While the means by which state and non-state actors conduct hybrid war today have changed, the fundamental principle of utilizing a combination of conventional and irregular methods to achieve a political objective is consistent with older forms of conflict. This blending has historic examples in the American Revolution with George Washington’s Continental Army and robust militia forces; the Napoleonic Wars where British regulars challenged French control of major Spanish cities, while Spanish guerrillas attacked their lines of communication; and the Arab Revolt where the British Army combined conventional operations in Palestine with irregular forces under British operational control. However, despite having its roots in history, modern hybrid war has the potential to transform the strategic calculations of potential belligerents due to the rise of non-state actors, information technology, and the proliferation of advanced weapons systems.

Turkey’s drone magnate Baykar has signed a contract with the Ivchenko-Progress, one of the leading engine companies in Ukraine for the procurement of engines for its Combat Unmanned Aircraft System (MIUS) project, according to a company statement Friday.

A hybrid UAV made by Russia’s Zala Aero performed a 12 hour flight by solely relying on its new onboard visual navigation system (VNS).

Israel Aerospace Industries will debut REX MK II, its newest ground robot set to be fielded to British troops, at DSEI, the London-based defense exhibition, which begins Tuesday.

U.S. Marines and engineers are evaluating a light robotic vehicle, also known as the Expeditionary Modular Autonomous Vehicle (EMAV).

The U.K. Ministry of Defense has revealed that it is looking at unmanned self-propelled guns, which could have autonomous capabilities, as potential replacements for the British Army’s current L118 105mm howitzer. An artist’s conception of one proposal for this future Lightweight Fires Platform, seen at the top of this story, shows a design with four wheels on separate, articulating legs.

Businesses and governments targeted by cyber attacks, subversion and espionage

China’s maritime militias are running a risk of blurring the line between fishing boats and naval forces. Therefore, accurate assessments under international maritime law are of utmost importance to future disputes

Since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 without firing a single shot, former Soviet States in the area – particularly the Baltic countries – have been increasingly worried by the idea they could be ‘the next’ target of an hybrid war operated from Moscow with some form of occupation as their objective. At the same time, the Kremlin and several Russian experts have been underlining the danger of an externally-directed non-linear war aimed at weakening Russia’s sovereignty and eventually staging a regime change: the spectre of a ‘coloured revolution’ orchestrated by the West has been for years a postulate of actions taken by the Russian authorities to discourage public mobilization and ultimately repressing protests. Both theories can be sustained or denied, in the framework of a largely hypothetical and undefined picture where many assumptions are taken for granted and few elements can be concretely verified.