Future Technology-Driven Revolutions in Military Operations: Results of a Workshop

Publication Date: January 1994

Publisher: RAND Corporation

Author(s): Eugene C. Gritton; Richard Hundley

Research Area: Military and defense

Type: Brief

Abstract:

Future breakthroughs in military technology will bestow an advantage on the first nation to apply them. Which technologies show enough promise to warrant greater U.S. defense R&D investment at this time? RAND hosted two workshops to address this question. Five promising program areas were identified: (1) development of insect-size flying and crawling systems capable of a wide variety of battlefield sensor missions; (2) use of techniques from molecular biology and biotechnology to develop new molecular electronic materials, components, and computational architectures; (3) use of modern microelectronic and information technologies as the basis for a new advanced-technology logistic system; (4) development of techniques and strategies to protect U.S. interests in "cyberspace"; and (5) use of a variety of technologies to enhance the survivability, mobility, and mission performance of individual soldiers.