The World of Intelligence Podcast

Faced with the starkest security environment for in decades, and against the backdrop of competing security priorities by the US as its strongest ally, the European Union (EU) has embarked on a plan to reverse its under-investment in defence and rebuild military capability through the Readiness 2030 initiative. Andrew MacDonald, head of Janes Defence Budgets, and Guy Anderson, head of defence markets and economics at Janes, join Sean Corbett to discuss the costs ahead and the outlook for success.

Following the release of a special report examining the recent record number of Chinese air-sea operations around Taiwan, Janes Senior Air Reporter Akhil Kadidal joins Harry Kemsley and Sean Corbett to discuss what these escalations could mean for Taiwan. They also examine how the changing military capabilities of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) could signify a shift in its focus from training to combat orientation.

In this podcast culture expert Satgin Hamrah joins Harry Kemsley and Sean Corbett to discuss why understanding culture is crucial in providing context to your intelligence. They explore how ingrained cultural nuances and historical ties influence global security trends, decisions, and behaviours, and why grasping the subtleties of culture is essential for effective engagement and decision making in the defence intelligence community.

In part two of our podcast, Jenny Town, Rachel Minyoung Lee, and Martin Williams from 38 North and Cristina Varriale from Janes join Harry Kemsley and Sean Corbett to continue to unravel the implications of the new US administration on North Korea’s place on the world stage and how its relationship with Russia might evolve in 2025 and beyond.