The Revolution in Military Affairs

by Sloan, Elinor C.

• ISBN13: 9780773523944
• ISBN10: 0773523944
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-07-01
• Publisher: McGill Queens Univ Pr

Summary

The new campaign in Afghanistan, the Gulf war, and the NATO bombardment of Kosovo show clearly how advances in information technology are driving a high-tech revolution in military affairs (RMA) and transforming the nature of modern warfare. Elinor Sloan outlines the major elements of the RMA and examines the efforts of the United States, its NATO allies, and others to transform their military forces from the large, industrial-age forces of the Cold War to the smaller, more rapidly deployable yet highly lethal forces of the future.By detailing the diverse dimensions of the RMA, including its appropriateness in anti-terrorist campaigns and its relevance to peace support operations, The Revolution in Military Affairs looks at whether and to what extent the RMA is applicable to future military missions. Although the RMA has been the subject of much discussion in the United States for over a decade, it has not received the same level of analytic attention in Canada and other NATO and allied countries. Sloan examines the RMA in the context of Canada, Australia, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom in addition to assessing the transformation efforts of the United States Military. She concludes that small and medium military powers such as Canada must, at a minimum, take selected, concrete measures to maximise their military capabilities through the RMA if they are to avoid operational and political marginalisation in the promotion of international peace and security.

Author Biography

Elinor C. Sloan, an assistant professor of political science at Carleton University and a former defence analyst in the Department of National Defence

Table of Contents

Introduction	ix
What Is the Revolution in Military Affairs?	3	(15)
The RMA in Historical Perspective	18	(14)
Is There an RMA? An Assessment of U.S. Force Transformation	32	(24)
Allied Approaches to the RMA: Britain, Australia, France, and Germany	56	(21)
NATO and the RMA	77	(14)
The RMA and Peace Support Operations: A Question of Relevancy	91	(17)
Asymmetric Threats	108	(15)
Canada and the RMA	123	(20)
Conclusion	143	(4)
Epilogue	147	(8)
Notes	155	(12)
Glossary	167	(2)
Bibliography	169	(14)
Index	183