Dr Sophy Antrobus
Co-Director of the Freeman Air and Space Institute
Biography
Dr Sophy Antrobus researches contemporary air power in the context of the institutional, cultural and organisational barriers to innovation and effectiveness in modern air forces, in particular the Royal Air Force. She joined the Freeman Air and Space Institute from Portsmouth Business School at the University of Portsmouth where she was a Teaching Fellow in Strategic Studies. She completed her PhD at the University of Exeter in 2019. Her thesis researched the early politics of air power and networks in Whitehall in the inter-war years.
Prior to her PhD, Sophy served in the Royal Air Force for twenty years including in Iraq and Afghanistan and a tour with the Royal Navy. She is a Fellow and elected member of the Council of the Royal Aeronautical Society, a Hudson Fellow with the Royal Navy Strategic Studies Centre and a member of the Royal Air Force Museum Research Advisory Board.
Research Interests
- Cultural and organisational barriers to change and innovation in the armed forces.
- Critical thinking and the military.
- The cultural development of the Royal Air Force.
- Remotely piloted systems and autonomy
- Integrated Deterrence
Publications
- ‘Freeman’s 1940: The Curious Story of Freeman’s Resignation Attempts’, Freeman Paper 15, May 2023.
- ‘Voices of Veteran Researchers’, Special Issue of Critical Military Studies, co-authored with Sarah Bulmer, Nick Caddick and Hannah West, 20 January 2023.
- ‘This is all very academic: Critical Thinking and Professional Military Education’, co-authored with Hannah West, RUSI Journal, Vol 167, Issue 3, 16 September 2022.
- ‘No-fly zones would escalate the Ukraine war – but they shouldn’t be off the table’, The Guardian, 5 March 2022.
- ‘Culture, Diversity, and the Integrated Review’, The Integrated Review in Context: Defence and Security in Focus, Centre for Defence Studies Series, King’s College London, 11 October 2021.
- ‘We need to talk about Air Mobility’, co-authored commentary with Andrew Netherwood, published by FASI and the Wavell Room, 23 August 2021.
- ‘“Deeply Odd”: women veterans as critical feminist scholars’, co-authored with Hannah West, Critical Military Studies, 12 April 2021.
Research
Freeman Air and Space Institute
Freeman Air & Space provides independent, original knowledge and analysis of air and space power issues.
News
FASI Co-Director wins King's impact award
Sophy Antrobus, Co-Director of the Freeman Air & Space Institute has been awarded the SSPP King’s Impact Award for her work on risk within contemporary air...
PhD student wins top impact award
Researchers from across the Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy were recognised for the impact of their work
We're in a much more volatile and dangerous period says Chief of the Air Staff
In an address at the Freeman Air and Space Institute’s fourth annual Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) Lecture , Sir Richard Knighton discussed the current...
King's continues to share crucial insights on the war in Ukraine
As the war in Ukraine enters its third year, academics from across the School of Security Studies at King’s College London continue to use their expertise to...
RAF needs to adapt as world becomes more unstable, says Chief of the Air Staff
Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, speaking at a recent event at King’s, stated that the RAF needs to be "ready to do more" to combat future adversaries...
Collaboration, innovation and integration: Freeman Institute attends DSEI 2023
In September, members of the Freeman Air and Space Institute (FASI) attended the biennial Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) event.
The important role of space in modern-day warfare
The invasion of Ukraine has shown how new technologies are now used alongside more traditional means of waging war. This new podcast episode explores how...
"The place is getting congested, it's getting contested" UK's leading space commander calls for international regulation of space
Air Vice-Marshal Paul Godfrey, commander of the newly established Space Command, joined Air Vice-Marshal Harvey Smyth, Ministry of Defence Director Space at...
Events
Fireside Chat with Air Marshal Allan Marshall
Fireside Chat with Air Marshal Allan Marshall
Please note: this event has passed.
UK Combat Air Capability: what's needed now and what's next?
The Freeman Air and Space Institute, in association with the Cranwellian Association are pleased to host 'UK Combat Air Capability: what's needed now and...
Please note: this event has passed.
How to create an energy-optimised Air Force: An online event with Mr Roberto I. Guerrero
The Freeman Air and Space Institute (FASI) are proud to host 'How to create an energy-optimised Air Force: An online event with Mr Roberto I. Guerrero, Deputy...
Please note: this event has passed.
The UK's Defence Command Paper Refresh: What Next?
The Freeman Air and Space Institute invites you to attend a thought-provoking online seminar where we will delve into the heart of one of the United...
Please note: this event has passed.
Features
The Next Battle of Britain: Rebuilding the UK's Air and Missile Defence Posture
The Battle of Britain showcased the world’s first air and missile defence campaign, featuring systems of warnings and alerts, the pioneering use of radar, and...
The Next Battle of Britain: Evolution and Limitations of UK IAMD
During the Cold War, the UK—like NATO—was singularly focused on the threat from the Soviet Union. Today, it continues to retain its strategic nuclear...
The Next Battle of Britain: NATO's Approach to IAMD
NATO’s Air and Missile Defence systems have long stood as a strategic shield for the Alliance, with their prominence shifting with the tides of international...
What lies ahead for UK defence post-election?
With election day upon us, three experts from the School of Security Studies at King’s College London outline the main defence challenges facing the incoming...
Back to the future: how the Royal Air Force's culture toward risk has evolved
After some 30 years of flying in generally permissive air environments, the Royal Air Force (RAF) faces the prospect of fighting for control of the air in...
One year on: How did air power fare in the Integrated Review?
Dr Sophy Antrobus and Andy Netherwood
Net Zero for the Royal Air Force: The road to 2040
With just days to go until COP26 kicks off, the Freeman Air and Space Institute has been designing and facilitating events to drill into the RAF’s ambitious...
Culture, Diversity, and the Integrated Review
Dr Sophy Antrobus
Imagining the RAF in 2040: The Chief of the Air Staff speaks from the future
How drawing on sci-fi story-telling traditions of a century ago, helps imagine a vivid future for UK air power.
Research
Freeman Air and Space Institute
Freeman Air & Space provides independent, original knowledge and analysis of air and space power issues.
News
FASI Co-Director wins King's impact award
Sophy Antrobus, Co-Director of the Freeman Air & Space Institute has been awarded the SSPP King’s Impact Award for her work on risk within contemporary air...
PhD student wins top impact award
Researchers from across the Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy were recognised for the impact of their work
We're in a much more volatile and dangerous period says Chief of the Air Staff
In an address at the Freeman Air and Space Institute’s fourth annual Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) Lecture , Sir Richard Knighton discussed the current...
King's continues to share crucial insights on the war in Ukraine
As the war in Ukraine enters its third year, academics from across the School of Security Studies at King’s College London continue to use their expertise to...
RAF needs to adapt as world becomes more unstable, says Chief of the Air Staff
Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, speaking at a recent event at King’s, stated that the RAF needs to be "ready to do more" to combat future adversaries...
Collaboration, innovation and integration: Freeman Institute attends DSEI 2023
In September, members of the Freeman Air and Space Institute (FASI) attended the biennial Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) event.
The important role of space in modern-day warfare
The invasion of Ukraine has shown how new technologies are now used alongside more traditional means of waging war. This new podcast episode explores how...
"The place is getting congested, it's getting contested" UK's leading space commander calls for international regulation of space
Air Vice-Marshal Paul Godfrey, commander of the newly established Space Command, joined Air Vice-Marshal Harvey Smyth, Ministry of Defence Director Space at...
Events
Fireside Chat with Air Marshal Allan Marshall
Fireside Chat with Air Marshal Allan Marshall
Please note: this event has passed.
UK Combat Air Capability: what's needed now and what's next?
The Freeman Air and Space Institute, in association with the Cranwellian Association are pleased to host 'UK Combat Air Capability: what's needed now and...
Please note: this event has passed.
How to create an energy-optimised Air Force: An online event with Mr Roberto I. Guerrero
The Freeman Air and Space Institute (FASI) are proud to host 'How to create an energy-optimised Air Force: An online event with Mr Roberto I. Guerrero, Deputy...
Please note: this event has passed.
The UK's Defence Command Paper Refresh: What Next?
The Freeman Air and Space Institute invites you to attend a thought-provoking online seminar where we will delve into the heart of one of the United...
Please note: this event has passed.
Features
The Next Battle of Britain: Rebuilding the UK's Air and Missile Defence Posture
The Battle of Britain showcased the world’s first air and missile defence campaign, featuring systems of warnings and alerts, the pioneering use of radar, and...
The Next Battle of Britain: Evolution and Limitations of UK IAMD
During the Cold War, the UK—like NATO—was singularly focused on the threat from the Soviet Union. Today, it continues to retain its strategic nuclear...
The Next Battle of Britain: NATO's Approach to IAMD
NATO’s Air and Missile Defence systems have long stood as a strategic shield for the Alliance, with their prominence shifting with the tides of international...
What lies ahead for UK defence post-election?
With election day upon us, three experts from the School of Security Studies at King’s College London outline the main defence challenges facing the incoming...
Back to the future: how the Royal Air Force's culture toward risk has evolved
After some 30 years of flying in generally permissive air environments, the Royal Air Force (RAF) faces the prospect of fighting for control of the air in...
One year on: How did air power fare in the Integrated Review?
Dr Sophy Antrobus and Andy Netherwood
Net Zero for the Royal Air Force: The road to 2040
With just days to go until COP26 kicks off, the Freeman Air and Space Institute has been designing and facilitating events to drill into the RAF’s ambitious...
Culture, Diversity, and the Integrated Review
Dr Sophy Antrobus
Imagining the RAF in 2040: The Chief of the Air Staff speaks from the future
How drawing on sci-fi story-telling traditions of a century ago, helps imagine a vivid future for UK air power.