The events of the last several years have been attended by a shift in an American definition of required capability to engage in conflict. On one level, the balance between a capability to engage in military conflicts of fire and maneuver, and engaging in COIN. On another level, a renewed and more pervasive focus on improving a capacity to engage in conflict with a whole government team has emerged. On yet another, some see the redefinition of total warfare as a fourth generation of warfare.

The value of these efforts of course differ, but the process of engaging in the thought and discussion of their merit is beneficial. The capablity to be successful in operations like those that are currently underway brings a special sense of urgency that can, if allowed, cloud a longer term perspective.

What might the future geopolitical environment look like? What challenges might it include or suggest? What capabilites might most probably be needed by a nation state in that future environment? What are the implications for getting from today to that future with those capabilites?