On 15th August, the second edition of Cognitive Warfare: An Artificial Intelligence Approach, the seminal work on this subject, will be published.

The first edition of Dr. Karen Haigh and Dr. Julia Andrusenko’s book was published in 2021. Armada gratefully received a copy which we reviewed. Just four years later, the second edition has hit the shelves. That a new version has appeared so rapidly should be no surprise. The world of cognitive Electronic Warfare (EW) is moving apace, thanks to advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML).

The original edition was a clear yet comprehensive discussion of the fundamentals of cognitive EW. The new version continues to be easily readable and is just as, if not more, informative than the first. Drs. Haigh and Andrusenko neatly summarise recent advances in the subject. They also clarify or add further discussion to points raised in the original work. Much has happened since publication of the first edition: Russia commenced her second invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Iran and Israel have fought a recent short war and the People’s Republic of China continues to emerge as a strategic rival to the United States and her allies.

As both authors note, the net effect of these global shocks is exacerbated by the dizzying speed at which AI and ML are moving. A useful addition to the latest book is a section with practical exercises one can undertake to start to get a feel for cognitive EW architectures. As with the first edition, the new work is comprehensively referenced. This exhaustive approach is particularly welcome in helping the reader discover new avenues of scholarship and analysis which will prove useful as the discipline develops.

Drs. Haigh and Andrusenko’s new work is very much the right book at the right moment and will become the standard text for this fascinating discipline. Its concise yet thorough style will appeal to both the specialist and general reader alike. Cognitive Warfare: An Artificial Intelligence Approach should be required reading from the foxhole to the boardroom and ministerial office. To learn more about the book, and Dr. Haigh’s insights on cognitive EW, enjoy this latest episode of Armada’s Radioflash! podcast. To order a copy please visit the website of its publisher Artech House.