Joseph Dillon

Я, Силовик. The GRU

Я, Силовик. The GRU

The Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation - (Главное Разведывательное Управление/Glavnoe Razvedyvatel'noe Upravlenie) - or ‘GRU’ is one of the most inconspicuous organisations imaginable. Even among the generally taciturn cohort of Russian intelligence agencies, the GRU has been remarkable in its pursuit of secrecy. Whereas an endless stream of horror stories emanated from the Lubyanka, from the Aquarium - the GRU’s headquarters built atop a mass grave - there was only ever silence. This article will explore this most secretive and dangerous of organisations, offering a detailed assessment by comparing its Cold War past and its modern identity.

Switching Off The Lights - Cyber Security and AI Series

Switching Off The Lights - Cyber Security and AI Series

There is the confidence that the globalised, networked systems we have built are resilient enough to overcome significant disruptions. What if this confidence is misplaced? This article seeks to answer this question in relation to what is likely the most important of humankind’s networks: the electrical grid. Two methods for conducting a cyber attack against the electrical grid will be considered; the first for disrupting the grid, and the second for destroying core elements. A warning will be offered to the West not to rely on technological supremacy in cyberspace as a deterrent to cyber attacks.

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Hypersonic Weapons: Challenging the Hype

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Hypersonic Weapons: Challenging the Hype

A prevailing orthodoxy is recently emerging around hypersonic weapons. It is one characterised by eminent and imminent threat. This impression is largely misguided and misleading and should be challenged. Hypersonic weapons are an awesome military power that threatens to totally upend the conduct and course of modern warfare. A prevailing orthodoxy is recently emerging around hypersonic weapons. It is one characterised by eminent and imminent threat.