London
Defence
Conference
About The London Defence Conference
The Organising Committee
Lord Salisbury
Chairman of the London Defence Conference.
Professor John Gearson
Head of the School of Security Studies, King’s College London, Professor of National Security Studies, and Director of the Centre for Defence Studies in the Department of War Studies.
Professor Wyn Bowen
Professor of Non-proliferation and International Security in the Department of War Studies and Co-Director of the Freeman Air & Space Institute in the School of Security Studies, King’s College London.
Iain Martin
Director of the London Defence Conference, columnist for The Times.
Programme 2023
Stronger Security in a Fast-changing World
Key themes included: lessons from Ukraine; the new Cold War; strengthening alliances; NATO and European Security; AUKUS and the Indo-Pacific; the future of conflict; Air, Space and AI; and understanding the threats.
Over two days – 23-24 May – our invited audience and participants heard from leading policymakers and experts.
Speakers and Panelists
President Andrzej Duda
President of Poland
Pål Jonson
Minister for Defence for Sweden
Lord Hague PC FRSL
Lord Mandelson PC
Professor Helen Thompson
Cambridge University
Christian Brose
Author of The Kill Chain: Defending America in the future of High-Tech Warfare, Chief Strategist Anduril Industries
Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges
US Army (rtd.)
Shashank Joshi
The Economist
Dr Francesca Ghiretti
Mercator Institute for China Studies Centre for Grand Strategy
Including:
Neil Brown
CQS
Lord Sedwill GCMG FRGS
Dr Ulrike Franke
European Council on Foreign Relations
Professor Julian Lindley-French
Author of Future War and the Defence of Europe, Institute for Statecraft in London
Elisabeth Braw
American Enterprise Institute
Luke Coffey
Hudson Institute
Conference Schedule - Day 1
Tuesday - 23 May, 2023
08.30
Registration
09.30
Welcome and Opening Conference
Welcome remarks from Professor Shitij Kapur, President & Principal, King’s College London
Morning Session - Lessons from Ukraine
09.45
Panel 1 – ‘The Battlefield Picture’
Moderated by Adam Boulton, broadcaster and former Editor-at-large, Sky News
- Shashank Joshi, The Economist
- Dr Julia Muravska, Senior Visiting Fellow, Freeman Air and Space Institute
- Dr Jack Watling, Senior Research Fellow, Land Warfare, Royal United Services Institute (RUSI)
- Ukraine Government Representative
11.00
Keynote Conversation
Senior UK Government Representative hosted by Iain Martin
11.30
Panel 2 – ‘Geopolitics – A new Cold War?’
Moderated by Adam Boulton, broadcaster and former Editor-at-large, Sky News
- Elisabeth Braw, American Enterprise Institute
- Neil Brown, Geopolitical Strategist, CQS
- Heather Williams, Director, Project on Nuclear Issues and Senior Fellow, International Security Program, Center for Strategic & International Studies
- Tim Marshall, journalist, author, and broadcaster
13.00 - 13.45
Break Out Session
‘Investing in Multilateral Cooperation as the Future of Defence’
Moderated by Professor Alessio Patalano, Professor of War & Strategy in East Asia, King’s College London
- Kevin Craven, CEO, ADS Group
- Lord Johnson, Minister for Investment, Department for Business & International Trade
- Frank Clifford OBE, Deputy Director, Head of Americas & Indo Pacific, UKDSE
- Paul Hollingshead, Head of Europe & Africa, Anduril
- Nigel Chandler, Business Development Director and Strategic Campaign Lead, Airbus Defence & Space
Afternoon Session - Stronger Alliances
14.00
Panel 3 – ‘AUKUS & Indo-Pacific Security’
Moderated by Lord Mandelson
- Professor Alessio Patalano, Professor of War & Strategy in East Asia, Department of War Studies, King’s College London
- Vice-Admiral Paul Maddison, Inaugural Director, Security and Defence Plus Alliance, Defence Research Institute, University of New South Wales
- The Hon. Stephen Smith, Australian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom
- Dr Nicola Leveringhaus, Senior Lecturer, Department of War Studies, King’s College London
15.15
In Conversation With
Rt Hon John Healey MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Defence with Professor John Gearson, Head of School, School of Security Studies, King’s College London
16.00
Keynote Address
International keynote speech
16.30
Panel 4 – ‘NATO & European Security’
Moderated by Deborah Haynes, security and defence editor at Sky News
- Lord Sedwill, former UK National Security Advisor and Cabinet Secretary
- Professor Julian Lindley-French, Chairman, The Alphen Group
- Jeremy Greaves, Vice President, Corporate Affairs & Strategy, Airbus UK
- Dr Ruth Deyermond, Senior Lecturer in Post-Soviet Security, King’s College London
17.30-19.00
Conference Drinks
By invitation only
19.00
Director’s Dinner
By invitation only
Day 2
Wednesday - 24 May, 2023
08.30
Registration
09.25
Welcome and Opening Remarks
Welcome remarks from Lord Salisbury, Chairman of the London Defence Conference
Morning Session - Future of Conflict
09.30
Panel 5 – ‘Air, Space and AI’
Moderated by Lord Hague
- Christian Brose, Chief Strategy Officer, Anduril Industries
- Dr Ulrike Franke, Senior Policy Fellow, European Council on Foreign Relations
- Air Marshal Edward Stringer, CB, CBE, Former Director General of the Defence Academy
- Tim Marshall, journalist, author, and broadcaster
10.45
Keynote Address
Pål Jonson, Minister for Defence for Sweden, interviewed by Iain Martin
11.30
Panel 6 – ‘Future Risks’
Moderated by Adam Boulton, broadcaster and former Editor-at-large, Sky News
- Professor Helen Thompson, Professor of Political Economy, Cambridge University
- Dr Francesca Ghiretti, Analyst, Mercator Institute for China Studies
- Dr Målfrid Braut-Hegghammer, Professor of Political Science, the University of Oslo
- Louis Mosley, Senior Vice President – UK and Europe, Palantir
13.00 - 13.45
Break Out Session
Panel featuring future stars from the School of Security Studies, King’s College London
Moderated by Professor John Bew
- Julia Balm
- Arun Dawson
- Raphael Lima
- Sumitha Narayanan Kutty
Afternoon Session - Leadership
14.00
Panel 7 – ‘Command and Leadership in the 21st Century’
Moderated by Deborah Haynes, security and defence editor at Sky News
- General Ben Hodges LTG, US Army (retired)
- Luke Coffey, Senior Fellow, Hudson Institute
- Professor ‘Funmi Olonisakin, Vice President, King’s College London
- Marko Mihkelson MP, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu, Parliament of Estonia
15.15
In Conversation With
Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, Chief of the Defence Staff, with Professor John Gearson
16.00
Closing Remarks
Closing remarks made by Professor Rachel Mills, Senior Vice President, King’s College London
16.15
Conference Concludes
19.00
Chairman’s Dinner
By invitation only
Our Supporters
If you are interested in becoming a supporter for this year or 2024 and beyond, please email info@londondefenceconference.com.
Contact
To contact the London Defence Conference team email info@londondefenceconference.com.