Speaker: Dr. Sidharth Kaushal (Royal United Services Institute)
Date: 13 May 2025
Speaker Session Summary
SMA hosted a speaker session with Dr. Sidharth Kaushal (Royal United Services Institute) as part of its SMA EUCOM Speaker Series.
Dissimilar rearmament is fundamental in the context of the European theatre as nations attempt to scale up their military forces after decades of focusing on small armies. This shift is occurring in light of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Dissimilar rearmament is forcing nations to determine how various technologies and their capabilities fit into their armed forces and how they would be employed in a future conflict. Dr. Kaushal emphasized that this is particularly important because modern militaries are not necessarily designed to fight protracted, high-intensity wars. To further complicate matters, a modern capability, such as the use of first-person drones (FPVs), does not have to fail entirely to be considered ineffective—something like a drop in the single-shot probability of kill (SSPK) may constitute failure.
Many of these capabilities are not transformative in a way that completely disrupts existing platforms; instead, they often serve as strategic hedges for the actors involved. Two major bottlenecks for deploying these technologies and capabilities exist: a nation’s industrial capacity and the availability of qualified personnel. For instance, Raytheon has had to rehire retired engineers to produce Stinger missiles since the War in Ukraine began. Dr. Kaushal noted that when a war or threat becomes imminent, cash flow into the defense industry typically intensifies.
Dr. Kaushal cautioned that while understanding the advantages of new capabilities is important, it is equally vital not to overstate their impact. For example, many FVP drones carry payloads comparable to a mortar strike while being much more complex to deploy in the field, illustrating some of their limitations. He argued that the overall payload of a weapon system is often more significant than its efficiency, which can lead to a consolidation of capabilities within fewer systems. He also warned that some systems may simplify one aspect of warfare while merely shifting complexity elsewhere, such as to the operator.
Speaker Session Recording
Briefing Materials
Biography: Dr. Sidharth Kaushal is Senior Research Fellow for Sea Power and Integrated Air and Missile Defence at the Royal United Services Institute. His work at the Institute has seen him work closely with the Royal Navy and UK MoD. His research in the area of IAMD includes studies examining the future of NATO IAMD, options for a UK BMD system and the Command and Control of GBAD formations. He is currently working on a project which will examine the preconditions for victory in the contemporary deep battle in the European Theatre.
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