Dries Putter
Dr Dries Putter obtained his PhD in Military Sciences from Stellenbosch University in 2018, supplemented by a MMil (cum laude), MM(S) and MBL. Dr Putter has a 37-year military career with a long list of military qualifications, including the Military Attaché Programme and the Security and Defence Studies Programme. As the Division Head for Security and Africa Studies and senior lecturer at the Faculty of Military Science at Stellenbosch University, he specialises in intelligence studies, specifically counterintelligence, within the Defence Intelligence Studies programme. His research interests include intelligence studies, specifically counterintelligence, grey zones, and hybrid warfare. Dr Putter is the Chair of the Faculty of Military Science Research Committee and a member of the Internationalisation Working Group and the Teaching, Learning and Assessment Committee. He is affiliated with Stellenbosch University, Faculty of Military Science; Advisory Board Member of the Centre for Geopolitical Security and Strategy (CGSS) and Faculty of Humanities, North-West University, Extraordinary Researcher (NWU); Invited as a Steering Committee Member for the IAFIE Africa Chapter; Affiliate Member, National Security Hub, University of Canberra; Researcher, Security Institute for Governance and Leadership in Africa (SIGLA); Researcher, African Research Institute – Óbuda University, Hungary.List of recent publications:
Coetzee, W.S. (Sweden), Putter, D. (South Africa) (eds) 2025. Drones in the African Battlespaces. Southern Space Studies. Springer, Cham.
IN PRODUCTION - Contracted Book - Dries Putter (South Africa) & Sascha Dov-Bachman (Australia) (eds) 2026. Grey Zone Conflict in Africa. Routledge Advances in Defence Studies series. Hardback: 9781041232582, Paperback:
9781041233787, E-book: 9781003736783.
Ditebogo Phyllia Nare & Dries Putter - The Grey Zone Conflict Elevation of the Liberation Struggle by the African National Congress from Exile within South Africa Dries Putter & Sascha Dov-Bachmann - Grey Zone Conflict in Africa: A Conceptual and Strategic Introduction Dries Putter & Sascha Dov-Bachmann - Cognitive Warfare – Manipulating thought in the African grey zone Dries Putter & Sascha Dov-Bachmann Grey Zone Conflict in Africa: A Conceptual and Analytical Framework
Dries Putter. 2023. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the South African Defence Industries. In, Shadrack B. Ramokgadi and Mbekezeli C. Mkhize (Eds), Reflections on the Complexities of the Covid-19 Pandemic: Perspectives from the Global South, Chapter 12, pp. 241-256.
Dries Putter & Abel Esterhuyse. 2023. African Armed Forces and the Need for Security: Making Sense of Realities. In, Solomon, H., Cocodia, J. (eds) African Security in the Anthropocene. The Anthropocene: Politik—Economics—Society—Science, Vol 36. pp. 95-107. Springer, Cham.
Coetzee, W.S., Putter, D. 2025. Warfare Reimagined: How Drones Are Shaping the African Battlespaces. In: Coetzee, W.S., Putter, D. (eds) Drones in the African Battlespaces. Southern Space Studies. Springer, Cham. pp. 1-7.
Coetzee, W.S., Putter, D. 2025. Researching Drones in African Battlespaces: Broader Implications and Policy Recommendations. In: Coetzee, W.S., Putter, D. (eds) Drones in the African Battlespaces. Southern Space Studies. Springer, Cham. pp. 147-162.
Dries Putter. 2026. South African Arms Control – an Enabler or Disabler for the Defence Sector? In Moses Khanyile. ‘Promoting Good Governance in the Contemporary South African Military: Issues, Challenges and Prospects’ pp. 127-153. Palgrave. ISBN 978-3-032-14982-4.
Dries Putter. 2026. Maritime Sector Development in RSA. In Moses Khanyile. ‘Promoting Good Governance in the Contemporary South African Military: Issues, Challenges and Prospects’, pp. 177-203. Palgrave. ISBN 978-3-032-14982-4.
J.M. Mametja & Dries Putter. 2026. Maritime Surveillance in Saint Helena Bay Using a Multisource Approach Student Perspectives on Geosciences. In, Student Perspectives in Military Geography and Geosciences - Navigating environmental, urban, and security challenges. Henrico I, Henrico S, le Roux R. 1: 215-230. SUN Press 13 Mar 2026.
John Melkon, Brock A. Dalgado & Dries Putter. 2025. Military Intelligence in Africa: Network Lens and Culture-Centric Focus. African Security Review. 34(4), 420-435.
Alkali, A. A. & Putter, D. 2025. A National Security Perspective on Armed Banditry in Northwest Nigeria. Journal of Central and Eastern European African Studies, 5(1), 110-131.
T.L. Molefe & Dries Putter. 2026. Geospatial Analysis of Risk And Consequences of an Explosion Incident at Koeberg Nuclear Power Plant. In, Student Perspectives in Military Geography and Geosciences - Navigating environmental, urban, and security challenges. Henrico I, Henrico S, le Roux R. 1: 177-196. SUN Press 13 Mar 2026.