Duncan Blake researches and teaches at the intersection of law, space, and military strategy. A former permanent member of the Royal Australian Air Force, he served 22 years as a Legal Officer and now continues as a Reserve legal officer. His career spans legal support to operations in Iraq and Syria, strategic advisory roles, and work with strike and surveillance units. He served as Deputy Director of Operations and International Law in the Department of Defence and advised the Defence Space Coordinating Office, leading strategic legal initiatives in military space operations.
Duncan helped develop a joint operating concept for military use of space and continues to advise on Defence space law and operations. He has contributed extensively to Defence doctrine and policy, particularly in operations and space law, and was awarded the 2011 Lieber Society Military Prize.
He holds degrees in Law and Economics (UWA), two Master of Laws degrees (Melbourne, McGill), and is a graduate of Australian Command and Staff College. At McGill, he wrote his thesis on warfare in space law and later founded the Manual on International Law Applicable to Military Uses of Outer Space (MILAMOS) and led the Woomera Manual project.
Duncan is completing a PhD at the University of Adelaide on resolving legal conflicts in military space law. He also founded the Workshops on the Regulation of Space Activities and Technologies (WRegSAT) and is Deputy Chair in 2025.
He consults with the International Aerospace Law & Policy Group and pursues research in space governance. Duncan lives in Australia with his wife and two children, and enjoys cycling, skiing, and rowing.