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BATTLEFIELD OF THE FUTURE

Battlefield of the Future - Air University Press

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<strong>THE</strong> REVOLUTION IN MILITARY AFFAIRS<br />

understanding of the heart and soul (or national character) of<br />

the countries under consideration . By "national character" we<br />

mean what makes them tick-what factors (current and future)<br />

would push them along the path from niche, to regional, to peer<br />

competitor .<br />

Such considerations might include, but are not limited to,<br />

the following :<br />

" Historical context<br />

" Cultural and social beliefs (mores, etc .)<br />

" Demographics (rate of change, age of population)<br />

" Geography (landlocked, access to ports, agriculture)<br />

" Economic development (trade, industrial baseindigenous/other)<br />

" Political system (democratic, autocratic, stability)<br />

" Access to foreign markets and technologies (sunrise/<br />

sunset systems, information technologies and capability)<br />

" Military force structure (disposition, training)<br />

" Nature of alliances (cooperative agreements, traditional/<br />

nontraditional adversaries)<br />

In other words, it is essential that we understand what a nation<br />

or region is to more accurately reflect what it may become.<br />

Understanding the national character and proclivities of a<br />

nation is only part of the equation . Equally important is an<br />

appreciation of national, regional, and/or global trends that may<br />

act in synergy with national character to propel a nation to<br />

competitive status . Trends associated with economics, the pace<br />

of technological innovation, the development of military weapon<br />

systems, the growth of new operational and organizational<br />

approaches, and the proliferation and diffusion of military<br />

systems and technologies will all interact with the national<br />

character and daily events of virtually every nation in the world .<br />

While some analysts may view the birth of competitor states<br />

(China or Japan for instance), as being quite predictable, we<br />

should be cautious in ascribing too much certainty to such<br />

predictions . Trends may cause nations to transform in<br />

unanticipated ways, thereby giving rise to a number of surprise<br />

competitors . Nevertheless, evaluating trends in the context of<br />

national character may help to narrow the field of who these<br />

competitor states may be .<br />

73

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