Envisioning Future Warfare

Book excerpt: The strategic environment at the end of the 20th century is characterized by two competing trends. First, the international system has entered a period of increased instability. Second, we are witnessing the maturation of information processing technology and its subsequent impact on economics, politics, and the conduct of war. This collection of three articles explores these trends and seeks to envision their implications on future war. Taken together, these articles illuminate contemporary debates in military affairs. "Land Warfare in the 21st Century" establishes a vision of the strategic landscape and identifies the two broad trends of instability and technological acceleration. "Ulysses S. Grant and America's Power-Projection Army" examines the issues of organizational change in the face of technological and social evolution. And "War in the Information Age" elaborates on what the power of information processing technology might mean for the conduct of future war.