Thursday, April 23, 2015

The U.S. MIlitary Will Need These 10 Technologies For The Next War

The XM25 Counter Defilade Target Engagement System is an air burst grenade launcher.

Eric Beidel, Sandra I. Erwin and Stew Magnuson, National Defense: 10 Technologies the U.S. Military Will Need For the Next War

Throughout U.S. history, advances in military capability have been fueled by innovation. All branches of the military consistently have managed to use technology in new and creative ways to gain an edge over the enemy.

The wars of the past decade exposed an “innovation gap” that forced the U.S. military to play catch up, and react to enemy tactics — such as roadside bombs and sniper attacks — rather than anticipating them. The Defense Department’s research-and-development apparatus was slow to respond with new and improved weapons based on changing threats. Critics have called for the Pentagon to stop wasting money on science projects that target undefined hypothetical future wars, focus on systems that they know deployed forces need, and to move them to the field in weeks or months, not years or decades. Innovation is not helpful if it’s not assisting troops at war. As many senior Pentagon officials have noted, an 80-percent solution that can be available in months is better than a perfect outcome that could take years or decades to achieve.

WNU Editor: This post was written 3 1/2 years ago .... but it is still appropriate for today. I did a similar post last year .... Five Future Weapon Systems That Will Change Warfare

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