Why the world's militaries are scrambling to create their own Starlink The reliable internet connections provided by Starlink offer a huge advantage on the battlefield. Starlink's satellite constellation provides a reliable internet connection to almost anywhere on Earth, conferring an advantage on the modern battlefield. But it is also run by controversial billionaire Elon Musk, presenting a risk to militaries that could easily find themselves cut off. So, now countries are racing to build their own version. The Starlink network consists of almost 10,000 satellites that offer internet connections across most of the planet via small dishes on the ground.

The US and Iran are trading blows in the Gulf with a simple drone that costs as little as $50,000 to make. But why is a slow, cheap and relatively primitive drone seeing use in 2026 alongside hypersonic missiles and stealth jets? Iran invented the relatively simple Shahed 136 attack drone, but is now fending off US copies launched against it in combat. Why, when the US military has expensive, cutting-edge and hi-tech weapons, is it making flimsy drones powered by a motorbike engine? Iranian company Shahed Aviation Industries originally designed the 136.

In the last few years, gradually, and despite lamentations from the old guard, the world has started to accept the reality of a new economy. Whatever nomenclature one denotes the phenomenon, it is clear that it is here to stay. What is clearer, at least to Charlie Muirhead and Tabitha Goldstaub, is that for the UK to stay ahead of the curve, there is absolutely no time to waste in adapting to Artificial Intelligence. "I've spent 20 years building tech companies," says Muirhead, a serial entrepreneur who has founded a menagerie of distinguished firms, starting when he was just 18. "It's absolutely my passion, I love doing it, and two years ago, we were thinking: 'what's the next opportunity to focus on?' We wanted to make a contribution – something not to make money."