Military Change & Transformation

The Technological Fix: Weapons and the Cost of War Dr Alex Roland Book by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "A tremendous faith in technology is an abiding American characteristic. The idea that technology can be leveraged to make up for shortfalls in numbers–be those numbers of troops, weapons, or dollars–is as appealing as it is traditional. In the following pages, Dr. Roland examines three instances in which states turned to technology to drive military strategy: chariot warfare in the second millennium B.C., Greek fire in the first millennium A.D., and submarine warfare in the early 19th century. These cases, distinct in time, provide a fresh perspective on issues facing the Army as it molds itself into Force XXI"

Time's Cycle and National Military Strategy: The Case for Continuity in a Time of Change Dr David Jablonsky Book by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute

Making Do with Less, or Coping with Upton's Ghost Dr Eliot A Cohen Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute

Ready For What and Modernized Against Whom?: A Strategic Perspective on Readiness and Modernization Dr Jeffrey Record Book by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Modernization, Dr. Record argues, should be approached cautiously. Since the pace of technological change is so rapid, the United States must be much more discriminating in deciding what technologies to pursue from conceptualization through development and prototyping to production and deployment. While we can build a great many different technologically advanced weapons, the challenge is to decide which ones are necessary."

The Revolution in Military Affairs and Conflict Short of War LTC James Kievit, Dr Steven Metz Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "In this study, the authors concede that the revolution in military affairs holds great promise for conventional, combined-arms warfare, but conclude that its potential value in conflict short of war, whether terrorism, insurgency, or violence associated with narcotrafficking, is not so clear-cut. Given this, national leaders and strategists should proceed cautiously and only after a full exploration of the ethical, political, and social implications of their decisions. To illustrate this, the authors develop a hypothetical future scenario--a "history" of U.S. efforts in conflict short of war during the first decade of the 21st century."

Two Historians in Technology and War Dr John F Guilmartin Jr, Sir Michael Howard Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "There is a tendency among military professionals, particularly in the United States, to look to history for "lessons." This is not wise. It has been well said the words, "All History Teaches..." are usually followed by bad history and worse logic. History is simply what historians write, and what they write is often determined by their prejudices. The best that even the best historians can do, on the basis of their knowledge about the past, is to pose questions and issue warnings about the future."

Responding to Terrorism across the Technological Spectrum Dr Bruce Hoffman Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "The 'revolution in military affairs,' it is argued, heralds a new era of warfare dominated by the American military's mastery of the conventional battlefield. 'Just as gunpowder, the mechanization of battle, and atomic weapons previously changed the fundamental conduct and nature of warfare, so will a combination of technological progress, doctrinal sophistication, and innovative force employment in turn render. . . existing methods of conducting warfare obsolete.' The assumption that U.S. armed forces alone will have the capability to harness all the elements of this revolution is in large measure derived from the demonstrated superiority of American combined arms over the much larger Iraqi forces during the 1991 Persian Gulf War."

The Owl of Minerva Flies at Twilight: Doctrinal Change and Continuity and the Revolution in Military Affairs Dr David Jablonsky Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "In the wake of the Gulf War, there has been increased interest in what the Soviets once called the Military Technological Revolution (MTR) and what is now considered more broadly as a Revolution in Military Affairs (RMA). In the strict military sense, that revolution has to do with quantum changes in areas ranging from information technologies to those dealing with precision strike weaponry. These changes, in turn, will require more adjustments in military doctrine and organization."

Land Warfare in the 21st Century COL James M Dubik, Gen Gordon R Sullivan Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Land warfare in the 21st century will be shaped by the cumulative effects of many revolutionary changes that have yet to merge in a clear or predictable pattern. This paper identifies three elements of change that are likely to have the greatest impact on the Army and the joint conduct of land warfare."