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Chloë Barker

Chloë's PhD project title is 'Operational geographies of deterrence: Furthering the use and boundaries of creative methods in investigating embodied experiences and tacit knowledges of nuclear early warning technologies'. Read more about Chloë's research.

Project title

Operational geographies of deterrence: Furthering the use and boundaries of creative methods in investigating embodied experiences and tacit knowledges of nuclear early warning technologies.

Supervisors

Research Cluster

About Chloë

I am a second year PhD student funded by NUAcT.

Project description

My research addresses the operational geographies of deterrence, through analysis of the micro (human) and macro (technological) interactions which take place every day at the UK’s ballistic missile early warning station, RAF Fylingdales. RAF Fylingdales is a radar base located North York Moors national park.

The site is a radar base and has been in operation continually for 60 years. Since becoming operational in 1963, its three main missions are to:

  • scan the Northern Hemisphere for signs of attack from incoming intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM),
  • to track all objects (including space debris, satellites, and the International Space Station) in Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
  • to prevent collision and to feed data into the US National Missile Defense network (NMD).

Up until now, human elements of site operations have been obscured by military technology.

This research will investigate these hidden interactions using a post-phenomenological framework, to extend the application of creative and embodied methods. This will enable analysis of embodied experiences and tacit exchange between technology and their human engagements.

My interests

 My interests span geopolitics, astropolitics, technology, women peace and security, post-qualitative methods, creativity, critical military studies, post-human feminism

Publications

Policy Report

Book Chapters

  • Barker C, Mulvihill M, Jenkins N, Woodward R. (2023) Turning RAF Fylingdales Inside Out: Using Creative Practice to understand Ballistic Missile Early Warning and space monitoring. In: Cree, A, ed. Creative Methods in Military Studies. Rowman and Littlefield, (2023).
  • Barker C. (2024) Everyday Encounters with NATO in the UK. In: Jude S-C, Wright K.A.M, ed. Critical Perspectives on NATO. In process.

Digital

Magazine Articles

Presentations

Conference presentations:

  • 4-7 June 2024. BISA, Birmingham, Space operations and surveillance: A post-phenomenological exploration of 60 years of RAF Fylingdales and the evolving role of AI technologies in UK and US Space Commands, paper, and presentation.

  • 4-7 June 2024. BISA, Birmingham, Beyond Militarisation: The Fylingdales Archive revealing complex negotiations, diversity, and collaborations at RAF Fylingdales, co-paper, and presentation with Dr Michael Mulvihill.

  • 11-12 December 2023. Astropolitics Working Group workshop, University of Leicester, Leicester, 60 Years of Space Operations: The Impact of RAF Fylingdales and Recent Developments in US-UK Joint Space Operations, paper and presentation.

  • 25-26 May 2023. Critical Perspectives on NATO workshop, Newcastle, Critical perspectives on NATO in the Fylingdales Archive, paper, and presentation.

  • 21-23 June 2023. BISA, Glasgow, The Fylingdales Archive: opening the “black-box” of space surveillance, co-paper, and presentation with Dr Michael Mulvihill.

  • 14-17 June 2022. BISA, Newcastle, Reflections on Collaborations Between Creative Arts Practice and Social Science in Military, Conflict, and Peacebuilding Research, roundtable.

Academic qualifications, memberships and achievements

Memberships

  • North East Critical Security Studies Network member.
  • Astropolitics Working Group, British International Studies Association (BISA) member.
  • Military War and Security Research Group (MWSRG), Newcastle University, co-convener.
  • 2020 – 2022 N Square Forum Member.

Contact and further information

E-mail - c.barker4@newcastle.ac.uk
Website: https://www.fylingdalesarchive.org.uk

 

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