America's navy, for example, has ordered 150 gliders from Teledyne Webb's sister company, Teledyne Brown, for what it calls its Littoral Battlespace Sensing-Glider programme.

ECONOMIST: Fleets of robot submarines will change oceanography

In the battlespace of the global internet, it is hard to know what effects a retaliatory attack might have on another country, and on those citizens and companies that might rely on internet connectivity or other critical infrastructure.

FORBES: Cyber Command Appointment Offers More Questions Than Answers

Its space and communications division, based in Seal Beach, California, is the lead contractor working on America's national missile-defence system, as well as the provider of the future combat system that is part of the integrated battlespace system for the army.

ECONOMIST: America's defence companies are turning dual-purpose