War in the Smartphone Age explores how modern technologies, particularly smartphones, are transforming the character of conflict. Dr Matthew Ford, an Associate Professor in War Studies, makes a compelling case that “peeling back the layers of technology makes it possible to use the smartphone for the purposes of war.” The smartphone is no longer just a communications tool; it is rapidly becoming both a weapon and a battlefield. Military readers may think we already know this. We argue that you don’t, and that War in the Smartphone Age will add to any readers understanding.
But this is not a book solely about phones. Rather, War in the Smartphone Age is a study of the wider technological infrastructure, physical and data, that underpins modern warfare. Ford examines the evolving relationships between governments and tech companies, the weaponisation of information, and the role digital platforms play in shaping conflict. Through case studies from the Middle East, Ukraine, and the Israeli Defence Force, using both conventional militaries and other groups, he demonstrates how these technologies are being deployed in powerful and transformative ways.
Things we can now see and do on a smartphone have already changed how wars are conducted . This is not the future, the smart phone age is now.
One of the book’s core concepts is the “stack”: a layered model that connects physical systems with abstract decision-making. At the top is data storage; at the bottom, the human decision-maker. Ford argues persuasively that to navigate or fight effectively in this new battlespace, we must understand every layer in between.
Through the case studies, Ford shows how different actors have weaponised the smartphone environment. The Israeli Defence Force’s tight control of data and infrastructure is one such example, albeit dependent on physical infrastructure. The limits and dependencies of the strategy are explored and Ford shows that a whole society approach is needed to fight effectively in the smartphone age. From the selection of the future fighters to how the power of data is used by the most simple soldier, War in the Smartphone Age left us feeling that we probably should have had a better understanding of it all before we did.
But Ford doesn’t stop at strategy. He also explores the moral and legal questions these technologies raise. Should facial recognition be permitted as a tool of war? When civilians use their phones to collect targeting data, do they become combatants? These questions strike at the heart of international humanitarian law in an era of participative warfare.
This idea, participative warfare, is a central theme. Ford highlights, for instance, Ukrainian civilians uploading images to military apps, directly contributing to the targeting process. Civilians have always reported enemy activity, but smartphones make this instantaneous, radically increasing the speed and precision of strikes.
War in the Smartphone Age also adds insights to legal and operational debates. For example, how can evidence gathered from open-source intelligence meet legal thresholds for prosecution? Ford notes that states, corporations, and individuals apply different ethical standards, and he questions whether big data companies should play a greater role in regulating wartime data flows.
There are areas you could find to disagree. The prevalence of data networks, which seem easily targetable in a ‘real’ war, or the resource required, and surely not all war will be this way in the future, we’ll run out of energy before it can happen? Futurists have been wrong before, after all. And then the books title will bring you back to earth as you pick up your smart phone. Smartphones are everywhere, as Ford notes they are the last things we lose and have a global dependency on them far deeper and more engrained than most imagine. Ford doesn’t offer easy answers, but he certainly raises the right questions.
Perhaps the most sobering chapter is the last, titled Accelerated War. Ford argues that smartphones and similar technologies are enabling the rapid identification and destruction of targets, far surpassing the pace of earlier conflicts. He compares NATO’s 1999 intervention in Kosovo, when hundreds of targets were struck, to today’s conflicts, where hundreds of thousands are identified. Every smartphone is now a sensor, connecting people to combat with speed and visibility never before seen.
It’s hard to disagree. Ford shows that while the processes of war may be familiar, the pace and data integration are not. Some military professionals might argue that the fundamentals remain unchanged. Soldiers still fight in trenches and many adversaries lack high-end tech. Ford acknowledges this but insists that even the smallest groups can now access powerful computing capabilities. This demands a reassessment of traditional assumptions.
Ford writes for a broad audience. While he notes in his introduction that some military readers may find his analysis too simplistic or lacking operational depth, in The Wavell Room we did not. His writing is engaging and accessible, distilling complex technical issues into digestible, relevant insights. Ford boils down complex topics but retains the nuance of the discussion. Smartphones, big data, and AI are hot topics in military circles. War in the Smartphone Age moves the conversation forward more boldly than other texts. It broadens the discussion and makes clear the scale of change underway. Not every fighting force is fully digital yet, but the direction of travel is unmistakable, and deeply unsettling.
And this is precisely where Ford’s book becomes quietly provocative. While he never says so directly, and perhaps never would, War in the Smartphone Age reads as a tacit challenge to a Western military establishment that appears slow to acknowledge, let alone embrace, the technological revolution underway. For us, a group of predominantly Western military minded people reading from our perches in The Wavell Room, the book felt like a wake-up call.
We recommend War in the Smartphone Age wholeheartedly.
The Wavell Room Team
The Wavell Room Team are a bunch of enthusiastic individuals who believe strongly in constructive debate, discussion and openness in order to arrive at a sound, non-bias and informed position on many subjects. The team are all volunteers and support this non-profit in their own time.
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- The Wavell Room Team#molongui-disabled-link
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