The extraordinary devotion to the development and application of technology in pursuit of war aims makes the West seemingly unconquerable. However, the revolution in military affairs possesses an Achilles heel rapidly exposing the West to defeat.
We must remember that today’s challenges are human/political not technological. Islamic terrorists learn to lessen the effects of technology through: imaginative use of patience, ideological fanaticism, enthusiasm for death.
The revolution in military affairs is significant, but its direction is wrong. Our Achilles Heel is: our political & military leaders possess flawed notions of the relations between force and victory. Secondly, Air Power Centric mindset among Pentagon and Joint Chief’s of Staff cannot achieve the political ends for which wars are fought.
Simply put, technical superiority divorced from sound strategic vision is useless.
Both Max Boot and Mark Helperin write extensively on cultural impact that technology has on strategy, war aims and policy.