Kristina Soukupova, BA, MA, PhD

KAP/MB
November, Plzen
Winter 2012 Session

Revolution
in
Military Affairs
Content

 Introduction

 Historical Roots of RMA Theory

 RMA Theory

 Problems with RMA

 Conclusion
Introduction

A fundamental and rapid

Revolution change in the ways we
do, see, organise and
understand things

Everything that involves

military personnel. Mainly
Military Affairs preparation, planning,
sourcing and the conduct
of WAR.
Introduction

DEEPLY CONTESTED CONCEPT

• Military Revolution

• Military Technical Revolution

• Revolution in Military Affairs

Historical
Roots of RMA
Military Revolution
Coined by Michael Roberts in 1955

Focus on Imperial and Swedish Armies (1560-1660)

Believed that their successes lie in:

• Organizational changes (more junior officers)

• Tactical changes (linear tactics, not tercio)
• Doctrinal changes (superior drill, professionalization = TAXES)
• Technological advancements (3 lb canon)

These changes had political and administrative

consequences, which led to creation of a
modern state
Historical
Roots of RMA
Military Revolution
Geoffrey Parker
Agreed with Roberts in principle, but moved technology determined
Military Revolution to 1450-1800:

• Gun powder (Artillery revolution)

• Trace Italliene (Star fort)
Historical
Roots of RMA
Military Revolution
Trace Italienne
Historical
Roots of RMA
Military RevolutionS
Punctuated Equilibrium Evolution
Clifford Rogers (1993)
1) Infantry Revolution 14th century (weapons and tactics to defeat cavalry)
2) Artillery Revolution 15th cent. (Gun Powder & successful siege warfare)
3) Fortification Revolution 16th cent. (Tres Italienne)
4) Fire Weapon Revolution 1580-1630
5) + Military Revolution: Increase of European Armies 1650 – 1715
(Uniforms, rank, organization)
6) French Revolution
7) Industrial War
8) Nuclear Revolution
Historical
Roots of RMA
Military RevolutionS
Infantry Revolution
Defeat of cavalry attacks by: archers, obstacles (holes), pikes, disciplined formations.
Historical
Roots of RMA
Military RevolutionS
Punctuated Equilibrium Evolution 1300-1800

stable environment

Not 1 revolution,
evolution

but several!
rapidly changing
enviroment

time
Historical
Roots of RMA
Historical
Roots of RMA
Military Technical Revolution
Developed by the Soviets 1960s

Based on Marxist-Leninist Red Army Doctrine

Originally studied impact of WWI on interwar military
techniques

1970s
• Focus on balance of military power shift
• space surveillance and long range missiles
Historical
Roots of RMA
Military Technical Revolution
1980s
-Marshal Nicolai Ogarkov, Chief of the Soviet General Staff
-Revolutionary synthesis of new technologies = new way of waging war
-lack of resources to realize it
-Soviet research neglected by the West
RMA
Revolution In Military Affairs
Andrew W. Marshall, Head of the US Department of Defence
Office of Net Assessment and Strategic Planning
• Picked up MTR and rebranded as RMA
1990s = the Golden Age of RMA debate

RMA is the basis for current US military transformation

RMA
Key event – Gulf War I.
1991

• Last war of the Industrial Age OR the first was of Information Age

• WHY?

• Swift victory of the US due to the use of: new technologies

stealth
precision weapons
advanced sensors,
C4I (Command, Control, Communications, Computers,
Intelligence)
real time space systems
RMA : OODA
OODA LOOP
RMA: INFORMATION
NET CENTRIC WARFARE
RMA
RMA
 RMA
Original Definition of RMA
• the application of new technologies
• a significant number of military systems
• combines with innovative operational concepts and
organizational adaptation
• fundamentally alters the character and conduct of conflict
• produces a dramatic increase in military effectiveness
General assumption – we have entered INFORMATION AGE
RMA
The definition subject to changes as conflicts of
the 1990s unfolded
• New type of conflict where technology supremacy
did NOT guarantee victory

Now we have 4 main streams of RMA theory:

1. Social Wave
2. Radical Transformation
3. Revolution in Revolution
4. Continuity and Evolution
RMA
Social Wave
• Broad social and cultural changes and how they
efect the military
• How people create wealth corresponds to how
they fight their wars
• 3 types of civilization: Agrarian
Indrustial
Information (now)

Control of information is both the means and the

reason for war.
RMA
Radical Transformation
• New technologies determine the way we fight wars

Revolution in Revolution
William Murray

• Military Revolutions are made up of smaller RMAs and/or

MTRs
• MR – broader social and cultural change, beyond control
• RMA – result of strategists’ innovation, intentional
• MTR – driven by technological advances
RMA
Continuity and Evolution

• Innovation and transformation is continuous

process intended to deal with chaotic nature
of war

• Accept there is a change, but disagree that the

change is radical
Problems with
RMA
• RMA is determined by our understanding of WAR
(what causes war?, what is involved? Etc)

• Definition of REVOLUTION
What IS radical change? How radical it needs to be? How
fast does it need to be?

• What matters for RMA more: people or technology?

• ‘Revolutionfor the better’ – must be proven by victory, but

war is too complex

• MR/RMA involves radical change in the history of

warfare, but lack consensus on how and when these
changes take place and what causes them.
Discussion
Why is RMA important?
• It helps us understand strategic history

• Spurs research into innovation

• Helps us shape future policy and understand

how change comes about

• Helps us understand military affairs in context

Conclusion
1) RMA is relatively new and evolving theory
2) There is no agreement what it is, but we know
that RMA involves change, technology and
military and affects/is affected by societies
3) RMA is basis for current military transformations
around the world.

Do we fight our wars in a revolutionary way

now?
Revolution or Evolution?
Thank you

Contact details:
Kristina.soukupova@i3cas.com