This Is Not A Drill with Gavin Esler

Weaponised drones have revolutionised warfare, enabling governments – and others – to kill at arm’s length without warning. But drones are just part of an arsenal of next-generation weaponry whose very presence gives new impetus to conflict, from canine war droids to autonomous battle systems and beyond.Arthur Snell takes us from the 1991 Gulf War and the Highway of Death to 9/11 and the rise of asymmetric warfare – to discover how we opened a Pandora’s Box of new and lethal technology.Support Doomsday Watch on Patreon and get every episode a week early and ad-free, plus much more: www.doomsdaywatch.co.uk “Anyone can buy a surprisingly powerful drone on Amazon… and they’re being used in warfare now.” – Ulrike Franke “All future conflicts will be drone conflicts. The drone will always get through.” – James Rogers “If you rewrite the rules so that you can strike anyone on a faraway battlefield, you can’t be surprised when others do the same to you.” – Arthur Snell Photograph: Getty ImagesWritten and presented by Arthur Snell. Produced by Robin Leeburn. Assistant producer: Jacob Archbold. Original music by Paul Hartnoll – https://www.orbitalofficial.com . Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Doomsday Watch is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We often think of the Middle East as a battleground of Western and Russian influence. In reality, one great rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran drives our world, rather than us shaping theirs. From the Gulf and Iraq Wars through al-Qaeda and Islamic State to our modern energy security crisis, colossal events that determine the fates of millions are decided by an invisible war few of us can even see. Arthur Snell goes back beyond the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan, the Iranian Revolution in 1979, and WWII to uncover the hidden conflict that shapes everything.Support Doomsday Watch on Patreon and get every episode a week early and ad-free, plus much more: www.doomsdaywatch.co.uk “We tell ourselves we interfere because we WANT their oil. Instead we’re sucked into a region we don’t understand because we NEED their oil.” – Arthur Snell “These conflicts changed everything… They unleash religion as a dominant factor in culture, in politics, and in militancy.” – Kim Ghattas “When America drew secular nationalist Iraq into an anti-terrorist action, they created a cauldron of chaos that persists to this day.” – Arthur Snell Photograph: Getty ImagesWritten and presented by Arthur Snell. Produced by Robin Leeburn. Assistant producer: Jacob Archbold. Original music by Paul Hartnoll – https://www.orbitalofficial.com . Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Doomsday Watch is a Podmasters production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The nuclear nightmare is back – and just one man gave unstable states across the world access to weapons that could bring down the apocalypse. This is the story of Abdul Qadeer Khan, a gifted scientist who grew to fear India in the chaos and butchery of Partition, then worked to give his new home, Pakistan, the protection of a nuclear arsenal. Disastrously, he would spread this dangerous knowledge.Thus began the Subcontinent’s own arms race, its spillover to North Korea, Iran and beyond… and AQ Khan’s journey to become another Oppenheimer: the father of nuclear nightmares.Support Doomsday Watch on Patreon and get next week’s episode now, plus much more: www.doomsdaywatch.co.uk “Without this one-man proliferation machine, none of North Korea, Pakistan or Iran’s nuclear programmes would have succeeded.” – Arthur Snell “Khan became a zealot. He thought he could save not just Pakistan but the whole Muslim world. And that’s where he went terribly wrong.” – Hassan Abbas “Russia’s war in Ukraine may be disastrous – but it’s taught everyone the value of nukes.” – Arthur Snell Photograph of AQ Khan: Getty ImagesWritten and presented by Arthur Snell. Produced by Robin Leeburn. Assistant producer: Jacob Archbold. Original music by Paul Hartnoll – https://www.orbitalofficial.com . Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Doomsday Watch is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What happens when one party in the world’s most powerful democracy no longer believes in democracy? The Republican assault on America’s elections and democratic system has worsened critically since we examined it in Season One. Now bitterly divided and reeling from the Jan 6 attacks, the USA stands on the brink of another Trump presidency. Will it become a democracy in name only?Support Doomsday Watch on Patreon and get every episode a week early and ad-free, plus much more: www.doomsdaywatch.co.uk “Democracy is on life-support in the United States.” – Brian Klaas “We have a predictably conservative court, and it’s out of step with mainstream politics in the US.” – Jamal Greene “American fascism is nothing new, it just wasn’t in the White House before.” – Sarah Churchwell “Neoliberalism is over. There’s a realisation now in the West that we can’t rely on Russia and China for our goods and not pay a political price for it.” – Arthur Snell “Political polarisation and hatred for the other side has reached such a point that one of the parties is willing to countenance the erosion of democracy.” – Idrees Kahloon Written and presented by Arthur Snell. Produced by Robin Leeburn. Assistant producer: Jacob Archbold. Original music by Paul Hartnoll – https://www.orbitalofficial.com . Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Doomsday Watch is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

New Series: The global order was already teetering badly before Putin invaded Ukraine. Now democracies are shellshocked by a world suddenly in permanent crisis. In the first of our new series, ex-foreign services diplomat Arthur Snell surveys the dangerous reality of the world after Ukraine – and sees how a string of factors from oil power to the botched Iraq invasion to the rise of the authoritarians has led up to a new global crisis… where no-one is in control.Support Doomsday Watch on Patreon and get every episode a week early and ad-free, plus much more: www.doomsdaywatch.co.uk “The battle between democracy and authoritarianism is going to define the 21st Century.” – Brian Klaas “The West has created a situation where the enduring disorder begets yet more disorder.” – Jason Pack “There’s a joke among Ukrainians that Vladimir Putin is the most successful CIA agent in history…” – Romeo Kokriatski “Starting this war was the end of Putin’s regime.” – Romeo Kokriatski “Hot money from the former Soviet space has influenced our elections… I don’t see the 20th century institutions as fit for purpose for these 21st century challenges.” – Jason Pack “If you’re Putin or Xi Jinping what you want is a disordered West. Trump would accomplish that in a day.” – Brian Klaas Written and presented by Arthur Snell. Produced by Robin Leeburn. Assistant producer: Jacob Archbold. Original music by Paul Hartnoll – https://www.orbitalofficial.com . Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Doomsday Watch is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As you wait for our second 10-part documentary season, set to be released on October 26th, here's the audio from our recent live show in London. Join Arthur as he sits down with nerve agent expert and former US Secret Service official Dan Kaszeta, as he talks about his crazy life working for US Presidents and the dangers of chemical weapons.Resources to help the Ukrainian people can be found here: https://ukrainewar.carrd.co/ DOOMSDAY WATCH was written and presented by Arthur Snell, and produced by Robin Leeburn with Jacob Archbold. Theme tune and original music by Paul Hartnoll. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. DOOMSDAY WATCH is a Podmasters production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As Putin announces a military mobilisation and Russian men flee for the border, is his gamble of extra troops set to pay off on the battlefield? Ian Bond of the Centre for European Reform joins to discuss the Kremlin's call-up, and increasing nuclear sabre-rattling.Plus, to make this a bumper edition China expert Rana Mitter talks to Arthur about how the war in Ukraine has affected Beijing's thinking over Taiwan.We're taking a pause on our war bulletins, but don't worry. On October 12th our second 10-part documentary season is set to be released, so stay tuned for an in-depth look at the global threats of tomorrow.Resources to help the Ukrainian people can be found here: https://ukrainewar.carrd.co/  “We see a lot of people heading for the borders, but we shouldn’t mistake that for the majority of the country.” - Ian Bond “Sending a lot of men with rusty rifles into battle isn’t going to do the job.” - Ian Bond “Using nuclear weapons to attack a non-nuclear weapon state is a huge taboo, and the West needs to make that clear to Putin.” - Ian Bond “The Ukraine crisis is exponential for Europe. Whether it’s exponential for China is another matter.” - Rana Mitter “China cares more about visible international publicity than the Russians do. Comms management will have entered their minds over Taiwan.” - Rana Mitter DOOMSDAY WATCH was written and presented by Arthur Snell, and produced by Robin Leeburn with Jacob Archbold. Theme tune and original music by Paul Hartnoll. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. DOOMSDAY WATCH is a Podmasters production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

One of the key issues surrounding Russia's invasion of Ukraine is the impact on it's economy. Western nations have imposed an unprecedented level of sanctions, but they don't seem to be having the intended effect. Why is this? Is Russia's economy really as resilient as it seems?Dr. Maria Shagina, an international sanctions expert at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, joins Arthur Snell for our latest war bulletin.We're putting out irregular war bulletins covering different aspects of the Ukraine crisis. You can support our work on the crowdfunding app Patreon: doomsdaywatch.co.ukResources to help the Ukrainian people can be found here: https://ukrainewar.carrd.co/Get tickets to our upcoming London live show: https://www.tickettext.co.uk/etmejHAuba “Sanctions have failed to deter Russia, and their impact has been much less than expected.” “It will definitely be a harsh winter, but a lot depends on how cold it will be.” “Russia’s infrastructure is geared towards the west. This poses problems when exporting.” “Finding a new mode of survival will be key for the Russian regime.” DOOMSDAY WATCH was written and presented by Arthur Snell, and produced by Robin Leeburn with Jacob Archbold. Theme tune and original music by Paul Hartnoll. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. DOOMSDAY WATCH is a Podmasters production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As Ukraine's military continues to reclaim swathes of land from Russia, could this past week be a watershed moment in the war? How did Kyiv's forces manage it? And if Putin does lose the war, what will instability in the Kremlin mean for the rest of Europe? Mike Martin, author and War Studies fellow at King's College London, joins Arthur Snell for our latest war update.We're putting out irregular war bulletins covering different aspects of the Ukraine crisis. You can support our work on the crowdfunding app Patreon: doomsdaywatch.co.ukResources to help the Ukrainian people can be found here: https://ukrainewar.carrd.co/Get tickets to our upcoming London live show: https://www.tickettext.co.uk/etmejHAuba “The Ukrainians are really good at misdirecting the Russians.” “Armies tend to mirror their country’s culture. Russia has a very hierarchical army.” “Russia’s army is conscripted, which means lowly skilled and lowly motivated recruits.” “If I was the Ukrainian enemy I wouldn’t go anywhere near the Donbas.” “In this process of the transfer of power in Russia, what happens to nuclear weapons? There are five thousand of them.” “If Ukraine can get down to the Black Sea coast, that is potentially war-ending.” DOOMSDAY WATCH was written and presented by Arthur Snell, and produced by Robin Leeburn with Jacob Archbold. Theme tune and original music by Paul Hartnoll. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. DOOMSDAY WATCH is a Podmasters production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As Ukraine's military retakes over 3,000 sq km during a rapid counter-offensive in the east, local journalist Romeo Kokriatski joins Arthur Snell to discuss the remarkable advance of Kyiv's forces, the falling morale of Russian troops, and what this means for the conflict going forward.We're putting out irregular war bulletins covering different aspects of the Ukraine crisis. You can support our work on the crowdfunding app Patreon: doomsdaywatch.co.ukResources to help the Ukrainian people can be found here: https://ukrainewar.carrd.co/Get tickets to our upcoming London live show: https://www.tickettext.co.uk/etmejHAuba “The scale of Russia’s retreat has taken even the Ukrainian generals by surprise.” “Russia in the most basic terms, broke and ran.” “The Russian tactic of trying to intimidate of Ukraine has not worked. Who knows what is going on in their heads?” “Russia’s military capability has been so degraded that they can no-longer fight over two fronts.” DOOMSDAY WATCH was written and presented by Arthur Snell, and produced by Robin Leeburn with Jacob Archbold. Theme tune and original music by Paul Hartnoll. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. DOOMSDAY WATCH is a Podmasters production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices