The concept of ‘strategic advantage’ is central to UK strategy and policy, but there is no universally agreed definition of what exactly it is, what it comprises and how it works

The UK Government’s Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy (the IR) frames the current age as one characterised by systemic competition expanding across multiple spheres – both across the operational domains (land, sea, air, cyber and electromagnetic, and space) and in the technology landscape and information environment more broadly. Within these spheres, actors use an increasingly wide range of levers, such as information operations, proxies or economic statecraft, often as part of an effort to achieve objectives without open confrontation or conflict. This includes by modifying the rules and norms governing conduct, and by embracing the ambiguity and deniability of the ‘grey zone’.