VIDEO: The Future of Warfare | The Aspen Institute

The Future of Warfare | The Aspen Institute

Cyber attacks, drone strikes, and AI. Technology is rapidly changing the way war is conducted. What strategic challenges does this present for American foreign policy and our military, and how can we best meet them?

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This video provides an overview of the shifts in modern warfare and highlights the critical role of advanced technology and strategic adaptation. General (Ret.) David Petraeus and Anne Neuberger, former Deputy National Security Advisor for Cyber and Emerging Technology, discuss how future conflicts will increasingly rely on remotely and algorithmically piloted unmanned weapon systems. These systems are enabled by sophisticated intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and command and control networks, operating across all domains including ground, sea, air, subsea, outer space, cyberspace, and information spaces. Despite technological advancements, human leadership remains central, requiring effective strategy and continuous adaptation.

A significant point of discussion centers on the contrasting approaches to military procurement. Ukraine’s rapid development of “tomorrow’s technology for today’s war” is showcased through its extensive drone usage and innovative tactics against Russia’s Black Sea fleet, even employing fiber optic cables to counter jamming. This contrasts with the United States’ procurement system, which often delivers “yesterday’s technology for tomorrow’s war,” hampered by bureaucratic processes and the military-industrial-congressional complex.

Anne Neuberger further emphasizes three pivotal technological areas, command, control, and connectivity, cyber warfare, and artificial intelligence. She discusses how traditional precision targeting systems, like those relying on GPS, are vulnerable to electronic warfare, as demonstrated by Russian jamming in Ukraine. Conversely, Ukrainian drones utilize advanced connectivity and AI for navigation in denied environments. Cyber attackers routinely launch initial strikes in modern conflicts, targeting critical infrastructure and exposing significant vulnerabilities, especially in the US, where private sector ownership often weakens system defenses. Defenders increasingly rely on AI as a vital tool, using it to create digital twins that simulate cyber attacks and refine protective strategies. This conversation also touches on the challenges of retaining top cyber talent in government due to competitive private sector opportunities.

This discussion also address the future of traditional military roles, noting that platforms like tanks are increasingly vulnerable on front lines to swarm drone attacks. Infantry remains essential, but their operations are adapting to integrate drone platoons and smaller, more mobile outposts. This discussion concludes by highlighting the continuous innovation in counter-drone technologies, including jamming, high-powered microwaves, and laser systems, and the necessity for rapid, software-defined adaptations in military capabilities.