This paper proposes an integrated UAV–satellite communication architecture designed to improve wireless connectivity in dynamic, infrastructure-limited, and contested environments. The framework combines UAV relay platforms, satellite communication, LTE links, cloud-based coordination, and NOMA mechanisms to enhance coverage, spectral efficiency, and service continuity. It also addresses security risks such as interception, interference, and communication disruption. The proposed architecture is applicable to tactical communications, emergency response, critical infrastructure protection, and future beyond-5G/6G networks.

In naval operations, a detailed understanding of the operational environment is essential for mission success. At present, environmental assessments within the geospatial, meteorological, and oceanographic (GEOMETOC) domains are significantly improved through the employment of maritime unmanned systems (MUS). These systems are advancing rapidly, delivering information faster while maintaining, or even improving the data quality. However, effective use of these technologies requires not only proficiency in their operation, but also a comprehensive understanding of the characteristic limitations of these systems. This article examines the main systems employed for environmental surveys and outlines the advantages and constraints associated with these platforms and their sensors. This study is derived from observations regarding the utilisation of MUS during a series of experimental activities conducted within the framework of the operational experimentation exercise known as the Robotic Experimentation and Prototyping using Maritime Unmanned Systems (REPMUS) series, covering the period from 2021 to 2025. This exercise, recognised as the largest multinational experimentation initiative, is organised by the Portuguese Navy in collaboration with NATO Center for Marine research and Experimentation (CMRE), Faculty of Porto (FEUP), and European Defence Agency.

Since the Boko Haram insurgency evolved into a full-blown terrorist operation, it has caused unprecedented damage to both domestic and international relations, particularly in Niger and neighboring countries. While some critics argue that the armed forces were initially unprepared and under-equipped, states in the Lake Chad Basin have taken decisive steps to combat the insurgency through kinetic and strategic measures. This study assesses the effectiveness of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), focusing specifically on Operation Gama Aiki, in tackling the ongoing challenges posed by terrorism and insurgency in the region from 2019 to 2024. By examining key operational outcomes such as the reduction in insurgent attacks, fatalities, territorial gains, and the weakening of insurgent logistics and command structures, the research combines qualitative and quantitative data, includingMNJTF situation reports, UN Security Council briefings, and reports from the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC). The findings reveal notable progress in diminishing the strength of insurgent forces. However, challenges like logistical issues, limited intelligence-sharing, and the complex political dynamics of member states continue to affect the MNJTF’s effectiveness. The study also delves into the wider regional and international implications of these efforts, emphasizing the importance of sustained cooperation among member states and global partners. These insights contribute significantly to understanding the role of multinational military operations in counterterrorism and the broader regional security context in West Africa.

We are witnessing the emergence of the “distributed state” : a governance model where sovereign responsibilities are networked rather than hierarchical. This article revisits the trajectory of private security companies (PSCs) over the last decade, identifying a structural transition from neoliberal outsourcing to “distributed sovereignty”. Drawing on the theoretical frameworks of Singer and McFate, the analysis reveals how the “market for force” has expanded into the cognitive and cyber domains , effectively outsourcing the definition of security itself. The article highlights the specific implications for governance, noting that private security is embedded in resilience plans at EU as well as in Romania at national level, this dependency creates new vulnerabilities regarding accountability and strategic autonomy. Ultimately, the article posits that the regulation of this distributed architecture will define thelegitimacy of the twenty-first-century state.

Social Media has ingrained itself into daily life by enabling connections and providing a range of viewpoints on world affairs. Additionally, Social Media platforms are said to be crucial in influencing public opinion regarding conflicts due to their ability to mould and sway public opinion. In light of current events surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since October 7, 2023, this article focuses on how platforms like X/Twitter and TikTok have impacted public perceptions. Further, based on the literature references, we qualitatively examine the dissemination of fake news and the conduct of propaganda, which are tacticsfrequently employed strategically to advance particular narratives and political agendas. A detailed analysis of how the Israeli government and Hamas utilize Social Media to influence public opinion demonstrates the broader influence of disinformation on global politics. Lastly, a comparison between the aforementioned practices and those used in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict is also provided.

The non-intrusive characterization of buried radioactive sources is a critical capability for thwarting illicit trafficking, mitigating orphan‑source hazards, and safeguarding civilian populations against radiological threats. Depth estimation, in particular, enables rapid threat assessment and informed countermeasure deployment following incidents such as transnational uranium diversion or the loss of medical and industrial sources. In this feasibility study, we demonstrate a machine learning approach to estimate the burial depth of a 137Cs point source in dry sand over the range of 5–95 cm. Our method employs gradient-boosted decision trees trained on simulated full gamma-ray spectra partitioned into 1024 energy bins, thereby exploiting subtle variations across both the Compton continuum and multiple photopeaks. After hyperparameter tuning, the model achieved an average depth‐estimation standard deviation of 5 cm across the full depth range. By leveraging the entire spectral profile rather than isolated peak ratios, thisalgorithm delivers enhanced accuracy and robustness in heterogeneous field conditions. The results validate the potential of full-spectrum, gradient boosted models as field‑deployable tools for rapid subsurface threat localization, reinforcing layers of nuclear security and environmental monitoring efforts worldwide.

This study investigates the role of faith-based and community organizations in advancing human security through poverty alleviation initiatives in Kwara North, Nigeria. Situated within the broader discourse on non-state actors and governance, it examines how these organizations bridge state capacity gaps in three critical human security dimensions: health as protection from disease insecurity, education as protection from radicalization and exclusion, and livelihoods as protection from economic shocks. Using a mixed-methods approach that combines structured community surveys, key informant interviews, and field observations across selected Local Government Areas, the study develops sectoral indices and analyzes community perception data to measure impact and sustainability. The findings demonstrate that non-state actors provide frontline protection where state presence is weak, reducing vulnerabilities and enhancing resilience, though their interventions remain constrained by funding fragility, weak coordination, and limited policy integration. By framing poverty alleviation as a human security imperative, the study highlights the potential of non-state actors not merely as gap-fillers but as co-architects of local security and development systems in Northern Nigeria.

The spread of SALW in Northwestern Nigeria has intensified banditry, communal attacks, kidnapping, and insecurity. Guided by the Jurgen and Muggah theory, this study examines why weapons are acquired and how they circulate across the region. The analysis draws on Key Informant Interviews conducted with 25 respondents across five Northwestern states, supported by secondary sources. Findings show illiteracy, perceived injustice, economic marginalization, illegal mining, community self-defense, weak governance, and poor judicial enforcement drive demand for ammunition. These motivations are sustained by porous borders, instability in the Sahel, smuggling networks, limited security capacity, and evolving trafficking routes. Together, these factors reinforce a cycle of violence among bandits, militias, criminal groups, and affected communities. The study concludes that proliferation reflects governance and socio-economic failures rather than a stand-alone security issue and calls for a multidimensional response that strengthens border control, improves security capacity, and supports regional cooperation, justice reform, and community-based disarmament.

Understanding Human Intelligence (HUMINT) within the context of social networks requires a clear distinction between Complicated and Complex systems. Complicated systems are predictable,decomposable, and governed by linear relationships. Complex systems, by contrast, are adaptive, nonlinear, and characterized by emergent behaviors that cannot be fully anticipated.This paper argues that clandestine and illicit networks—such as terrorist cells, insurgent groups, and criminal syndicates—function as Complex adaptive systems rather than merely complicated organizations. These systems challenge conventional intelligence methodologies because they can absorb disruption, selforganize, and continuously adapt to changing circumstances. Applying complexity thinking can enable HUMINT professionals to detect potential shifts, exploit vulnerabilities, and navigate uncertainty more effectively. The paper ultimately contends that embracing complexity is essential to enhancing HUMINT’s effectiveness within dynamic and unpredictable social network environments.

The electoral campaign for the Romanian presidential elections at the end of 2024 exposed vulnerabilities in the national security system that were successfully exploited by state and non-state actors. In the present paper, I will argue that, in addition to the technical and organizat ional gaps that favored the influence of a significant percentage of voters, the human factor played a special role, as propaganda in the physical and cyberspace attracted the majority of the vulnerable electorate by promoting common values that were shaped in accordance with the psychological needs of voters. The most important factor in this context was the promotion of Christianity, which, in reality, proved to be a political agenda disguised as a religious one. This approach on the part of politicians is not innovative in the context of international security, given the fact that, for example, in the modern era, the Islamist discourse resonated in the Islamic world, and the Zionist discourse is promoted among Jewish individuals.