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Encyclopedia > Revolution in Military Affairs

The military concept of Revolution in Military Affairs (RMA) is a theory about the future of warfare, often connected to technological and organizational recommendations for change in the United States military and others. Especially tied to modern information, communications, and space technology, RMA is often linked to current discussions under the label of Transformation and total systems integration in the United States military. The armed forces of the United States of America consist of the United States Army United States Navy United States Air Force United States Marine Corps United States Coast Guard Note: The United States Coast Guard has both military and law enforcement functions. ...

Contents

Interested Nations

The original theorizing was done by the Soviet military in the 1970s and 1980s, particularly by Marshall Ogarkov.[1]. The US initially became interested in it through Andrew Marshall, the head of the DOD thinktank, Office of Net Assessment. It slowly gained credence within official military circles and other nations began exploring similar shifts in organization and technology. Interest in RMA and the structure of future United States forces is strong within the People's Republic of China's People's Liberation Army and incorporated to current Chinese strategic thinking. Many other militaries have researched and considered RMA as an organizational concept, including Canada, United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Sweden, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Singapore, Republic of China, India, and Russia. However, the infrastructure and investment demands are very expensive for developing countries and nations unwilling to invest substantial sums in defense. This article is about the institution. ... The United States Department of Defenses Office of Net Assessment was created in 1973. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Chinese strategic thought consists of concepts of statecraft in both traditional and modern China. ... Today, the Republic of China is commonly known as Taiwan or Chinese Taipei. Not to be confused with the Peoples Republic of China. ...


Origins

Renewed interest was placed on RMA theory and practice after what many saw as a stunning, one-sided victory by the United States in the 1991 Gulf War against Iraq. US dominance through superior satellite, weapons-guiding, and communications technology emphasized the enormous relative power of US through technological advances, even against an Iraqi military that was by no means an insignificant rival. After the Kosovo War where the United States did not lose a single life, others suggested that war had become too sanitized, creating an almost Virtual War. Furthermore, US difficulties capturing Osama Bin Laden and problems in the US occupation of Iraq have caused some to question RMA's build-up as a military nirvana. US foes may increasingly resort to asymmetrical warfare to counter the advantages of RMA. Combatants UN Coalition Republic of Iraq Commanders Norman Schwarzkopf, Michel Roquejeoffre , Peter de la Billière, Khalid bin Sultan, Saleh Al-Muhaya, Mohamed Hussein Tantawi Saddam Hussein Strength 883,863 360,000 Casualties 378 dead, 1,000 wounded see section below The Gulf War or the Persian Gulf War (2... The term Kosovo War or Kosovo Conflict is often used to describe two sequential and at times parallel armed conflicts (a civil war followed by an international war) in the southern Serbian province called Kosovo (officially Kosovo and Metohia), part of the former Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. ... Virtual War signifies the increased utilization and dependency on technology during the course of warfare. ... Osama bin Muhammad bin Awad bin Laden (Arabic: ‎; born March 10, 1957[1]), most often mentioned as Osama bin Laden or Usama bin Laden, is a Saudi Arabian militant Islamist and is widely believed to be one of the founders of the organization called al-Qaeda. ... This article deals with the post-invasion period in Iraq and its occupation. ... Asymmetric warfare is a military term to describe warfare in which the two belligerents are mismatched in their military capabilities or accustomed methods of engagement such that the militarily diasadvantaged power must press its special advantages or effectively exploit its enemys particular weaknesses if they are to have any...


Areas of focus

One of the central problems in understanding the current debate over RMA is due to many theorists' use of the term as referring to the revolutionary technology itself, which is the driving force of change. Concurrently, other theorists tend to use the term as referring to revolutionary adaptations by military organisations that may be necessary to deal with the changes in technology. Other theorist place RMA more closely inside the specific political and economic context of globalization and the end of the Cold War. A KFC franchise in Kuwait. ... // The Third World and nonalignment in the 1960s and 1970s Decolonization The economic needs of the Third World states made them vulnerable to foreign influences and pressures. ...


When reviewing the gamut of theories, three fundamental versions of Revolution in Military Affairs come to the forefront. The first perspective focuses primarily upon changes in the nation-state and the role of an organised military in using force. This approach highlights the political, social, and economic factors worldwide, which might require a completely different type of military and organisational structure to apply force in the future. Author's such as RAND's Sean J. A. Edwards (advocate of BattleSwarm tactics)(Swarming (Military)), Carl H. Builder and Lt. Col. Ralph Peters (Ret.) emphasize: The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit global policy think tank first formed to offer research and analysis to the United States armed forces. ... Swarming is a military strategy in which a military force attacks an enemy from several different directions and then regroups. ... Ralph Peters (b. ...

  • the decline of the nation state
  • the nature of the emerging international order
  • the different types of forces needed in the near-future.

The second perspective—most commonly assigned the term RMA—highlights the evolution of weapons technology, information technology, Military organization, and military doctrine among advanced powers. This "System of Systems" perspective on RMA has been ardently supported by Admiral William Owens, former Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who identifies three overlapping areas for force assets. These are: Information technology (IT), as defined by the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA)is: the study, design, development, implementation, support or management of computer-based information systems, particularly software applications and computer hardware. ... The armed forces of a state are its government sponsored defense and fighting forces and organizations. ... Military doctrine is a level of military planning between national strategy and unit-level tactics, techniques, and procedures. ... Categories: Possible copyright violations ...

  • intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance
  • command, control, communications and intelligence processing (See: Network-centric warfare)
  • precision force.

Advanced versions of RMA incorporate other sophisticated technologies, including unmanned aerial vehicles or UAVs, nanotechnology, robotics, and biotechnology. Recently, the RMA debate focussed on Network-centric warfare which is a doctrine that aims to connect all troops on the battlefield. Network-centric warfare (NCW), now commonly called Network-centric operations (NCO), is a new military doctrine or theory of war pioneered by the United States Department of Defense. ... Unmanned Aerial Vehicle over Iraq. ... Buckminsterfullerene C60, also known as the buckyball, is the simplest of the carbon structures known as fullerenes. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with robot. ... The structure of insulin Biotechnology is technology based on biology, especially when used in agriculture, food science, and medicine. ... Network-centric warfare (NCW), now commonly called Network-centric operations (NCO), is a new military doctrine or theory of war pioneered by the United States Department of Defense. ...


Finally, the third concept is that a "true" revolution in military affairs has not yet occurred or is unlikely to. Authors such as Michael O’Hanlon and Frederick Kagan, point to the fact much of the technology and weapons systems ascribed to the contemporary RMA were in development long before 1991 and the flashy Internet/information technology boom. Several critics point out that a "revolution" within the military ranks might carry detrimental consequences, produce severe economic strain, and ultimately prove counterproductive. Such authors tend to profess a much more gradual "evolution" in military affairs, as opposed a rapid revolution. Frederick Kagan, brother to foreign policy analyst Robert Kagan, is a professor of military history at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. ... 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...


Further reading

  • Alexander, John B., Future War: Non-Lethal Weapons in Twenty-First-Century Warfare, New York, Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin's Griffin, 1999 ISBN 0-312-26739-8
  • Arquilla, John and David F. Ronfeldt (eds.), In Athena's Camp: Preparing for Conflict in the Information Age, Santa Monica, CA, RAND Corporation, 1997 ISBN 0-8330-2514-7
  • Barnett, Thomas P.M., The Pentagon's New Map: War and Peace in the Twenty-First Century, New York & London, Penguin, 2004 ISBN 0-399-15175-3
  • Broad, William, Judith Miller and Stephen Engelberg, Germs: Biological Weapons and America's Secret War, New York, Simon & Schuster, 2001 ISBN 0-684-87159-9
  • Edwards, Sean A. J., Swarming on the Battlefield: Past, Present, and Future, Palo Alto, CA, RAND Research, 2000 ISBN 0-8330-2779-4
  • Gongora, Thierry and Harald von Riekhoff (eds.), Toward a Revolution in Military Affairs?: Defense and Security at the Dawn of the Twenty-First Century, Westport, CT, Greenwood Press, 2000 ISBN 0-313-31037-8
  • Gray, Colin S., Strategy for Chaos: Revolutions in Military Affairs and The Evidence of History, London, Frank Cass, 2004 ISBN 0-7146-8483-X
  • Hardt, Michael and Antonio Negri, Multitude: War and Democracy in the Age of Empire, Hamish Hamilton, 2005 ISBN 0-241-14240-7
  • Kagan, Donald and Frederick W. Kagan, While America Sleeps: Self-Delusion, Military Weakness and the Threat to Peace Today, New York, St. Martin's Griffin, 2000 ISBN 0-312-28374-1
  • Krames, Jeffrey A., The Rumsfeld Way, New York & Chicago, McGraw-Hill, 2002 ISBN 0-07-140641-7
  • Landa, Manuel de, War in the Age of Intelligent Machines, New York, Zone Books, 1991 ISBN 0-942299-76-0
  • Rumsfeld, Donald H., Transforming the Military, in: Foreign Affairs, vol. 81, No. 3, May/June, 2002, pp. 20-32.
  • Ugtoff, Victor (ed.), The Coming Crisis: Nuclear Proliferation, U.S. Interests, and World Order, Cambridge & London, The MIT Press, 2000 ISBN 0-262-71005-6
  • Cohen, Eliot A. 1995. Come the Revolution. National Review, July 31, 26+.

John Arquilla is a PhD in International Relations from Stanford. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... Judith Miller Judith P. Miller (born January 2, 1948), is an American journalist. ... Michael Hardt is an American literary theorist and political philosopher based at Duke University. ... Antonio Negri (August 1, 1933- ) is a moral and political philosopher, and a former political inmate from Italy. ... Donald Kagan (born 1932) is a Yale historian specializing in ancient Greece, notable for his four-volume history of the Peloponnesian War. ... Frederick Kagan, brother to foreign policy analyst Robert Kagan, is a professor of military history at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. ... Manuel DeLanda, (born 1952 in Mexico City), is a writer, artist and distinguished philosopher who has lived in New York since 1975. ... War in the Age of Intelligent Machines (1991) is a book by Manuel de Landa which traces the history of warfare. ... Donald Henry Rumsfeld (born July 9, 1932) is a U.S. politician and businessman, who was the 13th Secretary of Defense under President Gerald Ford from 1975–1977, and the 21st Secretary of Defense under President George W. Bush from 2001–2006. ... This article is about a journal. ...

External links


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