What is the relationship between climate science and resilience in the context of defence operations? In this first episode of The Resilience Brief (TRB) podcast, hosts Lt. Col. Ali Beard and Dr Sarah Ashbridge are joined by guests who can help us to bring together different strands of research to help us to navigate this very question.

To kick-start the series, the TRB hosts are joined by two speakers with the skills and experience to help us make sense of how the environment informs defence operations, what we can learn from our recent past, and the risks that might inform the future of warfighting.

General (Ret.) Tom Middendorp draws upon on 38 years of military experience, including his service as the Chief of Defence of the Armed Forces of the Netherlands, and shares insights from his current role as Chair of the International Military Council for Climate and Security (IMCCS).

Our hosts also receive challenge from Professor Justin Bronk, who works as the Senior Research Fellow for Airpower and Technology at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI). Justin takes a classic think tank position by signposting towards existing areas of alignment and synergy with traditional warfighting focuses, whilst reminding us to take a cautious approach to emerging areas of research and technological development.

Join us for this exciting first episode which will set the scene for the remainder of the series.

Resources recommended by Episode 1 guest speakers

· Kim Stanley Robinson (2020). The Ministry for the Future. New York and London: Orbit.

· Brian Arthur (2009). The Nature of Technology: What It Is and How It Evolves. New York: Free Press.

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the speakers and are not representative of IMCCS.

For an armed force to be resilient, it must be able to meet its current and future needs, and to support the needs of the population(s) that it seeks to protect. The climate science community has a role to play in helping others to understand what the future world and the operating theatres within it might look like. But where should defence practitioners look to engage, and how much certainty is required to necessitate action now?

In this episode, hosts Dr Sarah Ashbridge and Lieutenant Colonel Alistair Beard are joined by Lieutenant General Richard Wardlaw (Centre for Economic Security/SAID Business School, Oxford University) and Megan Pearce (Frazer-Nash) to explore the different tools and resources which can be utilised to both imagine the future world and navigate the potential risks that it could present to an armed force.

From datasets, to wargaming, to risk management, our speakers signpost to the methods and approaches which can offer the most practical insights and allow us to reduce our own resilience risks, or diversify the risks that we present to our adversaries.

This podcast has been created thanks to the sponsorship and partnership of Frazer-Nash and the NATO Climate Change and Security Centre of Excellence (CCASCOE).

NATO define interoperability as “The ability to act together coherently, effectively and efficiently to achieve Allied objectives”. But what does it mean to achieve, or even contribute to, interoperability to achieve wider resilience?

The success of NATO operations often depends on the ability of forces to work together, often as part of a multinational alliance and routinely with civil-military partnerships, to achieve shared strategic goals. But what does it actually mean to be interoperable in the area of building environmental resilience? Where should armed forces lead, and where should they recognise the boundaries and limitations of military responsibility and seek to follow?

In this episode, guests Justin Mohn (NATO/King’s College London) and Katie Woodward (NATO Climate Change and Security Centre of Excellence) join The Resilience Brief hosts, to share their perspectives on the topic of interoperability, reflecting upon the value of a connected networks, the importance of passive horizon scanning, and the balance between responsibilities for the military and the role of knowledge integrators.

Our guests also present their own pressing questions, such as ‘when is the event circuit too much’ and ‘how do we know when we have achieved good enough with a capability?’ Join Dr Sarah Ashbridge and Lieutenant Colonel Ali Beard for Episode 3 to find out more.

The views of all speakers represent their own opinions and individual experiences. All views presented within this podcast series belong to the individual speakers and do not reflect the official position of their employers or the IMCCS

This podcast has been created thanks to the sponsorship and partnership of Frazer-Nash and the NATO Climate Change and Security Centre of Excellence (CCASCOE).

Resources recommended by Episode 3 guest speakers:

- Robert Forczyk (2013). Tank Warfare on the Eastern Front, 1941-42: Schwerpunkt. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Military.

- Robert Forczyk (2016). Tank Warfare on the Eastern Front, 1943-1945: Red Steamroller. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Aviation.

- Ronald A. Kingham and Ashley McIlwain Moran (2025). Resilience, Readiness, and Response: Report of the project on Climate and Security Action through Civil-Military Cooperation in Climate-Related Emergencies (Project CASA). Brussels: The Environment and Development Resource Centre (EDRC).