As someone who has tested new military technology, both on the front line and in more benign training environments, I know that it doesn’t always work the first time. Or sometimes it works, but not in the way you expected it to. Or wanted it to.

When I first joined NSSIF I was given the role of investment lead for quantum.

It was a moment when the science behind quantum computing had reached an inflection point. IBM had just surpassed the hundred-qubit mark and PsiQuantum emerged from stealth with a $450m Series D fundraise and the ambition to build a one-million-qubit machine.

I recently watched Pete Hegseth’s viral video in which he announces a Pentagon memo designed to accelerate the military’s adoption of drones. Although he stumbles through the delivery, the video is worth a watch, not least for its odd fusion of news anchor showmanship with government process.

It got me thinking about the future of drone warfare. That, in turn, got me thinking about the history of the Royal Air Force.

Last month I was in the room for Pete Hegseth’s keynote speech at SOF Week. He’s a gifted public speaker and, although I’m not a MAGA guy, I found myself enjoying his performance.

More interesting than his delivery was the content. He made no mention of Ukraine but referred multiple times to the threat posed by ‘communist China’. That will be no surprise to Americans. But Europeans worry less about China. Should we?