Kevin Rowlands

Some personal news.

After 4 years leading the @rnssc.bsky.social I think it is time for a change.

I'll shortly be joining @rusi.bsky.social as Editor of the world renowned RUSI Journal.

I'm proud of what wenhave achieved in the RNSSC and excited by the next chapter.

We were thrilled to once again welcome Dr Matt Heaslip, Senior Lecturer in Naval History at the University of Portsmouth, for the 2025 Crisisgame!

This year’s scenario tested participants’ critical thinking in evacuating thousands of civilians amidst a tense geopolitical environment!

Thoroughly enjoyed judging a RUSI debate last night. The question was whether the current wave of tech innovation resulted in revolutionary change in war at sea.

Great speakers from industry, NATO, academia and the navy.

I won't divulge the result. But what do you think?

Last week I had the privilege of visiting the Italian Navy’s Centre for Military Maritime Studies in Venice. It was a superb opportunity to discuss 🇬🇧 🇮🇹 research agendas and future cooperation.

Very pleased to contribute to this #BigAsk. We need a free and open Arctic, not a fiefdom of revisionist states.

Join the polite debate between @peterdombrowski.bsky.social and me (on my side, of course!)

Of course. Precisely. That's why it's important to sequence long deployments, as 🇮🇹, 🇫🇷 and 🇬🇧 (supported by others) have done over the past 2 years, to leave the bulk of assets in the principal military theatre - the Euro-Atlantic.

That's what comes with freedom of navigation and free and open seas.

Why Europe should limit naval operations in the Indo-Pacific A friendly provocation from an American

This is an excellent article by Prof @peterdombrowski.bsky.social. Well worth a read. But if you do, then please read my comments below it, too, for an alternative perspective. Then make up your own mind.

www.thebroadside.org.uk/p/05-2025-eu...

I really enjoyed writing this with @sophyantrobus.bsky.social.

Don't be put off by the image - we aren't arguing for Armageddon. We are urging a debate on escalation and de-escalation in these troubling times.

We are proud to be associated with the @congeostrategy.bsky.social #SeaPowerLaboratory. Head of RNSSC, @c21st-sailor.bsky.social chaired an expert panel and compered a group exercise on policy development and delivery in Whitehall.

Together we are growing a thinking, articulate maritime community.

I really enjoyed this event. Superb talks by Baroness Gisela Stuart and James Waller, and a fun (for me!) policy game to finish. I hope the attendees found it worthwhile, too.

Why has shipping in the Red Sea failed to return to pre-conflict levels? The answer has little to do with bombs and drones, but rather insurance, demand, and geopolitics. warontherocks.com/episode/the-...

Excellent think piece by RNSSC Fellowships Officer @strategyforward.bsky.social

We are proud to be associated with The Broadside, the new naval and maritimeplatform from @congeostrategy.bsky.social

It was a pleasure to speak to the Oxford University Strategic Studies Group at All Souls College last night.

There is a lot happening on the international stage at the moment and seapower has a role to play in statecraft.

Some challenging questions which really made me think.

East Germany’s majority voted AfD. This gets hidden in the national average of ca. 20%. This shows a big political rift precisely along the line of the previous border.

Is this an anti-woke, or a pro-Putin vote? Or a general protest against the West German mainstream parties? We better find out.

Great thread with a succinct message built on plenty of underpinning evidence. @covertshores.bsky.social is the best open source analyst there is.

Should be read by everyone who would sell out somebody else's country because of lies and greed.

Royal Navy Strategic Studies Centre | RNSSC Fellowship Programmes | Royal Navy

This week we select our new Fellows:

1SL Fellows - the RN's flagship 2 year fellowship for experienced people with great research ideas.

Richmond Fellows - one year talent programme for less experience, innovative thinkers.

Good luck to all who applied.

www.royalnavy.mod.uk/locations-an...

I claim no credit for the map. @james-rogers.bsky.social produces the best geostrategic maps going. (I did add a few words to the accompanying article. I think it's worth reading, but I'm biased.)

Looking for points of disagreement with @mtsavill.bsky.social below. Can't find any.

The 🇬🇧 Carrier Strike Group deploys to the Indo-Pacific this Spring, via the Mediterranean and Middle East. This follows similar deployments by 🇮🇹 and 🇫🇷. Why do European countries think it's worthwhile? Read @salisbot.bsky.social article to find out.

I'm delighted to worked with @james-rogers.bsky.social onan article for this special issue.

The Munich Security Conference is an important event. Being heard there is a privilege.

REMEMBER AGINCOURT ‘Please, Sir, why was Agincourt so important?’ ‘What do you mean, Tomkins, why was Agincourt important?  It was a great English victory.  King Henry was outnumbered five to…

REMEMBER AGINCOURT | busywords search.app/gEo2mv2RMkxx...

Crisis games are valuable. They make us think. This week, we held a crisis game with Loughborough University on the issue of Svalbard. This follows a seminar on the polar regions we did with Royal Holloway in the autumn.

Read about both on our LinkedIn page.

www.linkedin.com/posts/rrnssc...

A Wider War Has Already Started in Europe Putin’s not-so-quiet sabotage campaign against European democracies

Some good points in here.

utm_campaign=the-atlantic&utm_content=true-anthem&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter

I've had a close relationship with King's College London for years. MA, PhD, DefAC Directing Staff, in my current job and more.

And so I was thrilled and delighted to be offered a Visiting Professorship in the world renowned War Studies department. Of course I accepted!

Picked up the pass today.

I was pleased to be able to contribute some thoughts to this. Great to see other, similar perspectives, too.

A great charity shop find. A wonderful atlas from 1935.

The world shipping routes map looks remarkably familiar despite 90 years separation and technological changes. Geography matters.

It would be interesting to consider some modern interpretations of prize law.