What we have been listening to: March 2026
As this month wraps up, the Defence Research Network has been listening to podcasts on combat experience under fire, Ukraine’s civilian-led resistance, the global implications of the US-led strike on Iran, and lessons on force integration from 1940 air defence.
This month, our playlist explores war from the perspective of those who endure it, shape it, and study how states prepare for it. We begin with the lived experience of conflict, reflecting on what it means to come under incoming fire and how the realities of combat connect the War on Terror to today. We then turn to Ukraine, where resistance is examined not simply as a military matter but as something rooted in the resolve of ordinary people. From there, the focus shifts to the Middle East, assessing the regional and global significance of the US-led attack on Iran and what it reveals about escalation and deterrence. We conclude by revisiting Dowding’s air defence system in 1940 to consider force integration and the enduring lessons of military coordination under pressure. Here’s what we’ve been listening to this month:
War on the Rocks | What It Was Like to Be Under Incoming Fire from the War on Terror to Today
UkraineWorld | Why Ukraine's resistance starts with ordinary people
RUSI Global Security Briefing | The Regional and Global Significance of the US-Led Attack on Iran
RUSI Talking Strategy | Force Integration in 1940: Dowding’s Air Defence System
