones, and the Evolving Air-Space Battle · 45 min · Season 1 Episode 17The sky is the new battleground for global powers. In this episode of Facing Coming Storms, aerospace expert Douglas Barry from the International Institute for Strategic Studies…
- Westlessness: Navigating a World Beyond Western Rule · 57 min · Season 1 Episode 16Is the West ready for a multipolar storm? In this episode of Facing Coming Storms, Samir Puri, former British diplomat and Chatham House director, joins us to dissect the West’s…
- Performative Strikes and New Forever Wars · 48 min · Season 1 Episode 15Are we heading toward endless wars or can we pull back? In this episode of Facing Coming Storms, Nikolas Gvosdev joins us to dissect 2025’s conflicts—from Ukraine and Gaza to…
- Storm Proofing: Preparing Armies for a Future War · 1 h 5 min · Season 1 Episode 14How do armies adapt as tech surges and geopolitics destabilise? Leo Blanken from the US Naval Postgraduate School and JP Clark from the US Army War College, contributors to Storm…
- A World in Turmoil with The Great British Foreign Affairs Podcast · 48 min · Season 1 Episode 13What’s the world look like through a global defence lens today? On this special episode of Facing Coming Storms, we team up with Anna-Joy Rickard, host of The Great British…
- How Wars End · 1 h 4 min · Season 1 Episode 12As we approach the 80th anniversary of VE Day, with conflicts like Ukraine still raging, we’re diving into the complex question of how wars truly end. Joined by Major General…
- Navigating the Corridors of Power · 1 h 4 min · Season 1 Episode 11Curious about the world of government, military, and global decisions, where power weighs a ton yet slips away? In this Facing Coming Storms episode, we’re joined by Ari Ratner…
- The Baltics at the Crossroads of History · 59 min · Season 1 Episode 10In this episode of Facing Coming Storms, we explore the Baltic states—Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia—as NATO’s frontline amid Russia’s growing shadow. Joined by Oliver Moody…
- Simulating Modern Combat with the United States Marine Corps · 42 min · Season 1 Episode 9How are the U.S. Marines getting ready for a chaotic, brutal battlefield? In this episode, we sit down with Captain Nicholas Royer, a simulation officer from the Second Marine…
- NATO and Beyond in a Time of Uncertainty · 51 min · Season 1 Episode 8Can Europe hold its ground if the U.S. pulls back? This week, we’re talking with Professor Sten Rynning, a NATO expert from the Danish Institute of Advanced Study and a lecturer…
- What Next for Ukraine and Its Wider Lessons · 1 h 8 min · Season 1 Episode 7Ukraine’s war is shifting fast—US support was halted temporarily, Russia's tank losses remain staggering European resolve is yet to be determined. In this episode of Facing…
- The US in the World · 1 h 1 min · Season 1 Episode 6In this episode, I’m joined by Professor Nikolas Gvosdev of the US Naval War College, a leading expert in European and Russian international relations. Two months into 2025, with…
- Mideast Confrontations · 53 min · Season 1 Episode 5In this episode, I am joined by Hayat Alvi, Associate Professor of National Security Affairs at the United States Naval War College. We explore the constantly changing dynamics…
- General Sir Nick Carter: War, Strategy, and Leadership · 1 h 3 min · Season 1 Episode 4In this episode, we’re joined by General Sir Nick Carter, one of the most influential British Army commanders of recent times. From commanding a battalion in Kosovo to leading as…
- Facing a Growing China · 48 min · Season 1 Episode 3What does China’s growing military power mean for global stability? In this episode, experts former Rear Admiral Mike Studeman and Nigel Inkster discuss China’s rapid…
