Book review: "The (real) Revolution in Military Affairs" (2019)

https://www.unz.com/tsaker/book-review-andrei-martyanovs-the-real-revolution-in-military-affairs/

by xtian • 4 years ago

6 1 4 years ago

ggm• 4 years ago

Predates the war in Ukraine. Given what we've seen in asymmetrically applied technology and force capability would the author say anything different? I suspect about AAA and senior staff ... no. But about Russian and Chinese preparedness for war, maybe? Because what we've seen suggests volume didn't actually work against quality.

The observations about MAD risk and losses in mainland US vs signature cities in Europe are the corollary of what we were told European NATO forces believed as their core doctrine: if Americans started to deploy and prepare for use the forward tactical nuclear weapons without European consensus on use, they'd be seized.

It's a truism to say drones changed everything. Likewise radar and directed counter battery fire, and the modern day equivalent of shrapnel and case: those titanium ball-bearing weapons make road equipment and aircraft useless for a wide margin around the strike, and appear to ruin defensive structure (and the occupants) too.

We're relearning about overpressure. And logistics.

Experience fighting in the ME and Afghanistan only supplies some relevant experience, but arguably it helped where Russian kleptocracy caused much of their problems. Without overstating it, that could happen to any army. It just happened spectacularly, and at scale to this one.

(Not in, nor never have been in the forces)

Book review: "The (real) Revolution in Military Affairs" (2019)

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