By Jared Samuelson ORF’s Samir Bhattacharya joins the program to explain the details of Ethiopia’s recent port deal with Somaliland and its geopolitical impact. Samir Bhattacharya is an Associate Fellow at ORF where he works on geopolitics with particular reference to Africa in the changing global order. Download Sea Control 514 – Explaining Ethiop…

By Jared Samuelson Lieutenant Colonel Tim Devine joins the podcast to discuss the Army’s potential role in a Pacific campaign. Tim is an Army strategist assigned to U.S. Army Pacific. Download Sea Control 513 – The U.S. Army in the Pacific with Tim Devine Links 1. “To Upgun Seapower in the Indo-Pacific, You Need an … Continue reading Sea Control 51…

By Walker Mills Dr. Sidharth Kaushal rejoins the Sea Control Podcast to talk about amphibious forces in Europe and how they can overcome downsizing navies and A2/AD threats to enhance conventional deterrence in the Baltic and Scandinavia. Dr. Kaushal also discusses how the traditional “Northern Flank” role of the US Marine Corps in the region … Con…

By Jared Samuelson Dr. Cathryn Pearce joins the program to discuss myths and realities around Cornish Wreckers of the 18th and 19th centuries. Cathryn is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Portsmouth. She is a member of the Port Towns and Urban Cultures research team, Chair of the British Commission for Maritime History, and … Continue reading …

By Jared Samuelson Lt Col Nathan Jennings, PhD joins us to discuss the Army’s Fortress Fleet concept, how it would fit with the Marine Corps’ Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations concept, and what the Army is learning from the conflicts in the Red and Black Seas. Nathan is an associate professor and Army strategist at the … Continue reading Sea C…

By Jared Samuelson Aditya Gowdara Shivamurthy joins the program to discuss how Sri Lanka’s role in the Indian Ocean is evolving. Aditya is an Associate Fellow with Observer Research Foundation’s Strategic Studies Programme. He focuses on broader strategic and security related-developments throughout the South Asian region with a specific interest i…

By Jared Samuelson Jennifer Parker and Peter Jones join the program to discuss Australian naval capabilities in the littoral. Of note, this episode was recorded prior to the release of the Enhanced Lethality Surface Combatant Fleet review. Jennifer served over 20 years in the Royal Australian Navy. She is an expert associate at the National … Conti…

By Nate Miller The program is joined by Dr. Emilia Justyna Powell and Michael Atkins to discuss Islamic maritime law. Emelia is a professor of political science and a concurrent professor of law at the University of Notre Dame. Michael is a JAG officer in the U.S. Coast Guard. Download Sea Control 507 – Islamic … Continue reading Sea Control 507 – …

By Ed Salo Dr. Jacquelyn Schneider rejoins the podcast to discuss her article on what wargames reveal. Dr. Schneider is a Hoover Fellow at the Hoover Institution. Her research focuses on the intersection of technology, national security, and political psychology with a special interest in cybersecurity, unmanned technologies, and Northeast Asia. Do…

By Jared Samuelson Dr. Angela Sutton joins the program to discuss her book, Pirates of the Slave Trade – The Battle of Cape Lopez and the Birth of an American Institution. Angela is a social and digital historian of the Atlantic World interested in the tools and methods that preserve and widen access to the … Continue reading Sea Control 505 – Pira…

By Nathan Miller Commodore Venugopal Vengalil joins the program to discuss China’s maritime interests in the Indian Ocean. Commodore Vengalil graduated from National Defense Academy and was commissioned into Indian Navy in 1979. He is a specialist in Anti-Submarine Warfare and Mine Countermeasures. Among various assignments, he was the Naval Office…

By Ed Salo Heather Johnson, librarian for Special Collections for The National Museum of the Royal Navy, joins the program to discuss the museum and the British Special Service Squadron. Download Sea Control 503 – The British Special Service Squadron with Heather Johnson Links 1. British Special Service Squadron. 2. National Museum of the Royal Nav…

By Jared Samuelson Former Pacific Fleet commander Admiral Scott Swift (ret.) joins us to discuss wartime command and control in the War of 2026 scenario. Admiral Swift commanded the U.S. Pacific Fleet from 2015 to 2018. In 2023, he served as a senior mentor for the Navy’s Large Scale Exercise and the Global wargame at … Continue reading Sea Control…

By Jared Samuelson Zach Ota comes aboard to discuss maritime security approaches in Oceania. Zach is a Marine Corps infantry officer and a Southeast Asia Regional Affairs Officer. Download Sea Control 501 – Multilateral Approaches to Maritime Security in Oceania with Zach Ota Links 1. 21st Century as the Pacific Century – Culture and Security of … …

By Walker Mills Dr. Peter Chalk joins the program to discuss the future of the United Kingdom’s Indo-Pacific Engagement and an article Dr. Chalk wrote for War on the Rocks on the same topic. Dr. Chalk also covers the British role in AUKUS. Dr. Chalk is a maritime subject matter expert with the Institute of … Continue reading Sea Control 500 – The U…

By Jared Samuelson Dr. Katrina Ponti joins us to discuss US Navy diplomacy in South America. Her work appeared in the larger volume, Seapower by Other Means. Katrina is an Ernest May Postdoctoral Fellow at the Belfer Center’s International Security Program and Applied History Project. Download Sea Control 499 – The U.S. Navy and Diplomacy … Continu…

By Ed Salo Author and retired naval officer David Poyer joins Sea Control to discuss his book, The Academy, the latest and final book in the Dan Lenson series of novels. David has written more than 40 books, most of them novels. His sea career included service in the Atlantic, Mediterranean, Arctic, Caribbean, and Pacific. … Continue reading Sea Co…

By Walker Mills Capt. Joshua Taylor, USN, and Scott Humphrey, a Colonel in the Air National Guard, join the program to talk about their recent essay “Citizen Sailors: The Missing link in Maritime Force Structure.” They discuss the history of maritime militia in the United States, the potential for a new maritime militia, and challenges … Continue r…

By Jared Samuelson CAPT Benjamin “BJ” Armstrong joins the program to discuss naval presence and the U.S. Navy in the interwar period. CAPT Benjamin “BJ” Armstrong, USN, is a former search and rescue helicopter pilot and associate professor of war studies and naval history at the U.S. Naval Academy. Download Sea Control 496 – Naval … Continue readin…

By Walker Mills Aaron Delano-Johnson joins the program to discuss how to apply lessons from counternarcotics operations to combating IUU fishing. Aaron is a Captain in the U.S. Coast Guard. Download Sea Control 495 – Cocaine Codfish with Aaron Delano-Johnson Links 1. “Cocaine Codfish: How the War on Drugs Can Inform the Fight Against Illegal … Cont…

By Anna McNiel Dr. John Sherwood joins the program to discuss his latest book, A Global Force for Good: Sea Services Humanitarian Operations in the Twenty-First Century, about the sea services’ response to various humanitarian operations in the 21st century. John has served as a historian at Naval History and Heritage Command since 1997. Download ……

By Nathan Miller Ray Powell joins the program to discuss his recent work “Game Changer: The Philippines’ Assertive Transparency Campaign: How the Philippines Rewrote the Counter Gray Zone Playbook in 2023.” Ray Powell is the Founder and Director of SeaLight, a maritime transparency project of the Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation…

By Jared Samuelson In this episode, Ebunoluwa George Ojo-Ami joins us to discuss how the states bordering the Gulf of Guinea are approaching their many maritime security challenges. Ebunoluwa is a graduate of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria. He focuses on security in West Africa, particularly the Gulf of Guinea. Download Sea Control 492 – … Continu…

By Walker Mills Commander Michael Knickerbocker joins the program to speak about his recent article, “Written in Black and Red: Asymmetric Threats and Affordable Unmanned Vessels.” He discusses the threat of unmanned surface vessels (USVs), what the U.S. Navy should do about them, and how the U.S. Navy should direct its own USV programs. Download ……

By Jared Samuelson Dr. Hassan Khalilieh joins the podcast to discuss Islamic maritime law, to include his book: Islamic Law of the Sea: Freedom of Navigation and Passage Rights in Islamic Thought. Hassan is a senior lecturer in the departments of Maritime Civilizations and Inter-disciplinary Studies at the University of Haifa. Download Sea Control …