The Rising Dominance of the Information Revolution within RMA Thought
The Rising Dominance of the Information Revolution within RMA Thought
by Tripp McCullar
Download the Full Article: The Rising Dominance of the Information Revolution within RMA Thought
Although scholars continue to debate the definitive terms and significance of so-called Revolution in Military Affairs (RMA), history will eventually suggest that the still-in-progress Information Revolution most radically redefined the western way of war. In War Made New, Max Boot masterfully addresses the phenomenon of RMA’s and how various military scholars define what constitutes an RMA. Although Boot’s piece allocates an entire section for the Information Revolution, it falls significantly short of giving due credit to the impact the Information Revolution will ultimately have on the western way of war. The purpose of this piece is to argue that the Information Revolution will ultimately eclipse most of history’s widely-accepted RMAs due to its ability to “empower the weak” by (1) widely propagating strategic weapons technology, (2) rendering traditional military organization near-obsolete, (3) providing open access to mass social mobilization platforms, and (4) bypassing the development of industrialized mobility to achieve strategic effects.
Download the Full Article: The Rising Dominance of the Information Revolution within RMA Thought
MAJ Tripp McCullar is a U.S. Army Special Forces officer and recent graduate of the Naval Postgaduate School Defense Analysis program. He is currently assigned to DIA.
Editor’s Note: Tripp’s article presents a critique of SWJ friend Max Boot’s War Made New. This critique falls within the writings of John Arquilla, NPS DA faculty and former RAND associate. These views are continued in the recent SWJ publications by friends Crispin “Starburk” Burke and Adam Elkus in their article “WikiLeaks, Media, and Policy: A Question of Super-Empowerment.” SWJ takes no stance on any of the presented views. We welcome the discussion, and we will publish any rebuttals that meet our journal editoral policy.
