You say you want a revolution (in military affairs)?

Abstract

Much of the discussion of a contemporary revolution in military affairs (RMA) involves an exchange of views about speculative technologies, organizations, or doctrine thought likely to increase military capabilities. Although this discussion suffers from many overgeneralizations, a premature consensus has emerged to define an RMA as a discontinuous increase in military capability and effectiveness resulting from combinations of new technology, doctrine, and organization. Unfortunately, this definition does not obtain in many situations accepted as historical RMAs, nor do some periods of military change that fit the definition appear to represent the paradigm shift assumed to accompany an RMA, partly because it downplays the role that developments off the battlefield have in military change. Consequently, it is premature to develop operational military capabilities around this concept of military change until we understand context. A new definition of the RMA and potential lines of analysis are offered in order to stimulate more rigorous thinking about military change.