26: Guyana War Clouds & Houthi Attacks

This episode begins with a discussion by host Iain Ballantyne and guests Dr Gary Blackburn and Dr James Bosbotinis about the bid by Venezuela to annex a major part of neighboring Guyana.

How might navies attempt to prevent escalation as the communist client state of Russia and Iran considers its next move against an oil-rich Commonwealth nation? How the Venezuelan Navy stacks up against Guyana’s forces is part of the discussion.

Then there is the Red Sea situation where the Houthi faction in Yemen is letting fly with Iranian-supplied drones and missiles against merchant ships and warships in international waters.

Do the Houthis have the capacity in weaponry and also the capability to cause serious damage and disruption?

Gary and James provide their perspectives on the above issues and more including the broader canvas of the Iranian-led resistance to Western involvement in the Middle East.

The historical context of today’s events is also considered, with reference to the Tanker War of the 1980s and the importance of Red Sea trade to the global economy.

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Guests:

• Dr Gary Blackburn is an honorary fellow of the Centre for Security Studies at the University of Hull, which seeks to enhance understanding on the nature of war and strategy while also providing guidance on best practice in war and strategy to professional stakeholders.

Gary has taught Security Studies and Military History at the Universities of Leeds and Hull, respectively - and has written for Defence Studies and The Critic, and for the latter about aspects of the UK’s 2021 Integrated Review of Defence and Security.

Follow him on Twitter @gjb70

• Dr James Bosbotinis is a freelance defence and international affairs analyst, specialising in maritime strategy and force developments. He is a regular contributor to Warships International Fleet Review, and is the Book Reviews Editor of The Naval Review.

For more information about Dr Bosbotinis visit
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesbosbotinis
He is on twitter @JamesBosbotinis

Warships Pod host:

• Iain Ballantyne is the founding and current Editor of Warships IFR (first published in 1998) along with its ‘Guide to the Royal Navy’ (since 2003) and ‘Guide to the US Navy’ (since 2018). Iain is also author of the books ‘Hunter Killers’ (Orion) and ‘The Deadly Trade’ (Weidenfeld & Nicolson), both about submarine warfare, with his most recent books being ‘Bismarck: 24 Hours to Doom’ and ‘Arnhem: Ten Days in The Cauldron’ (Canelo History). For more details on Iain and his books visit the web sites

http://iainballantyne.com and https://www.bismarckbattle.com/

Follow him on Twitter @IBallantyn