Through a Glass, Darkly: Innovation and Transformation in the Twenty-First Century Air Force
Abstract
Innovation and transformation are the words of the moment in the defense community. Faced with an uncertain threat, limited budgets and at least the potential for major technological changes in the way some military missions are conducted, many outside the military have demanded major, even revolutionary change, and the military Services are each moving to frame their plans in suitable terms. The Air Force, both recognizing the potential for the use of space as an operating environment and facing increasing external pressure to show that it is a "space service" has proposed transforming itself into an "aerospace force." But all this talk hides the fact that innovation is a complex process, that there are important differences between "innovation," "transformation" and "revolutions," and that using the words interchangeably is more likely to cause confusion than make incremental improvements become radical. One objective of this paper is to clarify what each of those terms mean and better explain what is required to innovate in and transform a military service. This paper reviews theories of innovation from both the military-historical perspective and from the business perspective, and attempts to identify common elements. It also reviews the record of the Air Force (and its predecessors) in creating, adopting and implementing innovations, and in transforming (or being transformed) over the years. Finally, the paper proposes some of the things that should happen in order for the Air Force to become a truly "aerospace" force, and assesses the prospects of this transformation occurring.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 2001
- Accession Number
- ADA407684
Entities
People
- Christian C. Daehnick
Organizations
- United States Department of the Air Force