On the road to liquid warfare? The consequences of the proliferation of modern military technology on the warfare of autocratic states and non-state armed actors.

The development and proliferation of military technology are significantly changing the way wars are fought—with far-reaching consequences. We do not know enough about how the rapid proliferation of precision–strike technologies, such as cruise missiles, armed drones or precision–guided munitions, affects the warfare of autocratic states and non-state armed groups. With this project, we aim to change this. We focus on the socio–spatial dimension of warfare. Drawing on Zygmunt Bauman’s ideas about the reduced role of territory in ‘liquid modernity’, the project has developed a typology of solid (territory-focused) and liquid (target-focused) warfare. Based on this typology, we analyse the warfare practices of autocratic states and nonstate armed groups. In the first phase (October 2020–September 2023), our case studies were the Gulf States, the Houthi in Yemen and the Islamic State (IS) in Syria and Iraq. In the second phase (December 2023–May 2025), the focus will shift to Russia, China and Turkey. The results of the research will be presented mainly in the form of articles in peer-reviewed academic journals.