The United Kingdom and Drone Swarming: The Future of Aerial Warfare

From 13 to 14 July 2022, London hosted the Global Air and Space Chiefs’ Conference, where British Air Chief Marshall Sir Mike Wigston announced that the Royal Air Force had successfully conducted the testing of drone swarms with the purpose of striking air enemy defences: “Our swarming drone trials point to the enormous operational potential for these systems to confuse and overwhelm an adversary’s air defences. In the last three years, 216 Test and Evaluation Sqn, alongside the Rapid Capabilities Office, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory and industry will have trialled five drone types in thirteen trials of new payloads, new platforms, and new control systems. We are exploring new models of capability delivery and accelerated production “when we need them” rather than “in case we need them” from the twin jet 3D-printed Pizookie, to commercially available large drones fitted with novel payloads, to large quadcopters.”

Comments Off on The United Kingdom and Drone Swarming: The Future of Aerial Warfare

Russia vs Ukraine: New Generations of Weapons

Nowadays, the forces deployed in the field are not only composed of people but also of artificial intelligence (AI) systems that take the conflict to the next technological level. Robots and especially drones have played a central role in Ukraine’s defence against the ongoing Russian attack.

Comments Off on Russia vs Ukraine: New Generations of Weapons

New Means of Warfare against Orbital Targets, a thin line between Compliance and Violation of the International Conflict Law

In the context of the new attention given by the states to the three strategic "oceans", the air and space domain embodies duality. On the air side, the rule of law is already quite clear. The real issue revolves around the space side of the subject. Given the growing need for space facilities to ensure a coherent military strategy, force projection, surveillance, intelligence, etc. It is necessary to address the legality of conducting an attack in orbital space against such installations.

Comments Off on New Means of Warfare against Orbital Targets, a thin line between Compliance and Violation of the International Conflict Law

Latest EU Commission Proposal to Reinforce EU Defence Industry: A new Regulation Establishing the European Defence Industry Reinforcement Through Common Procurement Act (EDIRPA) for 2022-2024

Boosted by the current UE’s geopolitical context, this Regulation proposal echoed previous initiatives (the European Defence Industrial Development Programme, the Preparatory Action on Defence Research, and the European Defense Fund) and was shaped to complete them consistently. Those instruments aim to rethink the EU’s defence plans and capacities and enhance responsibility assumptions. The European Council triggered the EDIRPA Regulation initiative last May during the Versailles Declaration dating from 11 March (Informal meeting of the Heads of State or Government Versailles Declaration, 2022).

Comments Off on Latest EU Commission Proposal to Reinforce EU Defence Industry: A new Regulation Establishing the European Defence Industry Reinforcement Through Common Procurement Act (EDIRPA) for 2022-2024

A Coordinated European Response to Hybrid Threats

In recent years, the topic of hybrid threats has become increasingly critical until being considered the 21st security challenge. Whereas the concept of hybrid threats may be considered new, linked to the developments of new technologies, it is not. Many of the tools of hybrid warfare are old, with the main exception being represented by the ones belonging to the cyber realm. However, the development of new technologies boosted the use of old tools, such as propaganda, by lowering their costs. Undoubtedly, the new reality in which we live increases the effectiveness of hybrid threats, because their strength lies in the possibility of combining activities and tools from different arenas. For example, the changes in the information and media landscape made the domain appealing to state and non-state actors for disinformation activities.

Comments Off on A Coordinated European Response to Hybrid Threats