Edward Stringer

Defence spending spree can transform our economy – if we do it right A complete review of Britain’s productive capacity is needed for rearmament to be successful

“We are only the 7th largest defence exporter in the world, well behind France and even slightly behind Italy.”

…which is important as it underpins the national Defence Industrial Base needed for wartime resilience.

www.telegraph.co.uk/business/202...

This is incredible. Knock yourself out, Russian intel services. “A person familiar with the matter …said analysts at the agency were verbally informed that they were not to follow or report on Russian threats, even though this had previously been a main focus for the agency.” Cc @ciaranm.bsky.social

Starmer Shows his Hand on Defence Spending The increase in UK defence spending announced on 25 February has been welcomed by many, but the focus on fractions of a percent must not be a distraction from the real issue of output and generating a...

rusi.org/explore-our-...

Agree all written here by @MTSavill 👇 Book mark it too, as it is a good reference doc for hard numbers on defence spending.

With Trump seemingly determined to destroy any vestige of a US security guarantee for Europe, is the NATO era coming to an end? Gavin Esler talks to Air Marshal Edward Stringer, who served as Britain’s Director-General of Joint Force Development, Strategic Command, about Europe’s brutal new security reality. Can Europe cope with the threat of an expansionist Russia on its Eastern flank, and a US President who shows no interest in shared values and alliances?

‼️ EMERGENCY EDITION ‼️ Is NATO finished? Can Europe defend itself without the USA? Air Marshal @edstringer.bsky.social talks to @gavinesler.bsky.social about the enormity of this moment in history… and why there might be hope.
Listen 📲 linktr.ee/DrillPod

A Year of Ukrainian "Collapse" Narratives: They Were Nonsense, But Did Great Damage.

Hi All, Just sent this out. Its been more than a year since the narratives of Ukraine about to collapse started. These were always overblown and overestimated Russian strength and seemed set on undermining Ukrainian resistance. And yet, they did great damage. open.substack.com/pub/phillips...

This Is Not A Drill with Gavin Esler Politics Podcast · 5 Seasons · Updated weekly

A half-hour conversation with @gavinesler.bsky.social
Both of us hoping not to be overtaken by events before the end of the day…

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...

This Is Not A Drill with Gavin Esler - How will Europe defend itself without America? – with Air Marshal Edward Stringer Listen to This Is Not A Drill with Gavin Esler - How will Europe defend itself without America? – with Air Marshal Edward Stringer by Podmasters on Podcast Addict. With Trump seemingly determined to destroy any vestige of a US security guarantee for Europe, is the NATO era coming to an end? Gavin Esler talks to Air Marshal Edward Stringer, who served as Britain’s Director-General of Joint Force Development, Strategic Command, about Europe’s new security reality. Can Europe cope with the threat of an expansionist Russia on its Eastern flan

Insightful interview by @gavinesler.bsky.social with @edstringer.bsky.social: »Can #Europe cope with the threat of an expansionist #Russia on its Eastern flank, and a #US President who shows no interest in shared values and alliances?« for @thisisnotadrillpod.bsky.social.

Conscription is not the answer for Britain to get its military in order The army chief is arguing for more troops, without a corresponding acceleration of the UK industrial base

Thank you @feelingantsy.bsky.social - you are too kind.
I have, on occasion, written for the @financialtimes.com on similar subjects, eg:

Conscription is not the answer for Britain to get its military in order on.ft.com/48lVqCB

The rate that consumables can be produced - gun barrels running at a tenth of losses.
The actual cost of capital in Russia and its effect on business.

Worth doing a careful audit of two things:
The current state of the Russian front-line forces.
The trajectory of the Russian economy and its likely capacity to adjust that.
Otherwise one is negotiating blind.

Worth reposting this now we are no longer talking about contingent risks…

Who will defend Europe? Caught between an aggressive Russia and a disengaging America, the continent’s western democracies must now rearm — or pay the price

“The danger to Europe lies in the interplay of three crucial factors: American disengagement, Western European denialism and Russian determination.”

Hard to disagree with @keirgiles.bsky.social

Who will defend Europe? on.ft.com/3EG3xR4

A very good article from the FT that looks in some detail at how European Defence needs to reshape itself as the USA shifts focus - and loses patience…

I contributed a few thoughts.

Russia’s War Economy Is Hitting Its Limits Key weapons are running out as Moscow tries to mobilize ever more labor and resources.

Worth a read👇

foreignpolicy.com/2024/11/14/r...

Macron has posed a good question recently: why do 500M rich Europeans seem to have events and outcomes imposed on them by Trump, Putin and Xi?

And the article goes far beyond the usual “something must be done”. I thought it was very balanced on individual countries involved. Do I still hope that none of this will be necessary? Of course

Trump is right. Defenceless Europe can no longer freeload off America Washington’s patience is wearing thin. We must be ready to defend ourselves against Russia

Some, quite senior, folk have objected to our article’s ‘scare-mongering’. I disagree, we may want to maintain the status quo but it is negligent not to prepare for foreseeable ‘events, dear boy…’

I explained this position in an article back in February:

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/02...

Trump is right. Defenceless Europe can no longer freeload off America Washington’s patience is wearing thin. We must be ready to defend ourselves against Russia

Some, quite senior, folk have objected to our article’s ‘scare-mongering’. I disagree, we may want to maintain the status quo but it is negligent not to prepare for foreseeable ‘events, dear boy…’

I explained this position in an article back in February:

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/02...

Thank you @helenebismarck.bsky.social

Conscription is not the answer for Britain to get its military in order The army chief is arguing for more troops, without a corresponding acceleration of the UK industrial base

Interesting point from @edstringer.bsky.social: "land battles in war reveal national strength, they don’t determine it."

Annual lecture by CDS: an appraisal - Policy Exchange “Statecraft” featured heavily in the annual Chief of the Defence Staff’s (CDS) lecture to RUSI. It is a term that is difficult to define precisely but we know it when we see it. For the purposes...

"Assuming, as CDS does, that the associated economic drag on Russia’s economy will pull it down before the factors already mentioned force Ukraine to sue sounds like banking on a damn close run thing." @edstringer.bsky.social

This is worth reading

I’ve just looked at getting down to London some time this weekend…🫣and😱

My latest short piece for PX: What the UK Chief of Defence Staff’s annual lecture did, and didn’t, say…

policyexchange.org.uk/blogs/annual...

Where is the betting on the UK Christmas No1?

We can outlast Russia in Ukraine, Lord Cameron tells Nato Foreign Secretary urges Western allies to collectively increase weapons production in order to help Kyiv towards victory

Absolutely Lord Cameron.

The UK Govt has had 645 days - more if you add in the pre-invasion warning time - when as framework nation of the Joint Expeditionary Force it could have built such a coalition of defence supply.

www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2...

Britain is a fusion superpower, but it must not bet all on the wrong technology Brexit has allowed for hi-tech industrial strategy to form free from Brussels’ red tape

This is vitally important. Interesting too that the conclusions push for an industrial policy that makes the UK a welcoming home for high-tech businesses. I agree.

www.telegraph.co.uk/business/202...

Time to revisit the geopolitical calculus over ‘The West’s’ support for Ukraine. Some appear to be havering - which looks as if transactional considerations have overtaken the genuinely strategic.