In this era of communication, computers and IT, just a few lines of code can lead to serious disruption or sow chaos in the real world. This means we have to revisit our somewhat old-fashioned approaches to warfare and bring the cybernetic world into the conflict zone and a field in which confrontation could be decisive.

Ninety per cent of the European Union’s external, and 40 per cent of its internal, trade is carried by sea—a proportion that will increase with the Motorways of the Sea project. The author argues for a comprehensive EU approach to maritime strategy at the highest political level, and highlights the important of creating coherent political objectives and strategies to underpin that overall strategy. He argues further for broader consciousness of the vital importance of the sea, not just for Europe, but for mankind.

The author adds his contribution to previous RDN articles on robotisation, and argues that just as technology has always changed man in some way or another, robots will do the same, albeit nobody can yet predict with certainty the manner in which they might transform society. This slow evolution will take place in our homes and on battlefields: it is one upon which France cannot afford to turn its back.

New methods of ballistic protection are high on the list of priorities for the Direction Générale d’Armements (DGA) in its work on materials, which is an important factor in technological capabilities such as efficiency and protection of the soldier, optimization of armoured vehicles, innovative naval platforms and future aircraft platforms. This article offers a round-up of current French scientific research in the field of materials, chemistry and energy, directed at protection and perforation to respond to the military requirement for equipment and personnel protection, and the civil need for the safety of goods and people.