Indian Strategic Studies: 02/22/25

22 February 2025

India Has Arrived

ANA PALACIO

Last month, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that the first official foreign visit of the commission in her second term would be to India. On the same day, Marco Rubio held his first bilateral meeting as US Secretary of State with India’s minister of external affairs, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s two-day visit to Washington last week confirmed his country’s rising international profile. The visit ended with the promise of what Modi called a US-India “mega partnership.” As part of that partnership, he has committed to double trade with the US by 2030, increase oil and gas imports, and expand US military sales to India.

India is the world’s most populous country, home to more than 1.4 billion people with a median age of 29.8 years, compared to 38.9 in the United States, 40.2 in China, and 44.5 in the European Union. This massive and relatively young population, together with a large and fast-growing information and communications technology (ICT) sector, is supporting an economic boom: India is now the fastest-growing major economy, with the International Monetary Fund forecasting a 6.5% increase in GDP this year. India is expected to overtake Japan and Germany to become the world’s third-largest economy by 2030.

Despite its vast potential, India has long been overlooked by the West, both economically and geopolitically. But a fundamental global realignment is now underway. America’s “unipolar moment” has given way to an era of great-power competition that, unlike during the Cold War, features demands by emerging and developing economies for a more inclusive and representative multilateral system. In this multipolar age, both the US and Europe see India – a neutral foreign-policy actor and dynamic emerging economy – as vital to the future of their strategic priorities.

Trump And Modi Meet Half Way To Put Indo-US Relations On An Even Keel – Analysis

P. K. Balachandran

US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met in Washington on Thursday to iron out differences in the larger interest of Indo-American relations. Strong Indo-US relations area a critical necessity for both India and the US given their adversarial relations with the common challenger China.

The optics at the White House parleys were excellent. The two leaders shook hands and hugged each other before they addressed the international press at the White House immediately before holding bilateral talks.

“I appreciate how President Trump always keeps his country first. I do the same – that is something that we have in common,” Modi said. And complementing Modi, Trump said: “He is doing a great job in India and he and I share a great friendship. We will continue to build on ties between our nations.”

Trump emphasized that US and India have a “great friendship” and added that he thought that “it’s only going to get closer”.

The fact that Modi’s party the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had swept the Delhi elections only a few days before, would have enhanced his profile in the Trump camp and boost his efforts to “deepen the India-US partnership” in key areas such as technology, trade, defence and energy as sought by Modi.

Cutting Aid to Afghanistan Is Collective Punishment. America Must Do Better.

Freshta Jalalzai

The ongoing freeze on U.S. foreign aid is impacting the globe, but its ramifications are different in each specific location. In Afghanistan, the United States is not merely withholding assistance; it is deepening a humanitarian catastrophe and punishing civilians for political decisions beyond their control. If history has taught us anything, it is this: abandoning Afghanistan does not foster stability – it entrenches suffering and fuels crises that inevitably spill beyond its borders.

The Taliban, insulated by mineral wealth, taxation, and regional trade, will endure. It is ordinary Afghans – the hungry, the sick, the desperate – who bear the full weight of these decisions. They are the ones selling their last possessions, rationing their final scraps of food, and watching their children waste away while the world debates policies from a comfortable distance.

Afghanistan’s tragedy is not new; it is a cycle the world refuses to break.

Each time I stand before the shelves of a bakery, the scent of fresh loaves, the dusting of flour, and the quiet patience of those waiting in line transport me back to Kabul – to the bitter years of the first Taliban regime (1996-2001). Back then, hunger was not just a fear but a certainty.

Defying Pakistan’s Repression, Baloch People Are Demanding Their Rights

Osama Ahmad

On January 25, the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), a human rights organization led by Baloch women, organized a large rally in Dalbandin, Balochistan, despite an internet shutdown and a state crackdown.

Zohak Baloch, a 29-year-old Baloch protester from Khuzdar, Balochistan, told The Diplomat, “While the state tries to suppress our voices, we continue to protest for our rights. Our people, especially our women, are resilient. No one can stop us from standing up for our rights because our protests are peaceful, and we are determined.”

The BYC has provided new leadership from the Baloch middle class. While the tribal chiefs formerly enjoyed greater influence and power in the province, their privilege has been eroded. The new Baloch leaders are young, educated, dedicated, and articulate. They are well-versed in the language and concepts of resistance and mobilization, effectively communicating their message not only within Balochistan but also to the rest of the world.

However, the state’s response to these protests has only grown harsher.

Just days before the Dalbandin rally, Sindh police launched a crackdown on women protesting under the BYC banner in Karachi, inviting condemnation from human rights activists across the country.

Sanakham Dam Sparks Fear and Anguish Along the Thai-Lao Border

Tom Fawthrop

In Chiang Khan, a picturesque Thai tourist town bordering the Mekong River, the new year brought dark forebodings of a hydropower project slated to be installed just 2 kilometers away in neighboring Laos.

Thanusilp Inda, the head of Ban Klang village in Chiang Khan, expressed his anxiety over the future. “The Sanakham dam will be a disaster for ecology and fish, it will cause worse flooding,” he told the Diplomat.

Just before Christmas, the Thai government’s Office of the National Water Resources (ONWR) under the Office of the Prime Minister announced that the Mekong River Commission consultation process would suddenly go ahead, despite warnings from The Thai Human Rights Commission (THRC) to exercise caution.

In a letter sent to Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra in November 2024, the THRC advised against any hasty action until a thorough assessment was completed of the transboundary impacts on Thai people and their livelihoods.

Terrorism in Bangladesh: Political Manipulation, Ideological Roots, and Western Influence

Shafi Md Mostofa

Terrorism in Bangladesh is a multifaceted phenomenon, intricately linked to local and global politics. Over the years, it has evolved into a tool manipulated for political advantage, an ideological battleground, and a product of external narratives imposed on the country. Based on my rare opportunity to interview 32 individuals who had been accused of terrorism under Bangladesh’s anti-terrorism law, a complex picture of victimization, ideological radicalization, and political opportunism emerges. These interviews reveal how the issue of terrorism in Bangladesh intertwines with West-centric narratives, ideological extremism, and the political strategies of the Awami League (AL).

The AL was continuously in power from 2009 until August 2024, when it was toppled by a mass protest movement. During its reign, the AL government effectively used the issue of terrorism to consolidate power and delegitimize political opposition. During interviews, nearly 70 percent of the individuals accused of terrorism revealed a common narrative: They were victims of the government’s policies and the ambitions of law enforcement officials. Most of these individuals claimed that security forces arrested them without substantial evidence, often citing orders from senior officers seeking promotions or political rewards. This recurring narrative suggests a systemic effort by the previous government to keep the issue of terrorism alive.

Taiwan using AI to fight disinformation campaigns, former minister says

Dina Temple-Raston

Taiwan’s first-ever minister of digital affairs, Audrey Tang, told an audience at the Munich Cyber Security Conference on Friday that the island nation is using AI to battle disinformation on social media. She said that the technology is helping officials pre-bunk Chinese influence operations targeting the island before they spread online.

Taiwan’s National Security Bureau said the number of pieces of false or biased information distributed by China increased 60% in 2024, to 2.16 million from 1.33 million in 2023. According to a report released last month, the NSB said Facebook and X, formerly known as Twitter, were the main conduits for disinformation, along with platforms that explicitly target young people such as TikToK.

In response to these efforts, Tang launched what she called the "Alignment Assemblies" project two years ago, using open-source AI software to convene meetings of ordinary citizens to talk about dis- and mis-information. Tang served as minister of digital affairs from August 2022 to May 2024, and currently serves as the country’s ambassador-at-large.

“The Taiwan government sent 200,000 SMS invitations to random people in Taiwan asking them ‘How do you feel about information integrity?’” Tang said. “We brought them together and used AI to surface what they were worried about.”

Revealed: Google facilitated Russia and China’s censorship requests

Siân Boyle

Google has cooperated with autocratic regimes around the world, including the Kremlin in Russia and the Chinese Communist party, to facilitate censorship requests, an Observer investigation can reveal.

The technology company has engaged with the administrations of about 150 countries since 2011 that want information scrubbed from their public domains.

As well as democratic governments, it has interacted with dictatorships, sanctioned regimes and governments accused of human rights abuses, including the police in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.

After requests from the governments of Russia and China, Google has removed content such as YouTube videos of anti-state protesters or content that criticises and alleges corruption among their politicians.

Google’s own data reveals that, globally, there are 5.6m items of content it has “named for removal” after government requests. Worldwide requests to Google for content removals have more than doubled since 2020, according to cybersecurity company Surfshark.

Google is one of the world’s most powerful information gatekeepers, with billions of people using its products such as Search, YouTube, Drive and Chrome every day.

Iraq’s Unfinished War: Security in the Post-Saddam Era

Diane Zorri

Introduction

The aftermath of the 9/11 attacks on the United States prompted numerous counterinsurgency operations across various theaters of conflict. The Iraq War offers a wealth of lessons learned in irregular warfare. This article delves into the successes and failures that characterized US and allied efforts to stabilize Iraq post-2003. It seeks to answer critical questions regarding the utilization and challenges of local Iraqi police and militia forces in counterinsurgency campaigns. It explores how these forces were best utilized and identifies the main challenges encountered in recruiting, training, supplying, communicating with, and operating alongside them. Furthermore, this article aims to distill critical insights that can inform future operations by assessing some of the negative consequences of actions, including several factors that led to the emergence of the Islamic State. It also examines the second-and third-order effects of tactical, operational, and strategic decisions made during the conflict, emphasizing how some long-term consequences could have been avoided with greater foresight and understanding of the political landscape. By reflecting on both the positive and negative outcomes of the Iraqi experience, especially the Sunni Awakening, this study seeks to contribute to a nuanced understanding of modern irregular warfare and the enduring challenges of nation-building in a post-conflict setting.

Iran's Dangerous Push To Become An AI Superpower

Steven Stalinsky, Ph.D.

Heads of state, top government officials, leaders of international organizations, tech CEOs, and academics from over 90 countries are meeting this week in Paris for the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit. In his speech at the summit, Vice President JD Vance, who led the U.S. delegation, stated: "We will safeguard American AI and chip technologies from theft and misuse, work with our allies and partners to strengthen and extend these protections and close pathways to adversaries attaining AI capabilities that threaten all of our people."

One such adversary not invited, for good reason, was Iran. In its approach to AI, Iran is following its successful development of drone technology, which began with the reverse engineering of a U.S. RQ-170 Sentinel drone it downed in 2012 by using its technology to produce its Shaheed drones. As it now develops its AI expertise via theft, copying open-source software, and collaborating with Russia and China, the Iranian government – which recently acknowledged its failure to reverse-engineer a Tesla electric vehicle – is quietly pursuing AI advances for military, cyber, and defense purposes.

The world has already witnessed the dangers of Iran's drone program, and Iran's development and destructive capabilities have surprised Western military and intelligence agencies. If proper attention is not given to another nascent Iranian threat now emerging: a clandestine yet intensifying rush for mastery of AI – this too will become another national security threat.

The fight for Syria

Shlomo Ben-Ami

The collapse of Syria’s al-Assad dynasty, which had ruled for more than a half-century, was always going to represent a daunting challenge for the country and its neighbours. But the escalating conflict over Syria’s future between Turkey and Israel compounds the risks considerably.

In Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s view, Syria could not have emerged from its ‘dark era’ had he not lent support to the militias that brought down Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad. Now, Erdogan sees himself as the patron of Syria’s new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa (also known as Abu Mohammad al-Jolani), and he is eager to shape the new ‘bright’ Syria in Turkey’s image—and promote Turkey’s interests along the way.

For Erdogan, one of those interests is to repatriate the three million Syrian refugees currently in Turkey. Another key priority is preventing Kurdish nationalism from spilling over in Turkey, even if that means taking military action against Kurdish forces in Syria. Moreover, Erdogan is reportedly negotiating a defence pact with Sharaa, which would allow Turkey to establish air bases in Syria and provide training to Syria’s military. As Iranian and most Russian military forces are pulling out, Turkey’s are moving in.

The Fatal Flaw of the New Middle East

Maha Yahya

Over the last 15 years, the Middle East has been racked by war, destruction, and displacement. Hundreds of thousands of people have died as fighting raged in Gaza, Lebanon, Libya, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. Millions more have fled. The violence has rolled back gains in education, health, and income while laying waste to homes, schools, hospitals, roads, railways, and power grids. The war in Gaza has proved especially devastating, setting back the territory’s socioeconomic indicators to 1955 levels. The World Bank and UN organizations have estimated that rebuilding the Middle East and providing enough humanitarian aid will cost between $350 and $650 billion. The UN Development Program has estimated that at least $40 to $50 billion is needed to rebuild Gaza alone.

Offering these shattered societies humanitarian and monetary assistance is critical for the survival of millions, especially in the near term. It is thus deeply concerning that multiple Western governments, including Washington, are curtailing foreign aid and humanitarian assistance. But ultimately, the main obstacle to the Arab world’s reconstruction will not be the lack of funds. It will be political disputes and grievances. The region is filled with failing states. It features competing powers that work to leverage this chaos to their geopolitical advantage. Together, these problems make permanent peace impossible.

Starmer says US 'backstop' needed for Ukraine deal

Aleks Phillips & Joe Pike

Sir Keir Starmer has said any Ukraine peace deal would require a "US backstop" to deter Russia from attacking its neighbour again.

Speaking after a hastily convened meeting with European leaders in Paris, he said a "US security guarantee was the only way to effectively deter Russia", and vowed to discuss the "key elements" of a peace deal with US President Donald Trump in Washington next week.

The prime minister repeated that he would consider deploying UK troops to Ukraine in the event of a lasting peace agreement.

But Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz, a key Nato ally, said for his part, discussing sending troops to Ukraine at present was "completely premature".

Sir Keir said Europe would "have to do more" to defend the continent in the face of the "generational" security challenge Russia posed.

He avoided explaining exactly what he meant by a "backstop" - but his allies suggest this could involve air support, logistics and intelligence capabilities.

The talks at the Élysée Palace were held to discuss concerns over the Trump administration's decision to initiate peace talks with Russia - due to start in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday - alone.

Is NATO Falling Apart?

Andrew Latham

For decades, the Munich Security Conference (MSC) has served as the premier venue for transatlantic leaders to reaffirm their shared commitment to collective security. It has been a forum where American presidents and European policymakers could, even in times of political turbulence, restate the enduring strength of NATO and the transatlantic alliance.

This year, however, the tone is different.

New Global Order: Is This the Beginning of the End for NATO?

The 2025 MSC is taking place at a moment of profound geopolitical transition, where the old certainties of the post-Cold War order are eroding.

The North Atlantic security framework, long anchored in U.S. leadership and European dependence on American military power, is coming under mounting strain—perhaps fatally. Two key forces are accelerating this transformation.

The first is the geopolitical shift to multipolarity, where American hegemony is no longer unchallenged and Europe must navigate a world in which power is more dispersed and contested. The second is the rise (or return) of the “sovereigntist” strategic vision – which I will call “sovereigntism” – a strategic vision that has taken hold in the United States, particularly under the Trump administration, and is mirrored in the growing strength of right-wing nationalist movements in Europe.

The New War on Drugs

Vanda Felbab-Brown

Between January 20 and February 1, U.S. President Donald Trump signed several executive orders declaring national emergencies on the U.S. southern and northern borders, thanks, in part, to the “the sustained influx of illicit opioids and other drugs” into the United States. Citing the public health crisis created, in particular, by fentanyl—as well as concerns about undocumented migrants—he then imposed a 25 percent tariff on most imports from Canada and Mexico and a ten percent tariff on Chinese goods. Although Canada and Mexico managed to negotiate a monthlong postponement of their new tariffs, in early February the tariff on Chinese imports went into effect.

These showy moves should not come as a surprise. Throughout his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump focused on the threats posed by the illicit drug trade, promising to “end the drug war” by executing drug dealers. He vowed to punish countries responsible for manufacturing and smuggling drugs and the chemicals used to make them with tariffs and other retributions. After the November election, his pick for “border czar,” Tom Homan, pledged to send special operations troops to Mexico to “take out” drug cartels—a threat that other Republican politicians and Trump associates also made throughout 2024.

Tackling Climate Change in the Age of Trump

RICHARD HAASS and CAROLYN KISSANE

There is no denying the reality of global warming. Each year is hotter than the preceding one. Last month alone was the hottest January on record. Recurring natural disasters – floods, fires, droughts, and hurricanes – are becoming more extreme and frequent. The world has blown through the goal of limiting warming to 1.5º Celsius above the pre-industrial level. At this rate, climate change could define the second half of this century.

National and international efforts to stem climate change are not succeeding. The Global South views the problem as one that ought to be fixed by richer countries that developed sooner. Many countries, including China, prioritize near-term economic growth over reducing greenhouse-gas emissions, and freeriding on other governments’ efforts is widespread, partly owing to public opposition to taxes that could curb energy use or encourage climate-conscious behaviors.

Since returning to the White House, Donald Trump has led the United States swiftly into this camp, withdrawing from the Paris climate agreement, rescinding emissions-reduction targets, and ending climate-related initiatives. His administration is focused on increasing fossil-fuel production, even though the US is already the world’s leading producer of oil and gas and has only modest potential to increase output.

Mobilization In Ukraine: Mistakes And Tragedies – OpEd

Ilya Ganpantsura

The Russian army has been halted near Kyiv and has suffered significant losses. Putin and the government are ready to soften their terms. Meanwhile, the Russian army is retreating from positions occupied in March 2022, and the world is shocked by the merciless killings of civilians.

In response to this and promises from the West to provide weapons, Ukrainian President Zelensky refuses the Istanbul negotiations. However, this is not the only instance of choosing war until victory over peace. For example, after the liberation of Kherson, Ukraine again rejected negotiations and went all-in.

But did Ukraine withstand the challenges it faced? One of the most unpleasant pages of this war is the mobilization that spiraled out of control and the abuse of violence. Moreover, why does a person in uniform no longer symbolize protection and respect? And when did military uniforms become dangerous for soldiers in the rear?

Disposition

Since February 2024, Ukraine has lost Avdiivka. The Ukrainian army suffered significant losses but managed to exit the city, avoiding encirclement. The loss of Avdiivka happened even faster than the loss of Bakhmut in 2022-23, where Ukrainian forces held back Russia in northern Donetsk Oblast. After Bakhmut, this was the first rapid loss of a major city. According to the Deep State map, Avdiivka fell in approximately 120 days since the beginning of the intense offensive.

Fortress America: Trump’s War On Immigrants And The Erosion Of Democracy – OpEd

Debashis Chakrabarti

Donald Trump’s immigration stance was never just about border security—it was a defining ideological crusade. More than a set of policies, it became a weaponized narrative, designed to reshape America’s national identity through fear and exclusion. Under the banner of “America First,” his administration waged a relentless campaign to criminalize migration, scapegoat vulnerable populations, and consolidate political power. Executive orders, mass detentions, and incendiary rhetoric were not just tactics but the foundation of a new immigration doctrine—one that transformed the U.S. from a nation of refuge into a fortress of rejection.

Manufacturing Crisis: The Politics of Fear and the Architecture of Exclusion

Trump’s immigration agenda mirrored a familiar authoritarian playbook: manufacture an external enemy, expand executive power, and dismantle legal protections. By painting immigrants as an existential threat, his administration justified mass deportations, family separations, and the militarization of the southern border.

The infamous “zero-tolerance” policy ripped more than “5,500 children” from their parents. The “Remain in Mexico” directive stranded “70,000 asylum seekers” in dangerous border encampments. One Honduran mother, fleeing gang violence, sought protection in the U.S.—only to be separated from her toddler and deported alone. Her story is one of thousands, exposing a system built not on security but on deterrence through cruelty.

AI-enabled satellites could help the US evade a crippling cyber attack

Tom Porter

A vast network of military satellites belonging to the US has long underpinned its dominance in space. But China is challenging the US status as the space superpower, and its satellite system is in the crosshairs.

Defense News reported last month that the US Navy is moving forward with plans to build a network of fully autonomous satellites that are able to navigate independently without GPS or ground control.

Analysts say that AI could help the US stay ahead, providing its satellites with the capacity to evade the consequences of a potentially crippling attack, as well as more power to collect and analyze large amounts of data.

The race for satellite dominance

The stakes in the battle for satellite supremacy are high, Melanie Garson, an associate professor in International Conflict Resolution & International Security at University College London, told Business Insider.

The winner would control a vital aspect of space infrastructure, which would also provide an advantage in intelligence gathering and precision strikes in the event of a war.

Assessing Trump’s Aggressive Deportation Goals: How Many Migrants And Which Ones? – Analysis

Rut Bermejo Casado and Eric Sigmon

1. Introduction

During the 2024 electoral campaign, Trump not only promised to restore some of his previous immigration policies, such as the creation of a ‘great wall’ on the southern border, but he also introduced new proposals to combat irregular immigration to the US. One of the most repeated claims was that he would carry out ‘the largest deportation operation in American history’. Thus, his plan is not only to work on the external dimension of migration control (particularly border controls or, in his words, ‘sealing the border’) but also to address the internal dimension, that is, to reduce the number of immigrants already within the country’s borders.[1]

Although the concept of mass deportations appears to conflict with the very historical identity of the US as a nation of immigrants (Cornelius, Martin & Hollifield, 1994; Martin & Orrenius, 2022),[2] from the day of his inauguration, he began signing executive orders to implement a restrictive immigration policy designed by his trusted advisor, Stephen Miller, and to fulfil the promised deportations.

Two main aspects of his immigration policy, particularly his deportation plan, are discussed below. First, the potential numerical scope of his plan is examined to answer the question: how many people are likely to be deported? Secondly, which individuals will be included in the operation?

Intelligence agencies must explain what they do, says UK’s former cyber spy chief

Alexander Martin

Amid a growing scandal over the British government’s reported attempt to force Apple to provide the country’s authorities with access to encrypted iCloud accounts, a former intelligence chief has called for more transparency from spy agencies.

Speaking at the Munich Cyber Security Conference on Thursday, Sir Jeremy Fleming — who headed the cyber and signals intelligence agency GCHQ from 2017 to 2023 — said he felt “really strongly” the agency’s “license to operate” had to be based on public understanding and trust.

Fleming’s comments came in the wake of The Washington Post reporting that senior politicians on the Senate Intelligence Committee were calling for the U.S. to limit intelligence sharing with the United Kingdom if the British legal notice was not retracted.

The Washington Post described the notice — which has not been made public — as creating a “back door allowing [British authorities] to retrieve all the content any Apple user worldwide has uploaded to the cloud,” although the British government has historically disputed the “back door” description.

British legislation instead describes the legal power as one that would require Apple to maintain the capability to provide iCloud content in response to a legal warrant, as Apple could do before introducing end-to-end encryption for iCloud in December 2022.

A Prescription for Attrition

S.L. Nelson

Attrition changed the dynamics of the battlefield in Ukraine. Attrition thinned the front line and reduced the available reserve to close critical gaps in the defensive lines or maintain momentum to achieve the goals of an offensive, as demonstrated in the actions of both the Russian and Ukrainian formations. More importantly, attrition removes tacit knowledge from the battlefield. War memoirs and after-action reports from numerous conflicts unanimously suggest that the most significant causalities are among replacement soldiers.

How can modern armies keep their experience where it is needed?

During operations on Okinawa in 1945, planners learned from the mistakes of past operations. Replacement soldiers increased the casualty bill during the operation, and evacuating soldiers tied up the logistics routes and hubs. Since experience in combat demands a blood price, keeping experienced soldiers engaged with the enemy is critical. Proactively treating mental health during combat can promote keeping experienced soldiers in the fight.

Casualties enjoyed immediate evacuation in early battles in the Central Pacific were immediately evacuated and often lost to their units for long periods. During the operation on Okinawa, two measures helped to stem this tide. First, planners recognized the need for neuropsychiatric treatment and facilities to extend forward along with the Army's operations. For this purpose, divisions and corps set up rest and treatment areas. As a further measure, the Tenth Army dedicated a whole field hospital to neuropsychiatric cases.[i]

Estonian spy chief: ‘Hybrid schmybrid, what’s happening is attacks’

Alexander Martin

The head of the Estonian Foreign Intelligence Service has criticized the “misleading and soft” word “hybrid” being used to describe Russian acts of sabotage and subversion across the continent.

In a late panel discussion on Saturday at the Munich Security Conference, Kaupo Rosin protested the use of the word which has been applied to a range of hostile activities that are deemed to be deniable or below the threshold justifying an armed response.

“Hybrid schmybrid,” he said. “I think the word ‘hybrid’ is misleading and soft… What’s happening is attacks, cyberattacks, assassination plots, maybe in some parts it’s actually state-sponsored terrorism what is going on.”

Estonia, which was occupied by Russia during WWII — with tens of thousands of Estonian families deported to Russia, including the mother of former Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, now the European Union’s foreign policy chief — has been a vocal supporter of Ukraine as it resists Russia’s full-blown invasion.

The country, which has a population of only 1.4 million — approximately one-fifth of whom are considered ethnic Russians — has, similarly to Ukraine, been historically forced to defend against Moscow’s interference, although as a NATO member since 2004 it has not faced a military invasion.

Was The AI Summit In Paris A Missed Opportunity? – OpEd

Simone Galimberti

Since the start of the Paris AI Action Summit, held on the 10th and 11th of February, the expectations were minimal.

Yet there was a trickle of hope that the gathering would succeed at maintaining a modicum focus on safety and security of artificial intelligence. Instead, the speeches resembled more business pitches.

There was a deliberate intent at attracting billions of investments to spur the unlimited potential of a new technology that has already become so pervasive to our lives.

Those at the Summit, concerned with the implications of an unregulated and unchecked AI could not find neither a glimpse of a symbolic traffic light nor of a guardrail, two images often invoked to slow down the crazy pace of AI development.

Instead, in the words of Kevin Rose of the New York Times, it was like “watching policymakers on horseback trying to install seatbelts on a passing Lamborghini”. Many wondered if there was a real intention, on the part of the policymakers in questions, to seriously set any standards at all.

Watching their speeches, each of them, from JD Vance, the new American Vice President, to the European Commission’s President, Ursula Von der Leyen, to President Macron of France to PM Modi of India, it seems like they were trying to outmatch each other.

C2 and AI Integration In Drone Warfare - Impacts On TTPs & Military Strategy

Monte Erfourth

Introduction

The rapid advancement of drone technology has revolutionized modern warfare, reshaping battlefield tactics and military doctrine worldwide. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have evolved from simple reconnaissance tools to sophisticated combat assets capable of executing precision strikes, electronic warfare, and autonomous missions. While the United States continues to refine its approach to drone integration, adversaries such as Iran, China, and Russia are rapidly advancing their own drone capabilities. This article examines developments in drone command and control, technological advancements, military integration, and how nations like Iran, China, and Russia are leveraging UAVs for conventional and asymmetric warfare. The implications extend beyond tactical or operational advancement.

Command and Control: The Evolution of Drone Networks Coupled With AI

AI is essential for enhancing military drones and improving aspects like command, navigation, targeting, and mission planning. As AI develops, its influence on combat operations will grow. The integration of AI and machine learning has increased drone effectiveness, allowing for real-time battlefield data analysis and improved targeting. For instance, the MQ-9 Reaper features enhanced autonomous targeting, reducing human involvement. In Ukraine, drone warfare has advanced with forces using "motherships" that deploy smaller armed drones, signaling a shift from reconnaissance to frontline combat (FN Media Group, 2025; Ars Technica, 2025).