Research Brief
Past RMAs, Future Transformations: What Can History Tell Us About Transforming the U.S. Military?
Jan 1, 1999
What Can the History of Revolutions in Military Affairs Tell Us About Transforming the U.S. Military?
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Advances in technology can bring about dramatic changes in military operations, often termed revolutions in military affairs or RMAs. Such technology-driven changes in military operations are not merely a recent phenomenon: they have been occurring since the dawn of history, they will continue to occur in the future, and they will continue to bestow a military advantage on the first nation to develop and use them. Accordingly, it is important to the continued vitality and robustness of the U.S. defense posture for the DoD R&D community to be aware of technology developments that could revolutionize military operations in the future, and for the U.S. military services to be on the lookout for revolutionary ways in which to employ those technologies in warfare. This report examines the history of past RMAs, to see what can be learned from them regarding the challenge confronting the DoD today, when it has set out on a concerted effort to bring about a technology-driven transformation of the U.S. military to achieve the operational goals outlined in Joint Vision 2010. Among its many findings are three of particular note:
Chapter One
Introduction
Chapter Two
The Characteristics of Revolutions in Military Affairs
Chapter Three
The Breakthough Process Leading to RMAs
Chapter Four
Being Aware of the Next RMA: The Observables of the Emergence of New RMAs
Chapter Five
Being Responsive to the Next RMA: The Characteristics of a Future-Oriented Military Organization
Chapter Six
What Does It Take to Bring About a Successful RMA?
Chapter Seven
DOD's Current Force Transformation Activities: Does Anything Appear to Be Missing? What Can Be Done to Fill in the Missing Elements?
The research described in this report was sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. The research was conducted in RAND's National Defense Research Institute, a federally funded research and development center supported by the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Staff, the unified commands, and the defense agencies.
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