U.S. Military Technology Dependence: The Hidden Vulnerability to National Security
Abstract
Because the U.S. has a technological culture, the U.S. military has become technology dependent. This dependence has made the military more vulnerable and has plunged the DoD into a perpetual cycle of purchasing technology to fill shortfalls resulting from reductions in manpower, technology evolutions, and to maintain the leading edge. Because technology is increasing in per-unit cost, the DoD purchases fewer items which increases the impact of minimal losses in combat. It is feasible that while technology can make warfighting more efficient, the military can become so technology dependent that the organization no longer recognizes that technology has made it more vulnerable strategically, operationally, and tactically. The United States military is going through a cyclic downsizing of force strength; when all the people are gone, where does the military turn to backfill human capacity? This thesis will address three fallacies associated with overdependence on technology in the U.S. military: first, that technology reduces manpower requirements, second that it is less expensive to use technology in lieu of humans in warfighting. and finally, that incorporating technology in operations ensures a decisive victory in today and future conflicts. Reversing technology dependence requires better integration, complementary technologies among the services, decreasing the innovation to fielding timeline, and practice in degraded technology environments.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 10, 2016
- Accession Number
- AD1010540
Entities
People
- Keven P. Coyle
Organizations
- National Defense University