Critical Technologies

The proliferation of advanced militarily relevant technologies in the Asia-Pacific over the past few decades has been a significant, and perhaps even alarming, development. This volume addresses how such technologies may affect military capabilities and military advantage in the region.

As the military forces of the United States continue to draw down, Special Operations Forces (SOF) are playing a greater role across the entire spectrum of conflict. In order to maintain its relative advantage, SOF is using technology as a means to leverage limited resources—sometimes to the point that mission accomplishment depends critically on a technology’s availability. Adversaries will attempt to challenge our advantages. Whether Special Operations Forces are prepared to operate in a degraded environment could determine success or failure. This thesis examines the issue of critical technologies in special operations. Critical technologies are defined according to three variables—level of dependence, degree of vulnerability, and substitutability. By examining technologies against these three variables, SOF can gain a better understanding of the impact to SOF operations if a technical capability is lost. Three technologies are examined to illustrate the model—the use of Radar in the Battle of Britain, the Global Positioning System, and UHF Satellite Communications. By applying the model to actual cases, I hope to encourage SOF decision-makers to closely examine our growing reliance on vulnerable technologies as a force multiplier and provide recommendations to prevent undue reliance on those technologies.

Presents the results of the third biennial National Critical Technologies Review. Includes information about the state of development in each technology area and about the U.S. competitive position relative to the worldwide leading edge technology developments.

The DoD has identified the 20 most critical technologies that will be key to improving America's defense capabilities into the 21st century. Led by Senior Dean and Scientific Advisor J.S. Przemieniecki, the Air Force Institute of Technology's team of experts put together this important book for everyone involved in defense research and development. Each of the 20 critical technologies is examined in-depth, including physical and engineering principles. A full description of the technology in its current state of the art and its projected impact on future weapon systems is provided.