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.
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.
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).
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.
On 4 April 2022, The American Defence Department announced that their budget request would entail a policy shrinking of the army services by 12,000 troops leading to an overall 473,000 soldiers left in 2023. In a fragile period, due to the Russia-Ukraine war, which has led several European countries to reinforce their military services, the U.S is taking a somewhat oxymoron path. The main reason behind the U.S Army’s decision to cut down on soldiers is because the recruitment process has come across several hindrances which push young people away, especially in the past few years. In other words, according to an army official, the institution struggled to achieve the recruitment goal for 2022 and will probably not reach the 2023 goal based on the previous year. Army officials suggest that this is one of the most challenging eras for recruitment since 1973.
Quartier Reine Elisabeth
Rue d’Evere 1 – box 44
B- 1140 BRUSSELS
Phone: +32 (0)470 66 24 90
Email: info@finabel.org
