The Future of War Was Built in 2025 — Here’s What You Missed

The article highlights how 2025 marked a transformative year in military strategy and technology, emphasizing that modern warfare extends far beyond individual weapons to encompass entire systems of production, logistics, and software-driven adaptability. Key examples include the U.S. Navy’s reintroduction of the USS Utah as a Virginia-class fast-attack submarine, reflecting a shift from traditional naval power based on visibility and mass to stealth, advanced sensors, and precision strikes. Concurrently, investments in Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines underscore the continued importance of stealthy deterrence platforms. Beyond platforms, 2025 revealed a growing focus on industrial geography and rapid reinforcement capabilities, exemplified by efforts to develop Subic Bay as a forward shipbuilding and logistics hub in the Indo-Pacific. Technological advances such as high-power microwave weapons to counter drone swarms, robotic ground systems integrated with soldiers, and enhanced sensors challenging conventional stealth illustrate a battlefield increasingly dominated by software and electromagnetic warfare. Airpower is evolving in two directions—toward autonomous,