Contact Richard Fisher
- Email: r.fisher@cranfield.ac.uk
- Twitter: @vickersmg
- ORCID
- ResearchGate
Areas of expertise
- Operational Analysis and Simulation
Background
After ten years in local government and a short spell working in the defence industry on waste management issues, Richard moved into academia as an environment in which to focus on his interests and complement his PhD studies.
His previous work and study has focused upon waste, pollution and the environment. His BSc and PGCert are in this area, along with a number of vocational qualifications. He also holds a Diploma in Occupational Safety and Health.
He is known internationally for his work on historic small arms, particularly machine guns, and is a Trustee of the Small Arms School Corps Infantry Weapons Collection Trust and a founding director of the Vickers MG Collection & Research Association.
Research opportunities
Richard is actively developing case studies to evaluate the use of current defence management models for comparative historical analysis. The case studies build upon Richard's knowledge of machine gunnery yet the models can be applied to any historic capability and potentially compared against current capabilities to support current decision making.
Current activities
As a Research Fellow in Global Defence Acquisition, Richard's research areas are wide in scope, including:
Understanding and interpreting the different structures, mechanisms and relationships across the defence industry and the inter-relationships across industries and organisations.
Understanding the role of defence acquisition in its widest context and how it add strategic value.
Investigating the value of history to defence acquisition studies and military technology development.
Identifying the value of the post-disposal elements of the product life-cycle, specifically the role of the military surplus industry.
Clients
Specific projects include work for:
Defence Solutions Centre, United Kingdom.
Development, Concepts and Doctrine Centre, Ministry of Defence, United Kingdom.
Landfill Working Group, International Solid Waste Association, Austria.
MAN (Midlands Assembly Network) Group, United Kingdom.
His main area of commercial support for organisations is market analysis for the defence and security sectors.
Publications
Articles In Journals
- Fisher R. (2024). Comparing historic military capabilities: apples with apples. The RUSI Journal, 169(1-2)
- Fisher R & Fisher J. (2024). The VMGCRA Annual Review 2023. Zero Post: The Journal of the Vickers MG Collection & Research Association
- Fisher R. (2024). Editorial. Zero Post: The Journal of the Vickers MG Collection & Research Association
- Fisher R & Wiggins G. (2024). The Vickers MG Serial Number Register 2024. Zero Post: The Journal of the Vickers MG Collection & Research Association
- Fisher R. (2023). Historical defence capability analysis: applying the defence lines of development retrospectively. The RUSI Journal, 168(1-2)
- Fisher R. (2023). Provisioning the requirement: machine gun needs of the British expeditionary force in France, 1914-1916. Armax: The Journal of Contemporary Arms, IX(2)
- Fisher R & Willis R. (2019). One million rounds fired in 12 hours? An analysis of the account of six guns of the 100th Brigade Machine Gun Company at High Wood in August 1916. First World War Studies, 9(3)
- Powell-Turner J, Antill PD & Fisher RE. (2016). The United Kingdom Ministry of Defence and the European Union's electrical and electronic equipment directives. Resources Policy, 49