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Warships Pod

Warships Pod

53 episodes

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.

More about the show

This is the podcast for WARSHIPS International Fleet Review, a monthly magazine.

Episodes page 1 of 2

  1. 53: Steve Prest Pt2 - Britain’s Hybrid Navy And Thinking Up Front

    · 50 min · Episode 53

    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…

  2. 52: Steve Prest Pt1 - French Exchange, at War off Libya

    · 43 min · Episode 52

    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…

  3. 51: Suez on Steroids And Britain’s Naval Identity Crisis

    · 48 min · Episode 51

    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…

  4. 50: The Royal Navy - Its Decline and Struggle to Survive Pt2

    · 56 min · Episode 50

    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…

  5. 49: The Royal Navy - Its Decline and Struggle to Survive Pt1

    · 38 min · Episode 49

    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…

  6. 48: Iran War Special - Not-so-Grand Strategy Shocker

    · 56 min · Episode 48

    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…

  7. 47: Cold War & 1990s Submarines & the Hybrid Navy

    · 1 h 09 min · Episode 47

    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’…

  8. 46: Churchill’s Peril: U-boat Wolfpacks

    · 52 min · Episode 46

    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’…

  9. 45: Battleships Reborn!?

    · 37 min · Episode 45

    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…

  10. 44: Bear and Dragon Rising

    · 43 min · Episode 44

    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…

  11. 43: The Royal Navy Needs a New Dreadnought Moment

    · 47 min · Episode 43

    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…

  12. 42: Dangerous Times Call for Daring Decisions

    · 53 min · Episode 42

    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…

  13. 41: UK Strategic Defence Review ‘Fudge’ & Israel-Iran War

    · 57 min · Episode 41

    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…

  14. 40: Banned by Russia, Decorated by Ukraine

    · 58 min · Episode 40

    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…

  15. 39: A World at War: Inevitable or Avoidable?

    · 1 h 07 min · Episode 39

    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…

  16. 38: Trump Presidency v2.0 & UK Defence

    · 48 min · Episode 38

    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…

  17. 37: State of the US Navy Pt2 with David Axe

    · 30 min · Episode 37

    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…

  18. 36: State of the US Navy Pt1 with Dr Emma Salisbury

    · 41 min · Episode 36

    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…

  19. 35: Nukes, Putin’s Threats, Trump Returns & UK Defence Cuts

    · 44 min · Episode 35

    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…

  20. 34: Missile Wars & the Risk of WW3

    · 1 h 03 min · Episode 34

    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…

  21. 33: Making the Royal Navy More Lethal

    · 47 min · Episode 33

    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…

  22. 32: Dormant NATO & Russia: Confront or Contain?

    · 25 min · Episode 32

    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…

  23. 31: National Service Electioneering & Drones Seduction

    · 36 min · Episode 31

    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…

  24. 30: Naval Intelligence in WW2 - Eavesdroppers & the Secret War

    · 53 min · Episode 30

    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…

  25. 29: A Fragile Nuclear Deterrent in a Dangerous World

    · 46 min · Episode 29

    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…

  26. 28: On the Brink of World War Three?

    · 32 min · Episode 28

    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…

  27. 27: UK Defence Troubles & the New Cold War

    · 35 min · Episode 27

    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…

  28. 26: Guyana War Clouds & Houthi Attacks

    · 35 min · Episode 26

    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…

  29. 25: Red Sea Missile Shoot-down

    · 1 h 09 min · Episode 25

    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…

  30. 24: Cold War Secret Diesel Submarine Missions

    · 1 h 02 min · Episode 24

    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…

  31. 23: ‘Oppenheimer’ Movie Review & US Navy Versus UFOs Latest

    · 29 min · Episode 23

    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…

  32. 22: UK Defence Word Salad & War in the Black Sea

    · 44 min · Episode 22

    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…

  33. 21: Cdr Rob Forsyth Pt 2 – Polaris ‘Crash Dive’, Perisher ‘Teacher’ & SSN Command

    · 35 min · Episode 21

    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…

  34. 20: Cdr Rob Forsyth Pt1 - Cuban Missile Crisis to Nuclear Deterrent

    · 49 min · Episode 20

    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…

  35. 19: Ukraine War Aspects & a new Battle of the Atlantic

    · 45 min · Episode 19

    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…

  36. 18: AUKUS Submarines, the UK’s Indo-Pac Tilt & Defence ‘refresh’

    · 42 min · Episode 18

    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…

  37. 17: Combat Divers from WW2 to the Ukraine War

    · 50 min · Episode 17

    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…

  38. 16: Spying on Russians & Inspiring Tom Clancy

    · 1 h 28 min · Episode 16

    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…

  39. 15: Cold War Under the Sea: Andy Benford

    · 1 h 50 min · Episode 15

    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…

  40. 14: State of the US Navy 2023

    · 59 min · Episode 14

    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…

  41. 13: Dunkirk & the Little Ships: Myth versus Reality

    · 51 min · Episode 13

    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…

  42. 12: The Queen, the Royal Family & the Royal Navy

    · 29 min · Episode 12

    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.…

  43. 11: Ukraine Naval Blockade, War by Hunger & Top Gun: Maverick

    · 1 h 00 min · Episode 11

    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…

  44. 10: The Naval Present and Future is no Piece of Cake

    · 1 h 09 min · Episode 10

    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…

  45. 9: Sinking of the Moskva & Ukraine War Impact

    · 51 min · Episode 9

    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…

  46. 8: Ukraine, a New Cold War & Some Hot Battleships

    · 1 h 02 min · Episode 8

    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,…

  47. 7: Ukraine War: Conflict at Sea & the Nuclear Spectre

    · 57 min · Episode 7

    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…

  48. 6: Ukraine Crisis: The Russian Navy’s Global Power Play

    · 57 min · Episode 6

    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…

  49. 5: Ukraine Crisis: Russia’s ‘cruise missile diplomacy’ & NATO’s Response

    · 46 min · Episode 5

    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…

  50. 4: A Dunkirk ‘Little Ship’ and Saving Lives at Sea

    · 41 min · Episode 4

    In this episode of WARSHIPS POD host, Iain Ballantyne chats with Jack Lowe, who connects with the sea while working as a documentarist ‘using photography, audio, film, and words to shine a light on the greatness of…

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