In this powerful episode of Siren Investigates, host John Randles sits down with Vice Admiral (Rtd) Mark Mellett, former Chief of Staff of Ireland’s Defence Forces, to unpack the shifting foundations of European security and sovereignty. With decades of leadership experience across the UN, NATO, and Irish Defence Forces. The conversation opens with a fundamental question: what does sovereignty mean in today’s interconnected Europe? Mark argues that sovereignty is like property—you only own it if you can defend it. He warns that many European nations, including Ireland, have “free-ridden” on decades of peace without investing adequately in defense or resilience. Drawing on history from post–World War II recovery to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Mark explains how Europe’s sense of security has been eroding for years, and why 21st-century threats require both **military strength and societal awareness

Topics Covered

🌐 How Europe must redefine sovereignty in an era of hybrid warfare

🌐 The rise of AI and innovation as force multipliers in defense

🌐 Why strategic autonomy and collaboration are vital for Europe’s future

🌐 Ireland’s role in a new security landscape and the urgent need to act

🌐 Climate change as the next frontier of geopolitical conflict

🔍 Siren Investigates explores the technology and intelligence shaping how we keep people, assets, and networks safe.