| Description |
1 online resource (18 pages) : illustrations, portraits |
| Contents |
Introduction. -- Today's R & D ecosystem. -- The information revolution. -- Priority technologies for investment. -- Digital technologies riding exponential curves. -- Key military-specific technologies. -- Paradigm-shifting "wild cards". -- The United States needs a national technology strategy. -- Appendix: shifting defense technology priorities |
| Summary |
The United States had a first-mover advantage in the information revolution, but the technology that enabled American military dominance in 1991 now has proliferated. Senior Defense Department leaders have looked to new technologies, from artificial intelligence (AI) to hypersonic missiles, to reinvigorate the U.S. military's technological edge vis-à-vis great power competitors. To do so, the United States will need to adopt a technology strategy appropriate for today's technology landscape. The approach the United States used in the 1960s, '70s, and '80s won't work today, when innovation is increasingly globalized and driven by the private sector. Nor does the U.S. military have sufficient resources to invest in every conceivable technology, even with a $700 billion-plus defense budget. The Department of Defense (DoD) will have to make strategic bets in the technologies most likely to rapidly transform warfare, while hedging against surprise with smaller bets elsewhere. Rather than a personality-driven approach, the DoD needs a transparent framework for identifying technology priorities that will provide clarity and stability in the department's priorities. This paper proposes a technology strategy for the DoD based on the current highly globalized, private sector-dominated technology ecosystem. The dominant global technology trend today is the information revolution, which is leading to exponential growth in digital capabilities (networks, data, and computing power). If the U.S. military is to remain competitive in future fights, it must successfully capitalize on this trend and outcompete adversaries in rapidly adapting information technology to warfighting advantage |
| Notes |
"November 2020"--Cover |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references (pages 17-18) |
| Notes |
Online resource; title from PDF cover page (CNAS, viewed January 21, 2021) |
| Subject |
Military art and science -- Technological innovations -- Government policy -- United States
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Military research -- Government policy -- United States
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National security -- United States.
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National security.
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United States.
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| Form |
Electronic book
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| Author |
Riikonen, Ainikki
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Center for a New American Security, publisher.
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