Two Views of the Revolution in Military Affairs
Abstract
Under the Bush administration, the Department of Defense has adopted military transformation as a key element of the Defense Strategy. Deputy Secretary of Defense Wolfowitz recently remarked that DoD planned to invest over $136 billion over the next five years in transformational technologies. However, not everyone agrees that we are really in the midst of a technology driven revolution in military affairs (RMA) that requires this type of investment. Two books published in 2000 present opposite views on this key issue. Admiral Bill Owens argues in his book Lifting the Fog of War that technology presents an unequivocal opportunity to transform the U.S. military into an information based force, and that such a transformation is essential to U.S. national security. On the other hand, Michael O'Hanlon argues in his book Technological Change and the Future of Warfare that the likelihood of a short-term revolution in military affairs is less than most advocates believe, and that technology is not likely to transform warfare to the extent many argue. While both authors make strong arguments, neither is totally convincing. Synthesizing the strongest elements of the two suggest that DoD is generally on the right track. However, the key to success will lie less in smart investments in technology than in the ability of DOD to develop innovative warfighting concepts that fully exploit asymmetries in information technology across the spectrum of conflict.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 22, 2002
- Accession Number
- ADA442424
Entities
People
- James O. Tubbs
Organizations
- National War College