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Warships Pod
by Warships Pod
WARSHIPS POD aims to put a spotlight on the world’s navies and features warships past, present, and future. We’ll cover current defense issues alongside interviews and commentary on the Royal Navy, US Navy, and all other navies across the globe, as well as looking back at historical events. This is the podcast for WARSHIPS International Fleet Review, a monthly magazine.
Episodes
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53: Steve Prest Pt2 - Britain’s Hybrid Navy And Thinking Up Front
In part two of the discussion, Steve relates details of his time as Fleet Robotics Officer in the Royal Navy and then provides insider insights into the challenges of making the ‘hybrid navy’ a reality. Iain asks if the ‘hybrid navy’ option is being pushed so hard due to the UK Government’s…
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52: Steve Prest Pt1 - French Exchange, at War off Libya
Our guest for a fascinating two-part discussion is Steve Prest, a former Commodore in the Royal Navy who had a varied career that included a tour in Afghanistan, an exchange with the French Navy and being Weapon Engineer Officer in HMS Westminster during that warship’s operations off Libya. In…
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51: Suez on Steroids And Britain’s Naval Identity Crisis
Returning guest David Murrin begins by considering US President Donald Trump’s gambits in the Middle East as he seeks to prevail over Iran. In a discussion with host Iain Ballantyne - recorded before Iran and the USA reverted to a state of war (in July) - David reflected on the Trump pattern of...
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51: Suez on Steroids & Britain’s Naval Identity Crisis
Returning guest David Murrin begins by considering US President Donald Trump’s gambits in the Middle East as he seeks to prevail over Iran. In a discussion with host Iain Ballantyne - recorded before Iran and the USA reverted to a state of war (in July) - David reflected on the Trump pattern of...
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50: The Royal Navy - Its Decline and Struggle to Survive Pt2
Welcome to the second part of a Warships Pod special, with returning guest Lee Pilgrim and host Iain Ballantyne diving into the state of the Royal Navy today, its decline since the 1990s and where next. Also in this episode, Iain and Lee consider the failure of strategic vision in the UK when it...
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49: The Royal Navy - Its Decline and Struggle to Survive Pt1
In the first instalment of a two part discussion host Iain Ballantyne talks to returning guest Lee Pilgrim about the State of the Royal Navy and its decline over the past 20-30 years. Topics they tackle in this initial helping include: the shortage of Type 23 frigates and Type 45 destroyers;...
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48: Iran War Special - Not-so-Grand Strategy Shocker
Host Iain Ballantyne talks to guests Gary Blackburn and James Bosbotinis about the Iran War, including the Strait of Hormuz struggle, how the conflict could shatter NATO plus what it has revealed about the state of the Royal Navy. Topics also touched on in their lively chat include the American...
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47: Cold War & 1990s Submarines & the Hybrid Navy
In this episode host Iain Ballantyne talks to guest Steve Kershaw, a former Royal Navy submarine officer, about his amazing career under the sea and his work today helping to bring about the UK’S ‘Hybrid Navy’ transformation. Iain kicks off by asking Steve to explain what led him to choose a…
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46: Churchill’s Peril: U-boat Wolfpacks
Guest Roger Moorhouse and host Iain Ballantyne discuss the German submarine threat in WW2 in a lively and engrossing chat. Roger is the author of several acclaimed books, including ‘Killing Hitler’ and ‘First to Fight’ and now ‘Wolfpack’, an excellent single volume deep dive into the submarine…
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45: Battleships Reborn!?
During the second part of a fascinating chat with host Iain Ballantyne, guest Dr James Bosbotinis things kick off by addressing how a future battleship might shape up following President Donald Trump’s call for a new generation of the fighting steel behemoths. James suggests that, rather than...
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44: Bear and Dragon Rising
During the first part of a fascinating discussion with host Iain Ballantyne, returning guest Dr James Bosbotinis provides insights into the naval significance of a big military parade in China. Also considered is the current status of the Russian threat and the scale of danger being faced by…
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43: The Royal Navy Needs a New Dreadnought Moment
In the second and final part of their discussion defence expert Lee Pilgrim and host Iain Ballantyne resume their survey of the Royal Navy and how to fix it. They ponder the need for a new ‘Dreadnought moment’ under a leader as radical as the legendary Admiral Jacky Fisher who introduced...
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42: Dangerous Times Call for Daring Decisions
In the first of a two-part discussion, defence expert Lee Pilgrim provides some common sense, but possibly provocative, suggestions on how to sort out the mess in which the Royal Navy currently finds itself. In this wide-ranging part one chat Lee considers the current state of the RN -...
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41: UK Strategic Defence Review ‘Fudge’ & Israel-Iran War
In this episode host Iain Ballantyne and returning guest Dr Gary Blackburn convene to discuss the substance, or otherwise, of the UK’s recently published Strategic Defence Review (SDR) paper. They also tackle topics relating to the Israel-Iran War, the British reaction to it and also what…
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40: Banned by Russia, Decorated by Ukraine
Our guest is John Foreman, naval officer and former UK Defence Attaché in Moscow and Kyiv. He provides amazing insights into what it was like dealing with the regime of Vladimir Putin as Russia invaded Ukraine and reflects on other dealings with the Russians, at sea and ashore. Topics discussed...
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39: A World at War: Inevitable or Avoidable?
In this episode of the Warships Pod guests David Murrin and Dr David Blagden, with help from host Iain Ballantyne, discuss a worldwide struggle in a multi-polar era that is rapidly turning kinetic - from Ukraine, to the Red Sea and Gaza. It may soon burn even hotter should China invade Taiwan...
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38: Trump Presidency v2.0 & UK Defence
In this episode of the Warships Pod Dr Gary Blackburn returns to have a chat with host Iain Ballantyne about the impact of the second presidency of Donald Trump. Topics discussed include the transactional fashion in which the returning POTUS runs domestic and foreign policies along with defence...
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37: State of the US Navy Pt2 with David Axe
In the second of our podcast episodes devoted to the State of the US Navy - as it and a troubled world sail into 2025 - guest David Axe chats with host Iain Ballantyne. A range of topics, including many covered in the recently published Warships IFR ‘Guide to the US Navy 2025’, are covered in the...
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36: State of the US Navy Pt1 with Dr Emma Salisbury
In the first of two podcast episodes on the State of the US Navy as it (and a troubled world) sail into 2025, guest Dr Emma Salisbury chats with host Iain Ballantyne They look first of all at areas Emma wrote about in the recently published Warships IFR ‘Guide to US Navy 2025’, namely: the USA’s...
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35: Nukes, Putin’s Threats, Trump Returns & UK Defence Cuts
As the United Kingdom strives to maintain a credible strategic deterrent in the face of Russian aggression – including threats from President Vladimir Putin to ‘go nuclear’ due to alleged Western interference in the Ukraine War - our guest on the podcast is Dr David Blagden. Together with podcast...
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34: Missile Wars & the Risk of WW3
Dr James Bosbotinis draws on his considerable expertise in naval weaponry and the threats they pose, along with offering insights into geopolitical developments that do not augur well for world peace. The discussion with host Iain Ballantyne includes the part played by the US Navy and Royal Navy...
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33: Making the Royal Navy More Lethal
Our guests on this episode of the podcast are Dr Emma Salisbury and Will Freer, who recently wrote a commentary for Warships IFR, headlined ‘How to Achieve a More Lethal Royal Navy’, which was based on their recent report for the Council on Geostrategy. Here they discuss various topics associated...
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32: Dormant NATO & Russia: Confront or Contain?
Back for a second discussion of hot topics are guests Dr Gary Blackburn and Dr David Blagden. With host Iain Ballantyne, they weigh up the prospect of European NATO nations being forced to cope with a bigger burden of defence, if a re-elected President Trump decides to to pull American land…
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31: National Service Electioneering & Drones Seduction
Our guests for this episode are Dr Gary Blackburn and Dr David Blagden who, with host Iain Ballantyne, discuss a recent proposal by the UK Government to introduce a new National Service scheme for 18-year-olds. Iain asks if it is just a case of blatant electioneering by the incumbent Sunak...
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30: Naval Intelligence in WW2 - Eavesdroppers & the Secret War
Our guest on this episode is Dr Helen Fry, the author of more than 25 books on the social history of WW2, not least British intelligence activities, spies and the like. She is a leading authority on many related topics, including on the ‘secret listeners’ who eavesdropped on what enemy Prisoners…
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29: A Fragile Nuclear Deterrent in a Dangerous World
In part two of their discussion, Warships Pod host Iain Ballantyne and guest Doug Littlejohns touch on numerous things, not least nuclear deterrent matters. As in the previous episode, the situation during the Cold War is compared with today’s, including the problem of Royal Navy submarines that...
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28: On the Brink of World War Three?
In the first part of a discussion with Captain Doug Littlejohns, who commanded a nuclear-powered hunter-killer submarine against the Russians during the old Cold War, the primary topic is whether or not we are on the brink of World War Three. Doug provides insights gained when he played key roles...
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27: UK Defence Troubles & the New Cold War
A National Audit Office (NAO) report on ‘The Equipment Plan 2023 - 2033’ in the UK makes for grim reading, revealing a massive so-called ‘black hole’ in the Defence budget, which means there is apparently no money for key projects, including future warships. In part two of the discussion, host…
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26: Guyana War Clouds & Houthi Attacks
This episode begins with a discussion by host Iain Ballantyne and guests Dr Gary Blackburn and Dr James Bosbotinis about the bid by Venezuela to annex a major part of neighboring Guyana. How might navies attempt to prevent escalation as the communist client state of Russia and Iran considers its...
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25: Red Sea Missile Shoot-down
In a fascinating and absorbing discussion host Iain Ballantyne and guest Tom Sharpe discuss the US Navy destroyer USS Carney shooting down cruise missiles and drones over the Red Sea. As a former warship captain, Tom provides deeply insightful expert analysis on how the incident may have…
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24: Cold War Secret Diesel Submarine Missions
Our special guest for a deep dive into British naval espionage during the Cold War is Mike Hurley, a veteran of undersea deployments in dangerous waters. As a very young submariner in the late 1950s Mike endured marathon patrols in diesel-electric submarines, most notably HMS Taciturn. In this...
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23: ‘Oppenheimer’ Movie Review & US Navy Versus UFOs Latest
In part two of their podcast discussion Iain Ballantyne and Gary Blackburn provide their opinions on the Hollywood movie ‘Oppenheimer’, about J. Robert Oppenheimer, the so-called ‘father of the atom bomb.’ It includes a discussion on the historical context of The Bomb’s use to end WW2, especially...
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22: UK Defence Word Salad & War in the Black Sea
In part one of this discussion between Dr. Gary Blackburn and host Iain Ballantyne, they investigate the recently published UK Defence Command Paper (DCP). It was meant to lay out how British national defence and security will be achieved, especially in light of the on-going Ukraine War. However,...
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21: Cdr Rob Forsyth Pt 2 – Polaris ‘Crash Dive’, Perisher ‘Teacher’ & SSN Command
In the second and final installment of our discussion with British submarine captain Commander Rob Forsyth, we hear how a hard-charging Soviet spy vessel forced him to order HMS Repulse to ‘crash dive’. It happened as the Polaris missile submarine deployed from Scotland on a deterrent patrol in…
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20: Cdr Rob Forsyth Pt1 - Cuban Missile Crisis to Nuclear Deterrent
We continue our occasional series talking to Cold War undersea warriors with the first installment of a two-episode dive into the submarine career of Commander Rob Forsyth. Entering the Royal Navy in the 1950s, after a brief excursion into the surface fleet, Rob found himself aboard the submarine...
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19: Ukraine War Aspects & a new Battle of the Atlantic
In part two of a discussion by Mark Grove and Dr Gary Blackburn with host Iain Ballantyne, the tasty and varied menu includes naval aspects of the Ukraine War and whether or not a new Battle of the Atlantic is shaping up as Russia seeks to win its so-called ‘special military operation’ in Ukraine...
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18: AUKUS Submarines, the UK’s Indo-Pac Tilt & Defence ‘refresh’
In part one of a two-part special, guests Dr Gary Blackburn and Mark Grove discuss an array of hot topics with host Iain Ballantyne. Iain asks Gary and Mark to give their perspectives on submarine aspects of the Australia- United Kingdom-USA (AUKUS) defence pact following the recent big...
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17: Combat Divers from WW2 to the Ukraine War
Michael G. Welham is our guest, talking to host Iain Ballantyne about the mysterious world of undersea warriors known as ‘combat divers’. Michael has been involved with diving, both military and civilian, for some 40 years. He was a Royal Marines Commando, with skills in diving, canoeing, and...
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16: Spying on Russians & Inspiring Tom Clancy
In this podcast our guest is a legend of the Submarine Service. He is Doug Littlejohns, who had a remarkable career in the Royal Navy, both as a submarine captain and in command of an intelligence-gathering warship during the Cold War. Across a fascinating podcast discussion with our host Iain...
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15: Cold War Under the Sea: Andy Benford
In this episode host Iain Ballantyne talks to Andy Benford, a Cold War undersea warrior who saw service in diesel ‘dirty boats’ of the British and Australian navies and aboard nuclear submarines, not only in hunter-killers but also the UK’s Polaris deterrent force. Aside from Andy’s brush with...
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14: State of the US Navy 2023
In this episode of the Warships Pod, host Iain Ballantyne is joined by two long-time and highly valued contributors to Warships IFR magazine and also to the “Guide to the US Navy.” They are Dr Robert Farley, who currently teaches at the Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce,...
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13: Dunkirk & the Little Ships: Myth versus Reality
Our guest for this episode of the Warships Pod is Dr. Philip Weir, a much esteemed naval historian who specialises in the history of the Royal Navy in the first half of the 20th Century. His most recent book is ‘Dunkirk and the Little Ships’. Discussing that famous event is the major topic during...
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12: The Queen, the Royal Family & the Royal Navy
In this special episode, as the United Kingdom and the world says farewell to Her Majesty The Queen, Queen Elizabeth II, host Iain Ballantyne talks to long-time WARSHIPS IFR contributor Richard Johnstone-Bryden. Richard is the author of several books that highlight the strong connection between…
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11: Ukraine Naval Blockade, War by Hunger & Top Gun: Maverick
We have as our guest this time David Larter, a noted commentator on US Navy matters and also global naval developments. First up for discussion will be the naval side of Ukraine War, with David giving his perspective on the Russian blockade, plus growing realisation of the global impact of...
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10: The Naval Present and Future is no Piece of Cake
Host Iain Ballantyne is joined by two of the UK’s big thinkers on naval strategy, namely Dr Gary Blackburn and Mark Grove, for a wide-ranging and fascinating discussion of hot topics. The subjects they tackle include who is winning the Ukraine War at sea, plus its implications for navies long and...
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9: Sinking of the Moskva & Ukraine War Impact
Host Iain Ballantyne and guest Dr Robert Farley reconvene for another podcast chat, this time looking at the sinking of the Russian Navy cruiser Moskva. In addition to unpicking the event - for example, was the Black Sea Fleet flagship hit by Ukrainian missiles, or was she destroyed by an...
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8: Ukraine, a New Cold War & Some Hot Battleships
In this episode host, Iain Ballantyne talks to Dr Robert Farley, a long-time US-based contributor to WARSHIPS IFR magazine, who currently teaches at the Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce, University of Kentucky. They begin with a survey of the Russia-Ukraine War, looking at...
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7: Ukraine War: Conflict at Sea & the Nuclear Spectre
Host Iain Ballantyne and returning special guest James Bosbotinis, who has deep insight into Russia’s strike capabilities and strategy, in this episode discuss the naval side of the Ukraine conflict and attempt to clear away some of the fog of war. In a wide-ranging chat they look at how things...
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6: Ukraine Crisis: The Russian Navy’s Global Power Play
Special guest for this episode is defence and international affairs analyst Dr. James Bosbotinis who is a regular contributor to WARSHIPS IFR magazine. He possesses deep insights into Russia’s naval capabilities, along with the maritime strategy and long-range strike capabilities of Moscow’s...
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5: Ukraine Crisis: Russia’s ‘cruise missile diplomacy’ & NATO’s Response
This episode sees WARSHIPS IFR Editor Iain Ballantyne and intelligence affairs specialist Chris Carr looking at naval aspects of the Ukraine Crisis. They ponder the prospect of a Russian invasion of Ukraine and the associated moves at sea by both Moscow’s and NATO’s task groups. The topics…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
WARSHIPS POD aims to put a spotlight on the world’s navies and features warships past, present, and future. We’ll cover current defense issues alongside interviews and commentary on the Royal Navy, US Navy, and all other navies across the globe, as well as looking back at historical events.
This is the podcast for WARSHIPS International Fleet Review, a monthly magazine.
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Warships Pod
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How many episodes does Warships Pod have?
Warships Pod currently has 53 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Warships Pod about?
WARSHIPS POD aims to put a spotlight on the world’s navies and features warships past, present, and future. We’ll cover current defense issues alongside interviews and commentary on the Royal Navy, US Navy, and all other navies across the globe, as well as looking back at historical events. This is...
How often does Warships Pod release new episodes?
Warships Pod has 53 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
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Warships Pod is created and hosted by Warships Pod.
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