Modern Warfare in the Technological Age

What this report covers

Technologies: Autonomous Systems, Robotics & Swarms, Cyber Defense, Information Security & Cryptography, Hypersonics & Advanced Missile Systems. Countries: Israel, Ukraine. A sourced, structured 10-page analysis for European defence and dual-use decision-makers, from the DFM research desk and built on official and primary sources.

About this report

Contemporary conflicts—exemplified by Israel’s campaigns in Lebanon and Ukraine’s struggle against Russia—have underscored how new technologies and espionage tactics are reshaping combat. Combatants now deploy “precise” one-way attack drones and missiles to strike deep into enemy territory.

Iran-backed groups (Hezbollah, Houthis) routinely launch armed UAVs and cruise missiles at Israel, while Israel uses unmanned vehicles and covert cyber-sabotage against its adversaries. These developments reflect a shift from expensive high-value platforms toward swarms of cheap, attritable systems and data-driven operations.

Key questions this report answers

• How are one-way attack drones and cheap attritable systems displacing expensive high-value platforms in contemporary conflicts?
• What do Israel's campaigns in Lebanon and Ukraine's war against Russia reveal about the integration of covert operations and data-driven targeting?
• How do Iran-backed groups such as Hezbollah and the Houthis employ UAVs and cruise missiles to achieve asymmetric effects?
• What does the shift toward swarms and cyber-sabotage imply for Western defence-industry innovation pipelines?

Inside this report

• Covert Operations and Intelligence Collection
• Drones and Autonomous Systems
• Artificial Intelligence and Data Integration
• Cyberwarfare and Communications
• Asymmetric Impact: Weaker Actors Versus Great Powers
• Western Adaptation and Alliance Innovation
• Defense Industry and Innovation Pipelines

Who it's for

Strategy, corporate-development and investment teams that need an ecosystem-level view — budgets, industrial capacity and technology landscapes — before committing capital or capacity.

Related reports

• Emerging Investments in Air Defence and Electronic Warfare — Ukraine
• Market Volatility After Israel’s Strikes on Iran — Israel
• Strategic Interdependence: Germany and Ukraine Redefine Defense Cooperation — Germany
• The EU’s €150B Loan Plan: Financing Strategic Autonomy
• The Dutch €248 Million Drone Package and the Industrialisation of the “Build with Ukraine” Model — Netherlands
• EU-Ukraine Drone Alliance: Execution Beyond the Launch — Ukraine

Methodology, format & delivery

DFM reports are built from primary and official sources — TED procurement notices, CORDIS and the EU Funding & Tenders Portal, EIB operations, the NATO Innovation Fund portfolio, SIPRI data, official budget documents and company disclosures — read together with the underlying legal texts. Sources are cited in the document; it reflects them as of its publication date (16 June 2025). You receive a 10-page PDF, watermarked to you on every page, delivered on the confirmation page and by e-mail immediately after checkout (personal link valid 72 hours, up to 5 downloads). Guest checkout, single-user licence — Terms of Sale.

Related on DFM

More Strategic reports · Autonomous Systems, Robotics & Swarms · Cyber Defense, Information Security & Cryptography · Hypersonics & Advanced Missile Systems · Free summary of this report · All reports

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