Defence in the Digital Age - Insights Report

In this report Klecha & Co focus on specific technologies that they believe will revolutionise the defence landscape helping to combat hybrid warfare. The technologies discussed in this report include artificial intelligence, virtual reality, cybersecurity and cloud computing.

The report looks at why these technologies have been adopted by the business world and more importantly, what applications could these technologies have from a defence standpoint. Additionally, it profiles some of the forays defence agencies have made to ensure their capabilities remain potent in a world where conventional conflict is increasingly being replaced by asymmetric warfare and hybrid threats.

Of late, we have seen a new global configuration emerge. Russia has come back. China is gaining strength. The intensity of the rivalry between great powers has significantly increased, impacting military R&D efforts

The nature and scope of conflicts and security is changing and is becoming infinitely more complex. Conventional conflicts have increasingly been replaced by hybrid warfare perpetrated by both state and non-state bad actors. Although hybrid methods of warfare, such as propaganda, deception, sabotage have long been used to destabilise adversaries, their speed, scale and intensity have increased in recent years, facilitated by rapid technological change and global interconnectivity.

Defence agencies need to renew their operational capabilities, increasing capabilities in space and cyberspace, and face the new challenges by investing in innovation. The innovation efforts required cannot be carried out by the army alone and must include other stakeholders such as public research institutions as well as for-profit companies.