Summary: The global security backdrop is becoming more unstable, more asymmetric, and more technology driven. As Iran and Ukraine have shown, regional conflict is no longer defined solely by conventional military power, but increasingly by the use of low-cost drones, missiles, and other expendable systems that can strain far more expensive defensive infrastructure. That dynamic is putting new pressure on inventories, exposing procurement bottlenecks, and forcing militaries to rethink how they detect, intercept, respond, and prepare for future threats. More...