Unmanning the Battlespace: The Principles of the Future War
Abstract
Due to drastic changes in the nature of warfare in the near future, the current rules will no longer apply. Considerable changes to the U.S. Military's Principles of War are required if the U.S. expects its military doctrine to stay ahead of or even with technological advancements. As the battlespace is increasingly unmanned, the current principles of war and definitions used by the U.S. Armed Forces slope toward the obsolete, require reevaluation, and necessitate an overhaul to adapt to the future nature of war. Difficulties remain in creating the information infrastructure, the unmanned vehicles, and the robotic warriors of future battle but, there is a difference between hard and impossible. It is not impossible to unman the battlespace and in doing so reduce risk while operating in a combat environment. The unmanning of the battlespace is a transformation of the highest order and requires an equally revolutionary transformation in doctrinal thought. Since the battlespace revolution is predictable, now is the time to plan for the inevitable capabilities and now is the time to build the doctrine by which the U.S. military will conduct future conflicts. The first step in building future doctrine is reassessing and redefining the current U.S. Principles of War.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 14, 2005
- Accession Number
- ADA464574
Entities
People
- John C. Mateer
Organizations
- Naval War College