From the editors

Abstract

The articles in this first issue of volume 43 of the Journal of Strategic Studies engage a range of issues including technology, irregular warfare, civil-military relations, great power competition, and reconsidering history.The impact and strategic effectiveness of drone technology was demonstrated recently in an attack on Saudi Arabian oil infrastructure. 1 In 'Cheap fights, credible threats: The future of armed drones and coercion', Amy Zegart of Stanford University argues that contrary to the expectations of some analysts, drones appear to be a remarkably useful potential tool for coercion in long-term conflicts. Utilising a unique survey of over 250 foreign military officers, Zegart reconsiders the relative strengths and weaknesses of drones as coercive weapons, identifying particular advantages relative to existing systems. 2 Despite the recent emphasis on great power competition, irregular warfare and its practitioners remain a significant concern in both global and regional security. 3 Max Abrahms, Northeastern University, observes in 'Denying to win: How image-savvy militant leaders respond when operatives harm civilians' that effective terrorist leaders find ways to manage the negative outcomes of attacks on innocent civilians. He posits that two management strategies -Denial of Organisational Involvement and Denial of Principal Intenthelp explain the ability of some organisations to restore their image and support after mass casualty attacks. Abrahms also points to the deliberate decision of ISIS not to attempt to restore its image as a likely explanation for its rapid decline. 4 1 Recent publications on drones and other forms of unmanned aerial vehicles include Jacqueline L. Hazelton, 'Drone Strikes and Grand Strategy: Toward a Political Understanding of the Uses of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Attacks in US Security Policy',