What if the real frontline of modern conflict isn’t on the battlefield, but in the minds and screens of everyday people?

In this episode of Facing Coming Storms, Peter Apps is joined by Simon Paterson, former British Army Intelligence officer and head of strategic partnerships at Boone Global, and Margot Fulda-Hardy, investigator at Graphica and ex-French government official. Together, they unpack the evolving world of information operations - from Russia’s hybrid tactics post-Crimea to China’s sophisticated influence campaigns - exploring how AI, social media, and state actors are reshaping global narratives, sowing division, and challenging democracies.

What You’ll Learn

The AI Supercharge: How large language models and autonomous tools are amplifying disinformation volume and sophistication, from poisoning narratives to fully automated campaigns.

State Actor Playbooks: Insights into Russia’s aggressive hybrid warfare and China’s subtler, network-driven approaches targeting diaspora communities and global perceptions.

Building Defences: Why cross-sector partnerships, rapid fact-checking, and societal resilience are key to countering manipulation without eroding free speech.

This conversation highlights that in an era of cognitive warfare, awareness and collaboration aren’t just tools, they’re essential shields for safeguarding truth and stability.

Facing Coming Storms is brought to you by the British Army’s Centre for Historical Analysis and Conflict Research, in partnership with the Project for the Study of the 21st Century, and produced by Urban Podcasts.

Power without a plan: what happens when the world’s strongest military hits pause?

In this episode of Facing Coming Storms, Pete Apps sits down with Nikolas Gvosdev, Senior Fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute and Professor of National Security Studies at the U.S. Naval War College, to unpack the geopolitical and strategic turbulence surrounding the ongoing U.S. government shutdown.

From unpaid federal workers to the future of American global posture, they explore how domestic political deadlock collides with an increasingly unpredictable international landscape. Nikolas sheds light on how this uncertainty ripples across alliances, procurement, and operations from the Caribbean to Eastern Europe and why questions about U.S. reliability are reshaping how friends and rivals alike see America’s role in the world.

What You’ll Learn

Shutdown Shockwaves: How a lapse in funding disrupts U.S. military operations, civilian workforces, and global confidence.

Strategic Drift: Why political instability is creating unpredictable shifts in U.S. defence posture and alliance planning.

New Power Models: How Washington’s turn towards private-sector security and external funding could reshape future military commitments.

This episode is a reminder that strategy doesn’t exist in a vacuum - it’s forged in the space between politics, power, and perception.

Facing Coming Storms is brought to you by the British Army’s Centre for Historical Analysis and Conflict Research, in partnership with the Project for the Study of the 21st Century, and produced by Urban Podcasts.

As the balance shifts beneath our feet, new maps are drawn - not on paper, but in power itself.

In this episode of Facing Coming Storms, Peter Apps is joined by Dr Peter Layton, retired Royal Australian Air Force officer and visiting fellow at the Griffith Asia Institute, to unpack how changing power dynamics are reshaping security in the Indo-Pacific.

From China’s rapid military expansion and the future of Taiwan, to the evolving roles of Australia, the US, and regional players like Japan, India, and Southeast Asia, together they explore the tensions, alliances, and strategic calculations shaping the decade ahead.

What You’ll Learn

Strategic Shifts: How alliances, basing decisions, and military postures are changing across the Indo-Pacific.

Economic Power Plays: Why China’s manufacturing strength and strategic signalling are as influential as its military might.

Uncertain Futures: How regional hedging, accidental escalation, and innovation will shape how nations respond to rising tensions.

This conversation is a timely reminder that the future of global security may be decided far from Europe’s borders. Understanding the dynamics of the Indo-Pacific is no longer optional, it’s essential.

Facing Coming Storms is brought to you by the British Army’s Centre for Historical Analysis and Conflict Research, in partnership with the Project for the Study of the 21st Century, and produced by Urban Podcasts.