The Operational Level of War: Radical Change Needed to Support the American RMA
Abstract
Information technology continues to grow at an enormous pace all over the world, increasing the speed of information exchange and subsequent availability of knowledge. The industrial age has given way to the information age, and the truth of the adage, knowledge is power will yield a vast array of wielders that will require strong leadership to contain. For operational commanders to maintain an advantage over other emerging information savvy opponents, they must fundamentally alter the way operations are conducted and must do so now. The fundamental factors of time, space and force will still apply in a futuristic world where arguably instantaneous information will allow a completely clear battlefield. Regardless of how it is done the operational commander must still dictate all three. The lessons learned in the past will provide future foes the necessary tools to exploit an American weakness; the speed of maneuver has not kept pace with the speed of strike, let alone the speed of information. The technology is presently here to alter the way that the United States fights in a CONUS to Objective Maneuver that increases the speed of maneuver to one that matches both the speed of strike and the speed of interaction in a globally connected society. The U.S. military must start changing its concepts to drive technology to meet them, thereby dictating a huge space with a mandated smaller force and shorter time. To not adjust now will leave the United States with a weakness that they helped foster.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 05, 1999
- Accession Number
- ADA363061
Entities
People
- Stephen T. Koehler
Organizations
- Naval War College