Defence strategy for small nations - force design, friends, and deterrence on a budget

Much of the the defence content online focuses on what might be called major power competition and the cutting edge platforms that go with it. We often focus on the race by major military powers to field the latest and greatest expensive jets, ships, or submarines in quantity - and it's often those systems that capture the imagination But all those things have something in common - they cost immense amounts of money, and for most nations, keeping up with the USAF or the shipbuilding efforts of the PRC just isn't on the cards. So following a vote by my patrons I decided to look at the question of how smaller (both in terms of population and/or economic power) nations can try to defend themselves in a world dominated by larger powers. It's a bit of a light-hearted return to some defence 101 concepts, and I hope you enjoy. We'll be back next week with a deeper look at Wagner, Blackwater, and the historical and modern role of PMCs. For my recent interview on "The Red Line" see either: https://www.theredlinepodcast.com/listen/episode/3fbb957d/89-european-rearmament-are-we-preparing-for-the-wrong-war (podcast format) or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gncQ3x9_lo (youtube format) Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/PerunAU Caveats & Comments: This video is intended as a bit of a walk back into the world of defence concepts 101, as a result, it may be a bit on the basic side for those in the industry. I also fully admit to blurring the lines of the stages between the development of a strategic concept and fielding and sustainment for the sake of brevity and simplicity. I have also deliberately over-simplified the concepts and force designs in each of the examples for illustrative purposes. Also - several typos made it into the slides, apologies Sources & reading: Defence in a Competitive Age (Defence contribution to the Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/defence-in-a-competitive-age UK Defence and Security Industry Strategy 2021: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/971983/Defence_and_Security_Industrial_Strategy_-_FINAL.pdf UK Defence Industrial Strategy 2006: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/272203/6697.pdf Finnish army headcounts: https://maavoimat.fi/en/about-us Netherlands Defence Vision 2035: https://english.defensie.nl/downloads/publications/2020/10/15/defence-vision-2035 Netherlands Defence White Paper 2022: https://english.defensie.nl/downloads/publications/2022/07/19/defence-white-paper-2022 What Role Can Land-Based, Multi-Domain Anti-Access/Area Denial Forces Play in Deterring or Defeating Aggression? - RAND 2017 https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR1820.html Defence Capability Manual (2021) https://www.defence.gov.au/about/publications/defence-capability-manual Timestamps: 00:00:00 — Opening Words 00:01:52 — WHAT AM I TALKING ABOUT 00:02:44 — DEFENCE 101 00:02:55 — Military Spending Should Serve A Purpose 00:03:49 — Defining A Defensive Concept Or Strategy 00:05:18 — Force Design 00:06:38 — Procurement & Industry Strategy Follow 00:07:43 — A Few Themes Of Small Nation Defence 00:08:41 — MEET KIWILAND 00:09:29 — Starting From Scratch 00:10:03 — Understanding The Enemy 00:11:00 — MACRO STRATEGY TOTAL DEFENCE 00:11:53 — The Threat 00:12:44 — The Concept 00:14:22 — Designing A Force 00:18:00 — Specialised Equipment 00:20:14 — Preparing Society 00:21:59 — Fortress Kiwiland 00:26:17 — MACRO STRATEGY DOMAIN DOMINANCE 00:26:30 — Kiwiland At Sea 00:26:44 — The Threat & Concept 00:27:50 — Making The Ocean Dangerous 00:30:37 — Kiwiland Rules The Waves 00:33:30 — (Sea) Fortress Kiwiland 00:35:24 — MACROSTRATEGY WMD DETERRENCE 00:35:46 — When War Changed 00:37:33 — Cost & Consequences 00:39:57 — Threatening Armageddon 00:41:23 — The North Korean Nuclear Program 00:43:19 — Kiwiland Goes Nuclear? 00:48:14 — MACROSTRATEGY ALLIED INTEGRATION 00:48:35 — You Do Not Exist In A Vacuum 00:50:05 — Being A Better Ally 00:51:03 — Becoming Part Of An Alliance Architecture 00:53:28 — Designing A Force 00:54:08 — Greater Than The Sum Of Parts 00:54:55 — Kiwiland Partners Up 00:56:09 — DEFENCE INDUSTRIAL SPECIALISATION 00:56:33 — Self-reliance And Strategic Autonomy 00:58:13 — Kiwi-industrial Policy 00:58:50 — HARD & SOFT POWER 00:59:05 — Defence Without Deterrence 01:00:26 — Would You Invade This Guy’s Home? 01:01:35 — CONCLUSIONS 01:02:16 — CHANNEL UPDATE