The National Defense Strategy is Not

[flagg]

https://www.defenseone.com/ideas/201...rategy/156068/


The following point I agree with. The strategy dismisses anything beyond the 2+3 threats (China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, and VEOs). Yet wishing these threats away doesn't make them disappear. On the other hand, our hyper focus and ineffective approach to counter VEOs did largely blind us the rise of both China and Russia as significant threats to our interests, and to compete and deter against these actors requires investing resources and time into different capabilities. Yet, not at the expense of other threats.



Finally, many of us wrestle the with the tactical focus on increasing lethality, which sadly still the preferred way of war for America. Move a heavy force to the battle area to engage in direct force on force combat and devastate the adversary with our advanced weapons. The focus on lethality limits the focus on innovation to weapons systems, despite claims to the contrary.

I’m just a Reserve NCO, but in recent months I’ve been stuck on the following thought:

Innovative Strategy > Innovative Technology

And I get the feeling that the US led 5 Eyes/Coalition have this backwards.

Having had some solid exposure to US and 5 Eyes defence innovation, I’ve seen some really impressive strides.

Necessary strides that have saved lives on combat operations(Pete Newell’s slide on IED incidence/casualties/launch of Rapid Equipping Force should be printed and framed).

But that tactical/tool level innovation at the coalface doesn’t seem to be matched with any real innovation in the overarching strategy.

As a Reserve NCO, military strategy is clearly “not my job” by trade or training.

But I have a growing interest in it, as well as experience with strategy in the commercial sector(early stage Amazon.com, Stanford GSB, startup mentoring, and angel investing).

In my personal anecdotal engagements with US and Australian Defence, I think they really “get” Moore’s Law and it’s implications for Defence.

But I’m beginning to wonder if Metcalfe’s Law of Network Effect, most readily seen in FAANG+(Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, Google, Microsoft, Cisco, Juniper) and BATH(Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent, Huawei) international digital platforms, will shift to more of a core consideration in our hybrid digital future.

Geodigital =/> Geopolitical

However, I get the feeling the US led west may need 3 distinct strategies to counter 3 distinct, but overlapping, competitors/adversaries

1) vs China: competition between “global geodigital operating systems”
2) vs Russia/Iran/North Korea: long term adversaries that are evolving as globally disruptive threats
3) vs Islam: ideological competition between fundamentalism and consumerism, one sided ideological fight

Thoughts?

Am I way off the mark?

Feel free to chop it to pieces Bill.