Shock and Awe — Achieving Rapid DominanceUllman, Harlan
History
Shock and Awe — Achieving Rapid Dominance
Ullman, Harlan
Rapid dominance (Military science)
The current direction and speed of downsizing and acquisition reform
is adequate for the type of forces and capabilities necessary to
implement a Rapid Dominance strategy. I would like to reserve comments
in this area until the project is further developed. We do not need to
raise reasons to discard the concept as too hard before it is
sufficiently defined. I have the feeling that bringing these
conceptual capabilities to realities within a system of systems is
neither cheap nor easy. There is still too much waste and inefficiency
in our defense acquisition process as well as in the overlap between
service requirements and capabilities. Rapid Dominance will not be
service-unique and requires a synergistic approach from planning to
execution.
Final Thoughts
The implications of the ongoing revolution in telecommunications and
information processing as it applies to our national security
interests dictate that we need new imaginative concepts of operation
to ensure the efficacy of our international leadership in a multipolar
world. With technology upgrading capabilities by factors of 10 or more
every 18 months, we can no longer afford to have concepts of
operations wait for the technology to reach the field. The concept of
Rapid Dominance requires innovative thought and different directions
than that imbedded in our military hierarchy. We need to introduce the
concept at all levels of military professional education and training.
The best results of this effort will be generated from the younger
minds brought up on the leading edge of the information revolution.
The challenge is to engage those minds in the solution and to take the
risks required to fund priorities enabling the development of this
capability now. Such a cultural change is not easy. One thing is
certain-business as usual will not get us there. The window of
opportunity will close faster than we think.
Appendix B
Defense Alternatives: Forces Required
by General Chuck Horner, USAF (Ret.)
The end of the Cold War will require a review of United States
National Security Policy and a concomitant change in our National
Defense Strategy. This strategy will respond to the changes in the
world's security environment, including the dissolution of the Soviet
Union and Warsaw Pact, the evolution in U.S. security alliances such
as NATO and NORAD, the increased and unique threat posed by the
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and the widening of the
spectrum of conflict which will challenge the peace and security of
our nation and its allies.
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