The US Military's Approach to Strategy and the Implications for Military Technology

Abstract

This study considers the applicability of Arthur Lykke's ends-ways-means strategic framework to the maintenance and development of US military technological endeavors. Predicated on the belief that technological superiority provides the surest means of achieving battlefield success, the US military continues to invest heavily in more complex and expensive weapon systems. While this argument seems to justify the development of an overarching strategy for military technology, if for no other reason to avoid waste, analysis of the distinctive evolutionary paths of technology and strategy supports the supposition that military strategy and technology follow different, often conflicting rationales. As a result, applying Lykke's model in this regard could in fact hinder the military's understanding and evaluation of current or emerging technologies.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 24, 2018
Accession Number
AD1071035

Entities

People

  • Sean Dunstan

Organizations

  • School of Advanced Military Studies

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Biomedical
  • C4I
  • Counter IED
  • Counter WMD
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Ground and Sea Platforms

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Air Power
  • Contingency Operations (Military)
  • Fixed Wing Aircraft
  • Intergovernmental Organizations
  • Military Budgets
  • Military Organizations
  • National Security
  • Nuclear Bombs
  • Nuclear Energy
  • Nuclear Weapons
  • Precision-Guided Munitions
  • Second World War
  • United States Central Command
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare
  • Weapons Effects

Readers

  • Military History / Militaries and War Studies
  • Strategic Security Studies