Alessio Patalano

Professor of War & Strategy in East Asia | FRHistS | @warstudies | @kcl_CGS | Postwar Japan as a Seapower. Naval affairs. Strategy. Indo-Pacific. One ping only.

[Alessio Patalano @alessionaval]

The Strategic Significance of the Maritime Theatre in the Russia–Ukraine War - good morning X.

Delighted and honoured this piece Dan Hallett and I penned is out with ⁦@RUSI_org⁩ flagship publication- a short thread about our argument: https://t.co/blhaM5n9tF

[Dr Phil Weir @navalhistorian]

1) Although depicted as an MoD-Treasury "turf war" there's a buried lede to this story that goes back to the mega projects report of the Treasury's Office for Value for Money in June 2025, which was, in fact, rather critical of the Treasury's own behaviour https://t.co/J5CZV3XuC2

[Lucy Fisher @LOS_Fisher]

PM is expected to announce around £15bn extra for defence (to 2030) in DIP, a compromise option between the Treasury push for a maximum of £12bn and MoD push for a floor of £18bn

Plan is not yet finalised, but £15bn would fall far short of current £28bn MoD funding gap to 2030

[Alessio Patalano @alessionaval]

@fharris2011 Especially given that actually when the chips are down Italy but especially Japan have managed military expenditure in a way the UK can only hope to learn.

[Alessio Patalano @alessionaval]

UK Treasury set to take control of fighter jet spending after defence ministry mishaps - a very confusing piece. https://t.co/lVRhV5CdGt

[Navy Lookout @NavyLookout]

.@HMSSomerset and her Merlin helicopter were involved in tracking and monitoring in support of the French operation to board the tanker Tagor.

[首相官邸 @kantei]

【お知らせ】
本日（６月３日）、天皇陛下の御臨席の下、高市総理は、都内で開催された世界島嶼国海洋会議に出席し、挨拶しました。

高市総理発言要旨（速報版）
　本日、天皇陛下の御臨席を仰ぎ、世界各国の皆様の御参加を得て、「世界島嶼国海洋会議」が開催されますことは、誠に喜びにたえません。
　今回の会議は、日本を含む世界の(※1)島嶼国のリーダーが一堂に会し、海洋の保全と持続可能な利用、また、気候変動に起因する海面上昇や異常気象など、海洋に関する共通の課題について議論するものでございます。初めての試みにもかかわらず、総勢約３００人以上の方々にお集まりいただいたと伺っており、とてもありがたく感じております。 
　また、この場をお借りして、長年、海洋の持続可能性をテーマに活動を続けてこられ、このような素晴らしい会議の開催を提案し、主導された日本財団の皆様、そして笹川名誉会長に心からの敬意を表します。共同議長を務めていただく、ウィップス・パラオ大統領の御尽力にも感謝を申し上げます。
　日本は、広大な海に四方を囲まれた島国です。古来より、海の恵みの中で暮らしてきました。こうした海に育まれた国として、日本は、長年にわたり、海洋分野における国際協力や、気候変動対策に強くコミットしてきています。
　また、海における法の支配も一貫して重視してまいりました。先月、私は、進化した「自由で開かれたインド太平洋（ＦＯＩＰ）」を発表しました。地域の国々の「自律性」と「強靱性」の強化に向けて、共に取り組んでいくことをお約束しました。こうした考えに基づいて、異常気象や海面上昇に苦しむ国や地域への支援、海洋状況把握や海上法執行機関(※2)の強化に向けた協力にも取り組んでいきたいと思います。
　同時に、様々な課題を解決し、法の支配に基づく、持続可能な海洋を実現するためには、志を同じくする皆様との連携が欠かせません。
　今回の会議が、我々島嶼国の力を結集し、国際社会において新たな動きを作り出すきっかけとなることを期待しております。２日間にわたる、活発な議論を楽しみにいたします。
　結びに、今回の会議の成功と皆様の御健勝を心からお祈り申し上げます。御清聴ありがとうございました。
※1 「世界を含む日本の」と発言しましたが、正しくは「日本を含む世界の」です。
※2 「海洋法執行機関」と発言しましたが、正しくは「海上法執行機関」です。

[Tom Shugart @tshugart3]

👀 Quite the development.

At 120m, I'd be very surprised if this new Chinese submarine isn't ANOTHER new class of nuclear-powered boats.
https://t.co/gaKWGCHxBn

[Defence Operations 🇬🇧 @DefenceOps]

🌊 4,500 miles. 18 days. One mission complete.

🛳️From the Falklands to Tristan da Cunha, @HMS_Medway delivered vital support before safely recovering @BritishArmy Pathfinders.

✈️ RAF inserted.🪂Army established. ⚓Navy recovered.

Joint operations in action.

@BFSouthAtlantic

[Darren Jones MP @darrenpjones]

Proud to share the best of the South West with @AmbJapanUK

And slightly embarrassed that the Japanese Ambassador can say “gert lush” in a better Bristolian accent than I can!

🇬🇧 🤝 🇯🇵

[Alessio Patalano @alessionaval]

Best anecdote of the day. And possibly any day when it comes to what I think is the key to genuine great leadership: being inspirational.

[Deborah Haynes @haynesdeborah]

I heard a lovely anecdote today about Sir Alex Younger, the former head of MI6, who has died at the age of 62.
Around the time the James Bond film “Spectre” was coming out, there was a private viewing at MI6’s HQ in Vauxhall with some of the production team and actors, including Ralph Fiennes.
Alex Younger compared the event, which included an opportunity for members of the audience (who were largely real life spies) to quiz the actors and producers.
One person asked Ralph Fiennes: Who was your favourite Bond?
He gave an answer about how they were all good, but his favourite was Daniel Craig. The rest of the team said similar.
Then Alex threw the question back to the person in the audience who had posed it, asking them who their favourite Bond was.
But before this person had time to give an answer, someone else in the audience shouted out: “You, sir!”

The individual (a former diplomat) who shared this story with me said it was one of so many examples of how admired, liked and respected Alex was by his colleagues.

“He was one of the best chiefs”.

[Deborah Haynes @haynesdeborah]

I heard a lovely anecdote today about Sir Alex Younger, the former head of MI6, who has died at the age of 62.
Around the time the James Bond film “Spectre” was coming out, there was a private viewing at MI6’s HQ in Vauxhall with some of the production team and actors, including Ralph Fiennes.
Alex Younger compared the event, which included an opportunity for members of the audience (who were largely real life spies) to quiz the actors and producers.
One person asked Ralph Fiennes: Who was your favourite Bond?
He gave an answer about how they were all good, but his favourite was Daniel Craig. The rest of the team said similar.
Then Alex threw the question back to the person in the audience who had posed it, asking them who their favourite Bond was.
But before this person had time to give an answer, someone else in the audience shouted out: “You, sir!”

The individual (a former diplomat) who shared this story with me said it was one of so many examples of how admired, liked and respected Alex was by his colleagues.

“He was one of the best chiefs”.

[Shashank Joshi @shashj]

I’m not intimidated by this in the slightest. But important to record this so we can see the attitudes and behaviours that are being normalised, unleashed and frankly encouraged at the top of the DoD over the past 18 months.

[Sky News @SkyNews]

The Five Eyes powers - the UK, US, Australia, Canada and New Zealand - have warned there is an "aggressive" campaign directed by Beijing to find information.

Sky's security and defence editor @HaynesDeborah reports ⬇️

Latest: https://t.co/3dht7B27bm

[Dr Phil Weir @navalhistorian]

"Welcome @HMSDragon to the @French_CSG for mission #LaFayette26 in the Indian Ocean!🇬🇧🇫🇷"

[Liz Webster @LizWebsterSBF]

Former MI6 chief Sir Alex Younger on Brexit: “Putin would have been absolutely delighted by our decision.”

“So would Xi. France has effectively eclipsed us. Brexit has marginalised us.” Most striking of all: “Just nobody mentions the UK.”

Very sad that Sir Alex Younger, chief of the Secret Intelligence Service, born on July 4, 1963, died of pancreatic cancer on June 2, 2026, aged 62

[Alex Wickham @alexwickham]

NEW: MI5 and Five Eyes partner agencies have just issued what they say is an unprecedented joint warning about attempts by Chinese spies to use LinkedIn to recruit Western assets

[Kemi Badenoch @KemiBadenoch]

The news about Sir Alex Younger has hit really hard. I met him just once. In February this year, he was the keynote speaker at our parliamentary away day.

He was superb.

I wished he had been in government when I was in cabinet. Even in retirement he was studiously apolitical. Yet the depth of knowledge, expertise and his sheer love of the United Kingdom and deep commitment to her defence and safety shone through with his remarks and answers to even the most knotty questions.

He gave candid advice on how to use our time in opposition to get ready for defence and national security in this new geopolitical era.

So much of the recent policy work and research we have started and announced was based on his recommendations. There is so much to do and so little time.

It was a real privilege to have a long lunch with him that day. I am grateful for the time he spent with me and deeply sad to know our agreement to have further conversations will now not happen.

It is odd to feel such a loss for someone I only met once but his death is a loss not only of a remarkable man, but of the wisdom, insight and clarity he still had to offer.

He was a great man who loved, fought for and defended our country in ways we will never know.

May he rest in peace.

[Lucy Fisher @LOS_Fisher]

EXC: Treasury is preparing to seize control from the MoD of spending on the GCAP multibillion-pound fighter jet programme, as part of DIP settlement

Turf grab is part of the final DIP wrangling, with PM set to unveil c. £15bn extra for military up til 2030, including c. £6bn for GCAP, in an announcement as soon as next week (with Thurs 11 June mooted as target date)

PM and Chx have a “fundamental disagreement” over GCAP, which Reeves fears could be “just the next HS2” - ie beset by spiralling costs, delivery delays and shrinking scope - acc to govt figure. (Person close to Reeves denies characterisation of disagreement with PM)

The Treasury bid to take control of GCAP spending is designed to help avoid repeat of past MoD debacles on equipment programmes

Officials are set to justify the move by pointing to complicated intl structure of GCAP, which UK is developing with Japan and Italy, and complexity of programme... but some govt insiders fear those same structures will make spending difficult to rein in

Comes ahead of Japanese PM’s planned visit to UK next week

w/ @sylviapfeifer & @Urbandirt

https://t.co/5yRWSJiTBX

[Dr. Dan Lomas @Sandbagger_01]

"He will be remembered by the many Ministers, colleagues, friends, and family for his utmost dedication to British public life and protecting our nation".

https://t.co/PqFMD1Oz9C