Once the spearhead of Allied victory in World War II and the backbone of nuclear deterrence in the early Cold War, strategic bombers are often dismissed today as relics of a bygone era. Yet three powers, the United States, Russia, and China, continue to field formidable bomber fleets. Washington employs them for precision strikes in contested airspace across ... Show More
Mar 31
137 - Exclusive: We Toured One Of Europe’s Most Secretive Tank Factories
Once synonymous with Europe’s past wars and fading heavy industry, the tank factory has re-emerged as one of the continent’s most guarded and politically charged symbols amid rearmament, strategic anxiety, and a renewed push for deterrence on NATO’s eastern flank. In this special ... Show More
15m 26s
Mar 17
136 - The Middle Corridor: Reality Vs. Rhetoric
Previously dismissed as a niche academic concept and a talking point for Central Asia specialists, the Middle Corridor has re-emerged as one of the most discussed trade routes in Eurasia amid war, sanctions, and growing instability across the world’s maritime chokepoints. Running ... Show More
1h 41m
Feb 10
135 - Is China the Kingmaker in Myanmar’s Civil War?
Once hailed as a beacon of democratic reform in Southeast Asia, Myanmar has devolved into a fractured state defined by a brutal, multi-front civil war following the 2021 military coup. The Junta clings to power in the central cities through terror and forced conscription, while a ... Show More
1h 47m
Sep 2025
Drones over Denmark: Russia tests NATO’s defences
Mark Leonard is joined by Ulrike Franke, ECFR senior policy fellow, for an Emergency Room podcast. Together, they unpack the recent wave of drone incursions across European airspace in Poland, Romania and Denmark, and discuss what these hybrid threats reveal about Russian tactics ... Show More
15m 42s
Sep 2024
Hezbollah targets Mossad, Russia and Houthis talk missiles in Iran, US national polls and Tuvalu’s maritime fight
Hezbollah fires a rocket at the Mossad spy agency headquarters in Israel ahead of UN Security Council talks. Iran has brokered secret talks between Russia and the Houthis about Moscow potentially supplying the rebel group with missiles. We look at why national polls matter when t ... Show More
12m 51s
Sep 2025
Poland’s View From the Frontline of Europe
<p>In early September, around 20 Russian drones entered Poland’s airspace. NATO and Polish forces scrambled fighter jets to shoot them down, but not before several had traveled hundreds of miles into Polish territory. </p>
<p>To Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski, the incursi ... Show More
41m 25s
Apr 2024
Long-range strike in the Indo-Pacific defence landscape
In the first Sounds Strategic episode of 2024, host Meia Nouwens is joined by Veerle Nouwens, Dr Evan A. Laksmana and Timothy Wright to discuss the Indo-Pacific security landscape. The IISS experts explore the developments in the US-China relationship, Southeast Asian military mo ... Show More
30m 51s