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Abstract.
In the context of the military, transformation is about the
creation of a revolution of military affairs with the aim
of evolving concepts, processes, organisations and technologies to enable war
to be conducted in dramatically new ways. Over the years
there have been a number of revolutions in military affairs,
from the institution of universal military obligation, the Industrial Revolution
of the mid-nineteenth century, the managerial revolution of the late
nineteenth century, the mechanized revolution between 1919–1939, the scientific revolution
that lead ultimately to the development of nuclear weapons, and
the information revolution since the early 1970s. These revolutions were
assisted by particular advances in technology such as the stirrup,
breech-loaded weapons, indirect-fire artillery, the battle tank, the radio, battleships,
the submarine, the fighter and bomber, precision-strike weapons, and computers,
to name just a few. The introduction of a new
technology does not in itself constitute a revolution in military
affairs, however—it must be accompanied by appropriate processes (doctrine) and
organisations. Perhaps one of the best examples of the synergy
between those aspects is the German ‘blitzkrieg’.
While there are a
number of technologies involved, it is generally agreed that we
are currently involved in a revolution in warfare based on
the introduction of Information-Age technologies and the concept that the
dominant factor in war is the ability to collect, analyse,
disseminate and act upon battlefield information. Indeed, much effort has
been expended on the utilisation of these technologies in the
development of such concepts as network-centric warfare and the doctrine
of information warfare, information operations, and command and control warfare.
The information revolution within the military seems to be dogged,
however, by two main issues. First, there seems to be
the overriding presumption that the introduction of information-age technologies must
surely enhance warfighting. Second, until recently, there appears to have
been little recognition that the implementation of any particular technology
cannot occur from the bottom up—rather implementation must occur in
a balanced integrated way in concert with the requisite adaptation
of associated processes and organisations.
Further, it is not widely recognised
that the implementation of a new technology, process or organisation
often brings with it undesirable (and often unforeseen) side effects.
While this has always been the case, it has never
been more significant than in the Information Age. We can
all imagine the advantages of networked forces in terms of
the reduction in sensor-to-shooter times. We can implicitly understand the
advantages of precision-guided munitions to modern warfare. We are therefore
relatively easily persuaded to agree that the billions of dollars
devoted to Information-Age technologies represent good value for money. We
must also be mindful, however, that the introduction of a
network into a force makes that force more vulnerable from
a broader range of threats from a wider range of
locations: information warfare is not one-sided. We must also remember,
for example, that much of the precision of the Information-age
force relies on the position-location information provided by the Global
Positioning System (GPS) which, if not hardened, can be disturbed
dramatically by the most unsophisticated of enemies.
Modern forces must therefore
be very careful in their transformation to Information-Age forces. In
that regard, Transforming America’s Military provides essential reading to all
those interested in understanding how modern technologies can be applied
to warfighting. It is a well-balanced, thoughtful book that provides
an integrated, top-down approach to the analysis of transformation issues.
After
an excellent introduction to the topic and the book’s structure,
the remainder of the book is organised into four parts.
In Part I, the foundations of transformation are examined through
an exploration of the nature of the related new missions,
new technologies and new operational concepts. This background is essential
in a top-down approach to the analysis of transformation issues.
Within that context Part II appraises the transformation programmes within
America’s military services.
Part III looks forward and addresses the integration
of existing transformation programs and then transforming jointly. Additionally, the
difficult task of coordinating with NATO allies is considered. Part
IV then broadens the discussion and addresses homeland security, the
strategic equation, the control of space, the protection of the
vulnerabilities of cyberspace, the maintenance of the technological lead over
adversaries, and, importantly, the logistics effort required to sustain transformation.
Although
Transforming America’s Military has twenty authors, the effort has been
well orchestrated and edited, which eases the task of moving
between chapters from different writers. Each chapter presents a balanced,
reasoned discussion of the pertinent subject area in the context
of the book’s overall framework. The issues are discussed clearly
and concisely without the jargon and zeal that often accompanies
discussion of revolutions in military affairs and almost any aspect
of the Information Age. The result is an excellent book
that is essential reading for anyone wishing to understand the
complexities of the current transformation debate. |
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Related topics:
battlefield digitisation, knowledge management, military capability, homeland security, book review
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