Editor’s Introduction: Western technology edge erodes further

Defence policymakers worldwide remain challenged by a complex and fractured security environment, marked by increased uncertainty in relations between states and the proliferation of advanced military capabilities. Attacks in 2017 highlighted the continuing threat from transnational terrorists. Persistent conflicts and insecurity in parts of Africa meant that the continent still demanded the deployment of significant combat forces by African and external powers. In the Middle East, the war against ISIS, the civil war in Syria, the destructive conflict in Yemen and Iran’s destabilising activities dominated the regional security environment. In Europe, low-level conflict persisted in eastern Ukraine, with Russia reinforcing its military posture across the border and its military capabilities preoccupying European NATO states. In Asia, North Korea tested its first intercontinental ballistic missile. Pyongyang’s provocations may be an immediate threat, but there was also an increasingly pervasive concern over China’s military programmes and activities. In 2017 Beijing introduced yet more advanced military systems, and deployed elements of its armed forces further afield.