Smarter People, Weapons and Networks

The Wall Street Journal 01/31/05
author: Jonathan Karp
(Copyright (c) 2005, Dow Jones & Company, Inc.)

For a country with the most powerful military in history, the U.S. is grappling with a host of challenges.

Built to fight traditional armies, the Pentagon is retooling to battle shadows: guerrilla organizations that aim to disrupt the U.S. more than defeat it. But it's forced to undertake this massive modernization while facing rising war costs and fatigued hardware that needs to be replaced with next-generation weaponry.

And while Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld wants to create a force that is lean and high-tech, shortages in Iraq have forced him to compromise in the short term by investing more in troops and intelligence.

Here are some trends taking place along the front lines:

1. Smarter Intelligence
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2. Learning on the Fly [Ed. Note: i.e., Spiral Development]
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3. Adding Nonlethal Weapons
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4. Battlefield Information
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5. Fighting by Remote Control
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6. Going Global
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7. Small Is Beautiful...
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8. ...But Invisible Is Better
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9. Joint Efforts
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10. Bulking Up the Ranks