A stray thought of my own while watching Iranian drones tracing fiery paths over the Gulf, a stray quote from Ukraine and the background rumble of uncertainty about Britain’s Defence Investment Plan, have set my mind racing. My conclusion is at the same time obvious yet unnerving.

As a European power, we have been watching the Ukraine war from almost the front row, but it has seemed a world away. Nightly on television we’ve seen Russian and Ukrainian attack drones streaking through the sky, half-reminiscent of a grisly firework display. From our armchairs we’ve read about how this conflict is turning into a competition between drone capabilities.

Putin’s huge reserve of human meat for the infantry grinder massively outweighs Kyiv’s reserves of manpower; but Ukraine’s rapid development of drone technology has more than matched Russia’s – even tipping the scales in Zelensky’s favour. Or so, from our armchairs, we learn.

The new warfare will be much more like terrorist insurrection – except the terrorists will be hostile states

The new warfare will be much more like terrorist insurrection – except the terrorists will be hostile states

We’ve been spectators too in another war: that between Israel and the United States on one side and Iran on the other – with Gulf states caught literally in the crossfire. This has been a war entirely without infantry: not a single boot on the ground, just a few missiles and lots of drones – even sea-going drone-boats now.

And we watch,........

© The Spectator