Committee to hear from senior academics on UK’s defence strategy relating to the Middle East and Indo-Pacific regions
This week the Committee will be continuing with its inquiry “Defence concepts and capabilities: from aspiration to reality”.
The Committee will explore issues relating to the UK’s strategic interests in the Middle East and Indo-Pacific regions. The session will explore whether the Integrated Review and Defence Command Paper signify a shift in the UK’s regional priorities, and the Committee will ask questions about the role and strategic importance of existing UK Defence infrastructure in both regions.
Meeting details
At 10.30am: Oral evidence
Inquiry
Defence concepts and capabilities: from aspiration to reality
Professor at King's College London
Associate Fellow at RUSI
Possible Questions:
- Who are the UK’s most important allies in the Indo-Pacific and Middle East and why? What expectations do they have of us, what can we expect in return from them, and does the Defence Command Paper adequately reflect and respond to those expectations?
- What is the role of the existing UK Defence infrastructure in the Indo-Pacific, such as the support facilities in Singapore and Diego Garcia? Do they provide an adequate basing footprint for the Indo-Pacific ‘tilt’?
- What are the UK’s strategic interests in the Middle East and how highly should they rank among UK strategic priorities? Do the Integrated Review and Defence Command Paper provide adequate strategy and resources for achieving those interests?
- What capabilities does the UK need to achieve its Middle Eastern interests? Are those capabilities complementary to the requirements of other regions?