An Cosantóir Novemver / December 2025 www.military.ie/magazine
T
he Defence Forces Review is the annual
professional military journal of the Irish Defence
Forces. It provides a forum for military and
civilian authors to explore defence and security-
related topics close to their hearts. By challenging
themselves to research, prepare, and publish a peer-
reviewed academic paper, the authors are significantly
contributing to their personal professional
development and to scholarly discourse on matters
relevant to the Defence Forces. Early each year, a call
for papers is issued, inviting potential authors from all
services and ranks, and from both military and civilian
backgrounds, to submit thought-provoking articles
aligned with a specified theme. This year's theme was
"Military Leadership Challenges in the Contemporary
Operating Environment." Specifically, authors were
encouraged to critically examine the impact that
hybrid warfare, artificial intelligence (AI), and the post-
truth world have on military leaders' ability to operate
and command.
While the nature of war does not change, its character
is evolving, shaped by technological, economic, cultural,
and societal changes. The return of war to Europe and
shifting global and political alignments are challenging
and testing the Rules-Based International Order. Ireland's
security and defence environment is not immune to such
challenges, and malign actors will continue to threaten our
way of life using a variety of sophisticated means below
the threshold of armed conflict. As a result of this reality,
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THE DEFENCE FORCES
REVIEW 2025
MILITARY LEADERSHIP CHALLENGES
IN THE CONTEMPORARY OPERATING
ENVIRONMENT
