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Toward A National Biodefense Strategy: Challenges And Opportunities, Center For Counterproliferation Research

Books and Book Chapters

The United States is re-learning an important lesson in the first decade of the 21st century: adversaries may attack the United States, its interests, or those of friends and allies with biological weapons (BW). The last century witnessed the purported use of glanders by the Germans in World War I and the use of dysentery, plague, and typhus by the Japanese in World War II. But biological weapons were not constrained to wartime settings in the last century. The Rajneeshees, a religious cult in Oregon, employed salmonella to advance their own political agenda. States such as Iraq and the former …

Joint Force Quarterly 33 (2nd Quarter, April 2003), National Defense University Press

Joint Force Quarterly ARCHIVES

No abstract provided.

Biology And The Battlefield, Robert E. Armstrong, Jerry B. Warner

Defense Horizons

The military and the life sciences have been intertwined throughout history. Biology has often been a source of offensive weapons, ranging from the hurling of plague victims over the walls of Kaffa (which probably started the 14th-century Black Death) to the anthrax attacks of fall 2001.

The military-biology relationship also has a humane side. Over the years, medical advances have saved countless soldiers and contributed to the overall well being of society. From the smallpox inoculation of Continental Army recruits in 1777—nearly 20 years before Edward Jenner’s smallpox vaccination—to the development of modern vaccines, military physicians have a lengthy and …

Nato Defense Science And Technology, Donald C. Daniel, Leigh C. Caraher

Defense Horizons

The accord establishing the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 1949 provided the framework for the greatest international mechanism ever in defense science and technology. From its earliest days, NATO involvement in science and technology has sought to build cooperation and promote security and stability. Today, the central element of the NATO defense science and technology program is the Research and Technology Organization (RTO), which provides the best basis for collaboration among the most technologically advanced countries in the world. Through this body, alliance nations plan and execute activities that cover the full spectrum of technologies vital to current and …

Decision Dominance: Exploiting Transformational Asymmetries, Merrick E. Krause

Defense Horizons

This paper introduces a new operational concept—decision dominance—to help guide the strategic employment of U.S. forces in wartime. This concept is not a replacement for existing paradigms. If added to the current list, however, it may better illuminate how American forces can operate effectively in ways that will achieve their political-military goals more decisively in future wars.

Decision dominance builds upon current operational concepts, particularly effects-based operations and rapid decisive operations. Yet it goes further by giving warfighting options to shape the operational and strategic decisions of an adversary. Decision dominance is an attempt to exploit emerging transformational …

Joint Force Quarterly 32 (4th Quarter, December 2002), National Defense University Press

Joint Force Quarterly ARCHIVES

No abstract provided.

The Emergence Of Mini Uavs For Military Applications, Timothy Coffey, John A. Montgomery

Defense Horizons

The successes of the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in Afghanistan most likely will accelerate the introduction of UAVs into the military force structure. What emerged in Afghanistan was a tiered observation-detection-targeting system consisting of spacecraft, the Global Hawk UAV, the Predator UAV, and often a spotter on the ground. However, in complex terrain, as in Afghanistan, and in urban situations, airborne assets may be needed much closer to the ground. A low-altitude tier of UAVs—mini UAVs—could serve such a purpose.

This paper provides a basic understanding of the aerodynamic scaling of mini UAVs and a sense of how their capabilities …

Flashman’S Revenge: Central Asia After September 11, Eugene B. Rumer

Strategic Forums

This paper examines the shifting strategic landscape of Central Asia in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and assesses how the United States’ emergence as the preeminent power affects regional politics, security dynamics, and relationships among key Central Asian states. It explores how historical legacies, geopolitical competition, and evolving U.S. policy priorities — particularly those related to counterterrorism and regional access — influence the balance of power in the five Central Asian republics. Drawing on historical context and policy analysis, the author analyzes whether the geopolitical influence of external actors, regional security cooperation, and domestic political considerations …

Dissuasion As A Strategic Concept, Richard L. Kugler

Strategic Forums

Dissuasion as a Strategic Concept examines how U.S. defense and foreign policy can go beyond traditional deterrence to prevent adversaries from choosing conflict or escalation in the first place. The paper defines dissuasion as the strategic practice of discouraging adversaries from contemplating harmful behavior by shaping their expectations and perceived costs of action. The author explores how dissuasion complements deterrence and assurance strategies, particularly in complex regional contexts such as the Korean Peninsula, where multiple actors’ perceptions and incentives interact. Drawing on historical cases and theory, the paper offers insights into designing policies that reduce the likelihood of miscalculation and …

From Petro To Agro: Seeds Of A New Economy, Robert E. Armstrong

Defense Horizons

Winston Churchill is said to have stopped predicting future events because the future was just “one damned thing after another.” Nonetheless, we need to keep an eye on the future and speculate as to what the next damned thing might be. One candidate is the changing raw material base for the economy.

Today, the hydrocarbon molecule is the basic unit of commerce. In a biobased economy, genes will replace petroleum. So, just as we currently demand assured access to sources of hydrocarbon molecules (oil), in the near future we will demand assured access to a broad-based, diverse supply of genes …

High-Energy Lasers: Technical, Operational, And Policy Issues, Elihu Zimet

Defense Horizons

After more than 30 years of technology development and many billions of dollars in investment, the Department of Defense is poised to operationally deploy its first high-energy laser (HEL) weapon system, the airborne laser. The unique attributes of an HEL—speed-of-light delivery of energy, surgical precision, variable lethality, and multiple target engagement—could significantly alter the balance between offensive and defensive weapons or provide options for nonlethal weapons. On the other hand, the long development period and large outlay of funding to date suggest the significant technical, operational, and policy challenges of fielding such systems.

This paper considers the unique and promising …

Effects-Based Operations: Building The Analytic Tools, Desmond Saunders-Newton, Aaron B. Frank

Defense Horizons

The U.S. military, under the guidance of the Secretary of Defense, is moving toward a new concept of military planning and operations that is agile and adaptable to the conflict at hand. The aim is to develop capabilities that can rapidly break an adversary’s will to fight and undermine the utility of asymmetric capabilities. The new concept called effects-based operations (EBO) encompasses processes, tools, and organizations that focus on planning, executing, and assessing military activities for the effects produced rather than merely tallying the number of targets destroyed. EBO practitioners draw on the full range of instruments of national power …

Joint Force Quarterly 31 (3rd Quarter, September 2002), National Defense University Press

Joint Force Quarterly ARCHIVES

No abstract provided.

Transforming America’S Military, Hans Binnendijk

Books

Transforming America’s Military, edited by Hans Binnendijk. This book explores the issues that face the U.S. military in a time of transformation: new missions, new technologies, efforts by each of the Services, on the part of our allies, as well as the challenges we face after September 11.

Military transformation requires developing new technologies, operational concepts, and organizational structures to conduct war in dramatically new ways. The United States is undertaking such a transformation to tackle its 21st century missions. A properly transformed military can develop significant advantages over a potential enemy. But the process also introduces risks that, …

Biological Weapons: Toward A Threat Reduction Strategy, Brad Roberts, Michael Moodie

Defense Horizons

A decade ago, the U.S. military and its allies had a close call with biological weapons (BW) in the war to expel Iraq from Kuwait. Iraqi BW could have inflicted horrific casualties on coalition forces, but the war stopped short of the contingency for which Iraq had prepared, predeployed, and preauthorized the use of such weapons: a march on Baghdad to remove the regime. A decade later, the United States is again poised for war against Iraq—this time for the explicit purpose of regime removal. Moreover, it is engaged in a war on terrorism against adversaries who evidently are strongly …

Joint Force Quarterly 30 (2nd Quarter, May 2002), National Defense University Press

Joint Force Quarterly ARCHIVES

No abstract provided.

Relevancy And Risk: The U.S. Army And Futurecombat Systems, Joseph N. Mait, Jon G. Grossman

Defense Horizons

In the post-Cold War geostrategic environment, the U.S. Army has been challenged to balance its ability to conduct a major theater war with its requirement to deploy to numerous smallscale conflicts. To realize the capabilities it needs, the Army has proposed a visionary transformation of light infantry and heavy armored forces into medium-weight forces capable of fighting the full spectrum of military conflicts. Key to this transformation is the development of the Future Combat Systems (FCS), which depends on substantial improvements in six critical technology areas: sensors, networks, robotics, survivability, lethality, and power sources.

In assessing these critical technologies, we …

Computer Games And The Military: Two Views, J.C. Herz, Michael R. Macedonia

Defense Horizons

Simulations are a critical aspect of U.S. military training. Commercial computer games are a growing part of our entertainment industry. The two fields have much in common, and the military can learn from the successful experience of the commercial sector. J.C. Herz provides an industry look at gaming technology and culture and suggests ways in which commercial experience can be applied to the military. Michael Macedonia responds to Herz’s analysis and provides a military gamer’s perspective on computer games and the military.

Despite their common antecedents, the commercial gaming and defense simulation industries have developed differently since the 1970s. Once …

Rediscovering The Infantry In A Time Of Transformation, E.J. "Bing" West

Defense Horizons

In the summer of 2001, the Bush administration expressed impatience with the military services, suggesting that unspecified legacy capabilities had to give way to a “transformation” that would be based upon “stealth, precision weaponry, and information technologies.” Operations in Afghanistan, however, have shown the wisdom of today’s balanced force structure. In the current campaign, all-source intelligence has been used to vector teams on the ground, which in turn have identified targets for aircraft that have shattered the opposing forces. The result has been devastating air power controlled by Americans on the ground, with a psychological effect rippling far beyond Afghanistan. …

Joint Force Quarterly 29 (1st Quarter, January 2002), National Defense University Press

Joint Force Quarterly ARCHIVES

No abstract provided.

Adversary Use Of Nbc Weapons: A Neglected Challenge, John F. Reichart

Strategic Forums

Understanding has evolved in the last decade about how an adversary might use nuclear, radiological, biological, or chemical weapons against the United States. Increasingly, America is concluding that potential adversaries view these not as “weapons of last resort” but rather as tactically and strategically useful. The United States can expect their use early in a conflict as well as throughout the extended battlefield, including on U.S. territory itself.

The Counterproliferation Imperative: Meeting Tomorrow's Challenges, Center For Counterproliferation Research

Books and Book Chapters

The proliferation of nuclear, biological, and chemical (NBC) weapons poses major strategic and operational challenges to the United States and an important political challenge to the international community. In the hands of hostile states, these weapons threaten stability in key regions, put U.S. forces at risk, and undermine the U.S. ability to project power and to reassure friends and allies. Increasingly, the American homeland is at risk as well. U.S. intelligence officials routinely warn that more than a dozen states are actively pursuing offensive chemical or biological weapons programs. Moreover, the 1998 Indian and Pakistani nuclear tests, as well as …

Adapting Forces To A New Era: Ten Transforming Concepts, Hans Binnendijk, Richard L. Kugler

Defense Horizons

A key Department of Defense goal is to build highly capable forces whose mastery of high-tech warfighting will allow decisive victories against new threats and well-armed opponents in future operations. A set of new operational concepts, many of which have surfaced in the ongoing defense strategy review, may facilitate this goal. They focus on rapid and decisive operations in distant theaters rather than on homeland defense. As generic concepts for future warfighting, they offer valuable insights on combat capabilities that should be acquired. Before these principles can be adopted, they must be scrutinized on their individual merits and integrated to …

Ucavs—Technological, Policy, And Operational Challenges, Charles L. Barry, Elihu Zimet

Defense Horizons

The Bush administration and Congress are in concert on the goal of developing a fleet of unmanned aircraft that can reduce both defense costs and aircrew losses in combat by taking on at least the most dangerous combat missions. Unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) will be neither inexpensive enough to be readily expendable nor—at least in early development—capable of performing every combat mission alongside or in lieu of manned sorties. Yet the tremendous potential of such systems is widely recognized, and allies as well as potential adversaries are moving quickly to mount their own research and development programs. The United …

Maritime Access: Do Defenders Hold All The Cards?, Arthur H. Barber Iii, Delwyn L. Gilmore

Defense Horizons

National security strategy depends on sustaining access to world markets for American commerce in peacetime and for the Armed Forces to various parts of the globe in times of crisis or war. Potential nation-state adversaries understand the importance of this access and are devising strategies and investing in systems to delay, discredit, or deny U.S. entry to those regions of vital interest where they wish to become the dominant power. Most of these regions are adjacent to international waters where American naval forces freely operate today.

Naval forces provide a valuable degree of sovereign and secure access in a strategic …

Joint Force Quarterly 28 (3rd Quarter, September 2001), National Defense University Press

Joint Force Quarterly ARCHIVES

No abstract provided.

Resurrecting Transformation For The Post-Industrial Era, Douglas A. Macgregor

Defense Horizons

We must hold our minds alert and receptive to the application of unglimpsed methods and weapons. The next war will be won in the future, not in the past. We must go on, or we will go under.

—General of the Army Douglas A. MacArthur, while serving as Chief of Staff, 1931

The Bush administration took office amid high hopes for the fundamental transformation of the Armed Forces. Yet within months, the problem that transformation was designed to solve—changing a large, expensive Industrial Age structure, especially the Army, into a leaner, more strategically agile Information Age force—receded as more pressing …

Do European Union Defense Initiatives Threaten Nato?, Kori N. Schake

Strategic Forums

This paper looks at whether European efforts to develop independent defense capabilities undermine or support the transatlantic alliance. EU defense initiatives, particularly the European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP), do not inherently threaten NATO. Instead, the primary concern lies in Europe’s limited military capabilities and continued reliance on U.S. support. This paper explores how EU-led operations, focused largely on crisis management, differ from NATO’s broader warfighting role. It highlights the importance of coordination, interoperability, and avoiding duplication between the two institutions. Stronger European defense capabilities, if aligned with NATO, can reinforce, rather than weaken, the alliance and contribute to more …

Regional Conflicts With Strategic Consequences, M. Elaine Bunn, David E. Mosher, Richard D. Sokolsky

Strategic Forums

During the Cold War, strategic capabilities were synonymous with nuclear capabilities, and U.S. strategic planning focused on nuclear deterrence and response against a single adversary. Today, more potential enemies are developing asymmetric capabilities to inhibit or prevent U.S. military intervention in regional conflicts— in short, to wage strategic warfare by implicitly or explicitly threatening highvalue political, military, or economic targets with weapons of mass destruction and disruption. U.S. security over the next several decades will depend increasingly on the ability to deter and respond effectively to strategic regional conflicts with significant escalation potential.

A Military For The 21st Century: Lessons From The Recent Past, Anthony C. Zinni

Strategic Forums

This paper looks at how U.S. military operations have changed since the Cold War and what those experiences suggest for the future. Drawing on recent missions, Zinni shows that the operating environment has become more complex, not less, with forces expected to handle everything from major conflicts to peacekeeping and humanitarian crises. The paper highlights the growing importance of adaptability, joint operations, and readiness across a wide range of scenarios. It also emphasizes the need to better align force structure, training, and strategy with these evolving demands. It argues for a military that is flexible, responsive, and prepared to operate …