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Next up, the panel: “Technologies that will shape future warfare” #WarIn2025 
Well Dr Todd Mansell seems relevant. #WarIn2025
We’re moving from the micro and nano scale to the atomic and sub-atomic level. By 2025 we’ll have more 3D printing in the supply chain — but how to we manage that, and track what’s been printed where? #WarIn2025
Mansell is talking about building the stealth skins of military assets using atomic-level techniques to match them to the frequencies of the adversary’s radars etc. Gosh. #WarIn2025
He doesn’t think we’ll have general quantum computing by 2025, or even 2035, but we might see quantum computers for specific problems. But we will see quantum sensors, with precise timing for the precise targeting of threats. #WarIn2025
Drugs personalised for your own specific genome. Or, pathogens tailored to specific individuals or ethnic groups. [But ethnicity is social, not genetic. Eek.] #WarIn2025
And this will justify “us” developing such weapons because we need to learn how defend against the ones “they” make. #WarIn2025
Mansell is now talking about the importance of being able to operate while our sensors and comms systems are under EW and cyber attacks — and our people are under information attacks. [The discussion will turn to this in detail tomorrow morning.] #WarIn2025
Directed weapons: Australia is a leader in fibre optic lasers and directing a beam. Also, things like EMP weapons. [OK, need to know more here.] Batteries are also being mentioned. All depend n rare earth elements, so we much understand our reliance. #WarIn2025
DSTG is doing a lot of work in materials science in support of hypersonic flight — mach 5 to mach 30 we’re talking about here. #WarIn2025
Davies is giving us a good run-through of hypersonic flight technology. I think he has a paper on the @ASPI_org website? #WarIn2025
Davies: If you’re dropping a vehicle onto the target at back 20 you don’t need a warhead, because even an ordinary house brick will make your eyes water. #WarIn2025
The problem for defenders is that you don’t know if the incoming mach 20 object contains a house brick or “a little ball of sunshine”. #littleballofsunshine #WarIn2025
Davies is now going through the physics of hypersonic weapons in some detail. Tl;dr is very short reaction time for defenders, little chance to manoeuvre out of the way, number of weapons needed to hit the target is fewer. Bunches of operations research. #WarIn2025
Basically you’re fucked. #WarIn2025
How to defend? Rail gun (except aiming it, a hypersonic projectile at a hypersonic target). They currently do mach 7. Maybe directed energy beams, but yeah show me one. #WarIn2025
The summary. #WarIn2025
Heh. No rush then. #WarIn2025
Kania is running through some aspects of China’s military industrial structures, which I will admit are slightly baffling me. Will try to find some references later. #WarIn2025
Kania agrees there’s a lot of hype about hypersonics, but it’s a thing. Though China’s AI might be a thing to watch. If not in and of itself, by providing a technology ecosystem [my phrase] that has other spinoffs. #WarIn2025
Skipping ahead... AU might not find itself at war with China, but given their exports, with Chinese weapons systems. [Are we too used to always having the technological edge in combat?] #WarIn2025
Exactly. #WarIn2025
Davies is asked about the relevance of surface ships in the face of hypersonic missiles. He says surface combat ships actually became irrelevant 70 years ago but we have’t had a decent war to show that. [Nervous laughter, glares from people in Navy uniforms.] #WarIn2025
