In the current technological landscape, the rapid and widespread adoption of new technologies has been essential to greatly enhance the capabilities, robustness, and efficiency of military defense and disaster response operations. Technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), mobile communication, and internet of things (IoT) have recently enriched battlefield communication, surveillance, tactical decision making, and early warning systems. This trend is common across various areas, including disaster response technologies, leading to substantial improvements in disaster prediction, mitigation, response, and recovery.

The emergence of new technologies has also brought radical changes in operational environments. For example, the increasing diversity of connections between combat/rescue equipment, weaponry, and operational headquarters imposes both complex communication requirements related to availability, reliability, and latency as well as the safe processing of unprecedented amounts of data. On the other hand, the response to disasters should consider their possible characteristics, such as high frequency, widespread damage, and global scale. In addition, preemptive interventions that allow the accurate forecasting of disasters are essential for modern disaster response. Overall, the involved factors collectively contribute to the complexity of developing efficient solutions for defense and disaster response.

To address existing challenges, innovative technologies must be developed to accurately model the situation under consideration, easily adapt to dynamic environments, offer accurate analyses, and provide reliable solutions within a reasonable period. This special issue invites novel and groundbreaking manuscripts on the exploration of recent advances in defense and disaster response technologies. The topics of interest include but are not limited to the following:

· AI, big data, and digital twins for defense applications
· Ethics of AI and legal issues in defense applications
· Extended reality (XR) and metaverse technologies for military training
· Military network architectures
· Protected and resilient telecommunications
· Cybersecurity for military and national infrastructures
· Emergency recognition of support rescue services
· AI, big data, digital twins, and emerging technologies for predicting, managing, and mitigating the effects of disasters
· Innovative technologies and methodologies for disaster response and management
· Reviews encompassing specific regions or countries


Important Dates (tentative)
Paper submission due: September 10, 2024
First decision: November 20, 2024
Final decision: January 20, 2025
Publication: April 20, 2025

Paper Submission

Papers should be submitted at https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/etrij , and should adhere to the journal’s Author Guidelines.


Guest Editors
Prof. Jong-Moon Chung, Yonsei University, Rep. of Korea
Dr. Hae Sook Park, ETRI, Rep. of Korea
Dr. Moosung Park, Agency for Defense Development (ADD), Rep. of Korea
Prof. Sangtae Ha, Univ. of Colorado Boulder, U.S.A.
Prof. Jibum Chung, UNIST, Rep. of Korea
Prof. Yong-Yuk Won, Myongji University, Rep. of Korea
Prof. Youngok Kim, Kwangwoon University, Rep. of Korea

The Editorial Office can be contacted at etrij@etri.re.kr.