Kevin Rowlands writes and speaks on contemporary seapower and wider defence issues. He is the Head of the Royal Navy’s Strategic Studies Centre, an internal Ministry of Defence think tank which aims to inform senior policy and strategy decision-makers. He is also the Associate Director of the Council on Geostrategy’s Sea Power Laboratory, an independent organisation which tests new ideas and generates policy recommendations.

Kevin enjoyed a naval career for 30 years, 20 of which were at sea, and he left in the rank of Captain.

He holds a PhD in War Studies from King’s College London, and master’s degrees in Defence Studies (KCL) and Education (Open University), as well as a bachelor’s degree in Geography (QMUL).

Research Interests

• Contemporary sea power
• Naval diplomacy
• The development of maritime culture
• Cold War naval history
• The relationship between geography and strategy 

Publications

Books

• 21^st Century Gorshkov, United States Naval Institute Press, 2017.
• Naval Diplomacy in the 21^st Century, Routledge, 2019.
• Maritime Britain in the 21^st Century, Britannia, 2024 (Joint Ed).
• Naval Warfare: A Very Short Introduction, OUP, work in progress.

Book chapters

• “The UK’s Approach to Amphibious Warfare” in On Contested Shores, US Marine Corps University Press, 2020.
• “The Cold War: Superpower Rivalry and the Strategic Balance” in The New Age of Naval Power in the Indo-Pacific, Georgetown University Press, 2023.
• “The Military Balance in the Indo-Pacific and the UK’s Role” in Living with the Dragon, Civitas, 2024.

Articles/Policy Papers

• “Assured Sovereignty: A Concept for Naval Partnership and Persistent Engagement”, co-authored with Dr Sidharth Kaushal, RUSI Commentary, 2022.
• “The Chinese Navy: From Minnow to Shark”, co-authored with Dr Edward Hampshire, Council on Geostrategy, 2022.
• “What Comes Next? A Precarious Peace?”, Council on Geostrategy, 2022.
• “Some Principles of Maritime Strategy Making in the Royal Navy Today”, The Naval Review, 2022.
• “Riverine Warfare”, US Naval War College Review, 2018.

Media and commentaries

• “The Death of Shock and Awe is Greatly Exaggerated”, co-authored with Joe Dransfield, RUSI Commentary, 2024.
• “Drifting Away: Russia’s Dissatisfaction with the Law of the Sea”, co-authored with Caroline Tuckett, RUSI Commentary, 2024.
• “Tackling the Underwater Threat: How Ukraine Can Combat Russian Submarines”, co-authored with Dr Sidharth Kaushal, RUSI Commentary, 2023.

Teaching

Kevin is happy to consider any PhD supervision for projects researching military and naval strategy, sea power, and naval diplomacy.

Research Centres or Groups

• Corbett Centre for Maritime Policy Studies
• Centre for Grand Strategy