The Clarence

PREMIUM OPINION: UK needs to decide – is it in or out of Asia-Pacific?

The UK RN seems determined to deploy a carrier group in the Asia-Pacific region in 2021, as the first operational deployment of HMS Queen Elizabeth. ...

PREMIUM OPINION: NSA appointment reflects UK defence policy vacuum

The corridors of Whitehall are generally quiet peaceful places, but in recent weeks there has been the Civil Service equivalent of an almighty shouting match, ...

PREMIUM OPINION: Organisational and ministerial changes bode ill for MoD

The Whitehall machine is undergoing yet another session of tinkering in an effort to make it more efficient and coherent: at least, that is the ...

PREMIUM OPINION: Great power competition in the frozen North poses tough questions for UK

The Arctic may be known for its freezing temperatures, but it is hard to escape the conclusion that in strategic terms, the temperature is rising ...

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Whether you are looking for a stiff drink or a stiff opinion, The Clarence is the place to get your preferred poison. Covering all aspects of UK defence and security policy, The Clarence is the place to come and digest Shephard Media's take on the reality behind the headlines.

Defence Notes

PREMIUM OPINION: US risks further erosion of global influence with confused strategy

28th May 2020

Amid the fallout from the global COVID-19 pandemic, as nations try to chart a way out of the crisis and focus on recovery, there has ...
Defence Notes

PREMIUM OPINION: COVID-19 ripple effects cause lasting strategic headaches

12th May 2020

The 75th anniversary of VE Day on 8 May marked the end of the Second World War in Europe. The intervening years have seen the continent ...
Naval Warfare

PREMIUM OPINION: COVID-19 exposes USN fault lines

23rd April 2020

Worldwide disruption continues as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the global response imposing many changes to normal routines and activity. For armed forces ...
Naval Warfare

PREMIUM OPINION: Nuclear deterrence renewal poses similar challenges to UK and US navies

13th April 2020

The UK government is committed to beginning work on development of the next generation of nuclear warhead for its Trident missile programme. This news is ...
Defence Notes

PREMIUM OPINION: COVID-19 will deliver lasting ramifications

19th March 2020

The COVID-19 coronavirus continues to spread across the globe, dominating global news cycles and completely reshaping how nations are governed. Across the world, lockdowns, transport bans ...
Defence Notes

PREMIUM OPINION: No easy choices for UK in latest strategic review

11th March 2020

With the first phase of Brexit completed, the UK now faces strategic choices about the role it wishes to play in the world, and the ...
Defence Notes

Opinion: British Army could emerge as the winner from ministerial changes and spending reviews

17th February 2020

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has completed his first significant reshuffle, hiring and firing ministers to form his cabinet and to focus on the delivery of ...
Defence Notes

Opinion: Transatlantic relationship enters an uncertain phase

6th February 2020

The decision by the UK government to approve the use of Huawei technology in “non-core” parts of the new national 5G network has been met ...
Defence Notes

Opinion: Another year of instability amid Middle Eastern power plays

22nd January 2020

The new decade has opened, quite literally, with a bang. The drone strike by the US military on 3 January to kill the head of ...
Defence Notes

Opinion: Make or break time for UK defence

18th January 2020

For the British Armed Forces, 2020 began with an abrupt start as the aftermath of the strike by the US military on Iranian Qods Force ...
Defence Notes

Opinion: Christmas respite for UK Armed Forces ahead of crunch 2020

20th December 2019

As the year draws to a close, the UK MoD would be excused for letting out a sigh of exhaustion as a busy, and at ...
Defence Notes

Opinion: Will UK election result bring defence benefits?

16th December 2019

The population of the United Kingdom has voted in a general election, and resoundingly returned the Conservative Party, led by Boris Johnson as Prime Minister, ...
Defence Notes

Opinion: Tripartite naval exercise indication of shifting alliances

27th November 2019

In the latest sign of the changing strategic balance in Africa, the first ever tripartite naval exercises between South Africa, Russia and China will occur ...
Naval Warfare

Opinion: UK back in the MPA business, but is it permanent?

5th November 2019

The Royal Air Force has officially taken delivery of the first P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft (MPA). This marks the beginning of a return to ...
Land Warfare

Opinion: What is the British Army for?

18th October 2019

A month on from the madding halls of DSEI 2019 it is worth taking stock of what came to pass, not least the raft of ...
Defence Notes

Opinion: Trump’s diplomacy by social media risks strategic partnerships

25th September 2019

One of the defining hallmarks of President Donald Trump’s period in the Oval Office is the sheer unpredictability of his policy ideas, which often seem ...
Naval Warfare

Opinion: Royal Navy returns to carrier strike capability

5th September 2019

The Royal Navy (RN) has begun the deployment of the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth across the Atlantic to the US to carry out the ...
Defence Notes

Opinion: Is there an absence of interest in UK defence?

21st August 2019

Boris Johnson has been UK Prime Minister for almost a month, yet it is still hard to understand what his vision for defence is, or ...
Defence Notes

Opinion: What will Boris do for defence?

24th July 2019

Boris Johnson has been confirmed as the new prime minister of the United Kingdom. He enters office at a time of unparalleled global security challenges ...
Naval Warfare

Opinion: Will diplomatic gulf threaten Iran stance?

15th July 2019

Following the recent rise in tensions between the UK and Iran over the detention of the tanker MV Grace 1 by Royal Marine Commandos, the ...