in this issue

China has invested heavily in AI for military applications, making rapid progress by leveraging its control of research and industry - to the point where the US is getting concerned about being leapfrogged. We ask whether traditional powers in the West can keep up in the AI arms race.

 The UAE has brought 25 defence companies into the EDGE conglomerate, creating a domestic defence giant. We take a look at the new company, its market potential and the strategy behind the UAE’s decision to create a home-grown defence powerhouse.

Also in this issue, we learn how the long-established military technique of deception can be used in the cyber domain to outsmart opponents, ask whether the future of military robotics lies in autonomous machines or those designed to follow simple orders, check out the latest systems for soldiers from head to toe, and revisit the long history of the B-52 Stratofortress.

Susanne Hauner, editor