There is considerable interest from different audiences across Europe in the impact of ‘new’, ‘emerging’ and ‘disruptive’ technologies on nuclear security, strategy and order.1 It is now unusual to participate in any academic or policy discussion about nuclear issues that does not make reference to the range of technologies that are undermining or might weaken the frameworks for managing nuclear risk. While reference to this challenge is pervasive, it is not always matched with the same level of understanding or appreciation of nuance. In fact, there is little agreement on what the terms ‘emerging’ and ‘disruptive’ refer to or on what is or is not new, as well as a tendency to conflate potential threats and to adopt worst-case scenario thinking. It is certainly true that the development and deployment of various technologies across and within the nuclear ecosystem pose a number of challenges to Europe, but any attempt to mitigate and manage new nuclear risks must start with a proper understanding of what these dynamics and associated dangers are. While there is little agreement on what constitutes a new, emerging or disruptive technology, the