We asked representatives of six leading defence companies

what they think will be the biggest threats in the next 10 years.

Here we present their answers.

We still don't understand infrastructure protection

and how cyber can affect that.

As we sit here at the entrance of the Bosporus

and you look at all the shipping going through,

it wouldn’t take much to distort, to disrupt the flow of that,

causing confusion and who is going which way and so forth.

So, this is a serious threat we have to pay attention to.

I think, again from my commercial aircraft’s side,

we’re very concerned about it.

As commercial airplanes become more and more digital and electronic,

we have actually started to put cyber protection

into the software of our commercial airplanes.

Because as they enter an airport environment,

they’re starting to exchange information.

And so we have to able to protect the aircraft software itself.

So, a lot of issues coming down the road, just on cyber alone.

For me...

Cyber.

The new global commons is cyber, the network.

Every single item that we have depends on cyber.

The timing signals from Satnav

fundamentally define every single financial transaction.

All of our critical infrastructure is controlled by some sort of network.

This is the...

has to be the area where we’re going to face problems.

And we’re going to have to spend a fortune actually.

There will be a massive shift towards unmanned systems,

not just aircraft, but unmanned systems.

There will be a massive increase in interoperability,

in interconnectedness of those systems

as they are deployed around the world.

And many have called that the ‘Internet of things’.

Just about every tangible device could be connected in some way,

sharing information on the grid.

Not just your smartphone, everything in your life

being somehow enabled with some degree of connectivity.

You’ll see more dual use.

What used to be just looking for enemy targets,

now can help you in some of our satellite constellations today,

better understand the environment,

looking towards the Arctic, where someone may have an issue

and need combat search and rescue or better awareness.

I think the tools for that are going to be

far more heavily relied on, just as we do with our iPhone today.

Ten years ago it was just a phone.

We’re looking at all those areas that allow

smaller forces to be more effective

anywhere a conflict is required.

So, whether it’s commanding control,

whether it’s joined ISTAR, whether it’s cyber,

all those areas that quote unquote connect forces

and allow them to multiply the capability,

that’s one of the biggest focus areas.

I think basically to fast reaction equipment,

to have a good surveillance capability

and possibility to move the right equipment to exact targeting

will be the key going forward.

And then of course

it’s connected to information technology in many parts.

And I think that’s probably the thing that will be moving ahead

if we see the trends today. The problem with trends is

that they will be interrupted by other things.