DSSI offers the most comprehensive editorial coverage for Defence sector. This year we will be running the following editorial focuses:

Next issue:
Spring, 2024: 

Land Systems With drone strikes an ever-present threat, military wisdom once dictated that tanks were on the way out – until recently. With their resurgence on the Ukrainian steppe, however, armoured vehicles have proved that tanks are far from obsolete. Boasting ferocious firepower, they’re particularly effective with combined-arms support. That’s especially when new programmes – like the Next-Generation Combat Vehicle in the US, and the Franco-German Main Ground Combat System – could boast automated firing systems and laser weapons. Defence and Security Systems investigates, exploring what’s needed to counter the looming dangers of antitank drones and how the tanks of tomorrow can operate in a ‘one shot, one kill’ environment. 

Rotary Craft These days, discussions around the future of airborne warfare tend to focus on drones. This is unsurprising: versatile, fast and deadly, they’re transforming battles from Ukraine to Lebanon. But what about helicopters? They may be rather larger than the average UAV, but the new generation of rotary craft are just as flexible, designed for everything from anti-submarine warfare to armed scouting missions. Defence and Security Systems investigates, exploring how the role of rotary combat in the modern defence environment; how programmes like Future Vertical Lift overcome the limitations of traditional helicopters; and how the flexibility and lethality of rotary craft could counter the drone threat. 

Combat Logistics As of December 2023, the US had supplied some $75bn of aid to Ukraine – most of it military. Other NATO countries, from Britain to France, have followed suit. But how do quartermasters actually decide what to send? What kind of communication do they have with the beleaguered Ukrainian partners? How important is the interoperability of weapons and other systems? And how does aid actually travel from some warehouse in Virginia to the frontline near Kharkiv? Defence and Security Systems investigates all these questions, along the way exploring what lagging Western enthusiasm for their beleaguered ally could mean for Ukraine’s own defence industry.

Naval Capabilities Like many other areas of military life, automation could soon transform naval operations. That’s clear across a number of jurisdictions. In Britain, for instance, the Royal Navy hopes to integrate autonomous drones into its operations, while an American unmanned vessel, powered by AI, successfully hit targets in the Arabian Gulf for the first time. But if investment in robots continues to rise, some insiders worry about the security and operational implications of new technology. In France, for instance, some naval officers fear that smartphones could be hacked by the enemy. More broadly, could focusing too heavily on computers take away the crucial role of captains and admirals?

Cybersecurity Over the last two years, Ukraine has obviously absorbed the mass of President Putin’s ire – but NATO allies are equally vulnerable when it comes to cyber attacks. Just last December, it was revealed that Russian hackers had battled to infiltrate NATO, US and European government networks. Fortunately, they don’t seem to have been successful this time: but what would the consequences of a major breach be for the battlefield in Ukraine? Conversely, have Western militaries learnt while facing down the Russian threat? And what do the experiences of the cyber duel with Russia tell us about the future of digital warfare, especially when it comes to a potential clash in the Pacific? Defence and Security Systems International explores. 

C-UAS With aerial weapons an increasing danger across battlefields, no wonder militaries are investigating ways of bringing them down. A good example here comes from Britain, which is developing a range of so-called SMASH Smart Weapon Sight anti-drone systems. Other platforms, for their part, are larger. Ukraine recently received shipment of a Norwegian platform that spots incoming drones via radar, with missiles then bringing them down. Beyond these varied techniques – with militaries balancing various different technologies – interoperability is an increasingly important consideration, as is the ability to integrate devices with existing airdefence systems. 

AI Artificial intelligence – and the data analysis that often follows – are increasingly important aspects of military life. And why not? Between intelligence gathering to targeting the enemy, it has the potential to revolutionise operations. Yet organisations like NATO can’t expect to use this technology as they wish. A case in point is NATO’s Principles of Responsible Use, promulgated in 2021 and which lay out a number of rules for how AI should be used militarily. But amid the talk of ‘lawfulness’ and ‘governability,’ what do the principles actually encompass in practice? With the alliance made up of 31 members, meanwhile, could tensions arise around implementation? And when push comes to shove, might armies be tempted to dispense with the principles for the sake of military necessity? Defence and Security Systems International explores.