MANILA, Philippines — Modern warfare is rapidly evolving, and the Philippines must strengthen its cyber and electromagnetic defenses, a retired Italian naval officer warned.
Speaking at the Indo-Pacific: Cyber Domain as the New Frontier of Security seminar in Manila, retired Italian Navy Commodore Antonio Dovizio said the Indo-Pacific is seeing a shift from conventional military assets—ships, missiles, and troops—to dominance over data, digital networks, and the electromagnetic spectrum.
“The global security landscape is moving from a unipolar to a multipolar world, with heightened strategic competition among major powers,” Dovizio explained. He emphasized that the electromagnetic spectrum—a critical yet invisible domain supporting communications, surveillance, navigation, and weapon systems—is central to this transformation.
“The 21st-century battlefield is defined not by metal, but by frequencies, data, and signals,” he said, noting that societies rely heavily on spectrum-dependent systems such as radar, satellites, and telecommunications, making them vulnerable to interference or disruption.
Dovizio highlighted electromagnetic spectrum operations (EMSO), which integrate electronic warfare, cyber operations, signals intelligence, and spectrum management, as a vital framework for future conflicts.
He also warned that cyber and electromagnetic threats are increasingly intertwined. “Protecting networks without securing the spectrum is inadequate. Cyberattacks using electromagnetic channels could target critical infrastructure—energy grids, communications, logistics, and military systems—causing cascading disruptions to essential services and economic stability,” he said.
iamigo/xf
