The Torch
Illuminating Security and Defence Issues
Emerging Technologies
Robots Just Captured a Russian Position in Ukraine—but Don’t Worry About Real-Life Terminators Just Yet
12 June, 2026
Ukraine’s increasing use of drones in its defence has received a great deal of attention as Russia’s invasion has dragged on. While most of this has focused on aerial and maritime drones, the army’s use of ground robotics has been a quieter story—but one with growing significance....
Ukraine’s robotic army starts to turn the tide against Russia’s bloody advance
12 June, 2026
After four years of conflict, Ukraine is now a world leader in drone technology – giving it a strategic edge that could prove decisive in the fight to reclaim territory....
Inside Anduril: Meet the quiet engineer-CEO building America’s $31 billion weapons startup
12 June, 2026
The Pentagon is turning to Anduril for drones, missiles, and software. It’s the biggest sign yet that Silicon Valley is shaking up the military-industrial complex....
Light speed weapons? Directed energy and the future of the ADF
11 May, 2026
Directed energy weapons (DEW), including high energy laser and high-power microwave weapons, are increasingly important in counter-drone tasks across air, sea and land....
Inside Ukraine’s robot war revolution
11 May, 2026
A Ukrainian commander tells POLITICO how robotic systems are transforming the battlefield, in a development with the potential to reshape how wars are fought....
Pentagon stages first ‘Top Drone’ school for operators to hone skills
11 May, 2026
The Pentagon last month held its first “Top Drone” school for drone pilots to demonstrate their skills in a threat-representative environment....
Cheap drones are reshaping the war in the sky
8 April, 2026
How the US is fighting a war without sending ground troops to Iran — and the inexpensive drones making it harder....
Railgun Being Fired By U.S. Navy Again After Abandoning It For Years
8 April, 2026
The Trump class "battleship" has breathed new life into the Navy's railgun ambitions, which it previously shelved after hitting technical hurdles....
Caltech Team Finds Useful Quantum Computers Could Be Built with as Few as 10,000 Qubits
8 April, 2026
Theoretical discovery opens the door to building quantum computers with significantly reduced resources....
Hunt For Container Launchers Packed With Drones Kicked-Off By Pentagon
10 March, 2026
The U.S. military wants proposals for containerized systems that can launch and recover a mixture of drone swarms on land and sea....