The Pursuit of Technological Superiority and the Shrinking American Military
The Pursuit of Technological Superiority and the Shrinking American Military
by Daniel R. Lake
English | 2019 | ISBN: 1137330627 | 288 Pages | PDF | 3.38 MB
by Daniel R. Lake
English | 2019 | ISBN: 1137330627 | 288 Pages | PDF | 3.38 MB
Why has the US military begun to suffer from overstretch in recent decades? Why is one of the largest militaries in the world, and the most expensive by far, periodically stressed by the operational demands placed upon it? This book argues that recent problems with overstretch are the result of a heavy reliance on technology to solve tactical and strategic problems. Over the last seven decades, the US armed services have consistently chosen to push the technological frontier out in an effort to first gain, and then maintain, qualitative superiority over potential foes. The high procurement and support costs associated with cutting-edge weapon systems has resulted in a military that is shrinking in both absolute size and in the relative share of combat forces. The culmination of this process is a US military that increasingly lacks the capacity needed to conduct operations without putting significant stress on its personnel and equipment.