The military use of certain emerging technologies not only has the potential to revolutionise warfare, but also to cause disruption on the international stage. At the same time, traditional arms control measures have little or no effect. New approaches are needed but discussion on the issue has so far been limited.

In this course unit, students are, first, introduced to the debate surrounding the military use of so-called ‘emerging disruptive technologies’ (EDTs). The terms ‘emerging’ and ‘disruptive’ are discussed and the impact of ‘disruptive’ technologies on international security and stability is highlighted, before looking at examples of some of the technologies that often fall under the term EDT. This enables students to scrutinise the use of the concepts and at the same time apply them to other new technologies. Second, students learn the key technical principles of the technologies under discussion, which enables them to better assess the technical details that often characterise the debates. Thirdly, students learn why traditional concepts of arms control are difficult to apply to many EDTs, enabling them to assess the prospects for successful arms control in other new technologies.