As the character of warfare changes, emerging technologies are influencing the direction—and the magnitude—of that change. But what can past technological revolutions teach us as we prepare for the new challenges combat leaders will face on the modern battlefield? What specific ways will new technologies, from artificial intelligence to advanced cyber capabilities, affect militaries’ ability to mass combat power? And at the strategic and policy levels, what must leaders do to prepare forces for future, large-scale combat operations?
Hosts Ben Jebb and Adam Darnley-Stuart are joined on this episode of the Irregular Warfare Podcast by two guests who help explore these important questions. Lieutenant General Xavier T. Brunson is the commanding general of the US Army’s I Corps who has led US soldiers in multiple theaters around the globe. And Mick Ryan is a retired Australian Army major general who commanded soldiers at the platoon, regiment, task force, and brigade levels and is the author of the book, War Transformed: The Future of Twenty-First Century Great Power Competition and Conflict.
Listen to the full episode below and be sure to subscribe to the Irregular Warfare Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app.
Image credit: Steven Stover, US Army
Suggestion:
One needs to view such things as emerging technologies, etc. — and indeed conflict and irregular warfare more generally today — this, more through the lens of a New/Reverse Cold War.
Explanation:
In the Old Cold War of yesterday, the Soviets/the communists (in the name of such things as communism back then) sought to transform both there own states and societies and those of the rest of the world; in that case, more along communist political, economic, social and value lines. In this such effort, the Soviets/the communists sought to work more "by, with and through" the natural allies of "revolutionary change," to wit: the more liberal elements of the states and societies of the world (those in their own home countries, those in the countries of the U.S./the West and indeed those in countries throughout the world).
In order to defeat the Soviets/the communists — in the Old Cold War of yesterday — the U.S./the West sought to work more "by, with and through" the natural enemies of "revolutionary change," to wit: the more conservative/the more traditional elements of the states and societies of the world (those in our own home countries, those in the Soviet/communist countries and indeed those elsewhere throughout the world).
In the New/Reverse Cold War of today, however, all this has changed/all this has been reversed:
Post-the Old Cold War, the U.S./the West (in the name of such things as capitalism, globalization and the global economy) became the ones that sought to transform both our own states and societies — and those of the rest of the world — in this case, more along contemporary western political, economic, social and value lines. In this such effort, the U.S./the West (much like their Soviet/communist counterparts in the Old Cold War of yesterday) sought to work more "by, with and through" the natural allies of "revolutionary change," to wit: the more liberal elements of the states and societies of the world (those here at home in our own home countries, those in the countries of our opponents/competitors/enemies and indeed those elsewhere throughout the world).
In order to defeat the U.S./the West in the New/Reverse Cold War today, our opponents, such as Russia and China, these folks would take a page from our Old Cold War playbook and, accordingly, would seek, themselves, to more "by, with and through" the natural enemies of "revolutionary change," to wit: the more conservative/more traditional elements of the states and societies of the world (those in their own home countries, those in the U.S./the West and those indeed elsewhere throughout the world).
Question — Based on the Above:
From the New/Reverse Cold War perspective that I provide above (which one might say was/is a/the proper "irregular warfare" perspective?), what specific ways will new technologies — from artificial intelligence to advanced cyber capabilities — affect both our, and our opponents, ability to be successful/to "win?"
Note:
In my paragraph above which begins "Post-the Old Cold War … "
In this such paragraph, (a) the reference to "contemporary western political, economic, social and value lines," this may (b) need some further explanation/may need some further connection to such things as "capitalism, globalization and the global economy."
In this regard, consider that present-day U.S/Western efforts to achieve — both here at home and there abroad — such "contemporary" objectives as "diversity, equity and inclusion;" these such "revolutionary change" efforts:
a. While supposedly making all nations more competition in the capitalism, globalization and global economy realm,
b. Also tend to threatened the current degree of power, influence and control held by those more conservative/more traditionalist elements of the states and societies of the world; elements who depend on the — more exclusive — status quo.
It is in this regard, I suggest, that such diverse entities as Russia, China, Iran, N. Korea, the Islamists — and indeed conservatives/traditionalists throughout the world and even here in the U.S./the West in the New/Reverse Cold War of today — may find/have found "common cause."
(As was the case in the Old Cold War of yesterday when — re: the threat that was posed by "revolutionary change" communism back then — conservative/traditionalists everywhere found "common cause" with the status quo-defending/the status quo championing U.S./West?)