Professor Uttley has held the Chair in Defence Studies at King’s College London since 2005. He was formerly the Academic Adviser to the Commandant of the Royal College of Defence Studies (2014-2015), and Academic Director of the Policy Institute at King’s (2012-2014). He was previously the Head of the King’s Defence Studies Department and Dean of Academic Studies at the Joint Services Command and Staff College, Shrivenham (2006-2012). Before joining King’s in 2000, he held academic posts at the Centre for Defence Economics, University of York (1992-1994) and the Department of Politics, Lancaster University (1989-1992).

Professor Uttley has published widely on the historical and contemporary dimensions of UK defence policy, defence economics, weapons acquisition and professional military education. His latest peer reviewed journal articles are (with Benedict Wilkinson and Armida van Rij) ‘A Power for the Future? Global Britain and the Future Character of Conflict’, International Affairs, (2019); (with Hugo Meijer, Lucie Béraud-Sundreau and Paul Holton) ‘Arming China: Major Powers’ Arms Transfers to the People’s Republic of China’, Journal of Strategic Studies, (2018); and (with Benedict Wilkinson) ‘Contingent Choices: The Future of United Kingdom Defence Procurement and Defence Industries in the post-Brexit Era’, Global Affairs, (2017). Other recent publications include (with Andrew Dorman and Benedict Wilkinson) ‘The Curious Incident of Mr Cameron and the United Kingdom Defence Budget: A New Legacy?’, The Political Quarterly (2016), and (with Benedict Wilkinson) ‘A Spin of the Wheel? Defence Procurement and Defence Industries in the Brexit Debates’, International Affairs, (2016).

Professor Uttley has acted as an adviser and expert reviewer for a number of bodies including the National Audit Office, European Commission, Ministry of Defence’s Development, Concepts and Doctrine Centre, and the Economic and Social Research Council. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA) and the Royal Historical Society (FRHistS), Adjunct Professor at the Baltic Defence College in Estonia, Visiting Professor at the National Defence School of the Serbian Military Academy in Belgrade, and Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Center for Intelligence & National Security, University of Oklahoma.

Research Interests

• Defence Dependence Theory
• International Transfers of Defence Goods and Services
• The Theory of Defence and Civil Market Liberalisation
• Defence Economics and Public Procurement of Goods
• Post-1945 British Defence Industrial Policy
• British Defence Scientific and Technological 'Intellectual Reparations' from Nazi Germany
• Battlefield Outsourcing and Private Military Companies

PhD Supervision

Professor Uttley is currently unable to take on new PhD students

Professor Matt Uttley PURE Profile