Emerging Technologies: From Concept to Capability

Abstract

Narratives surrounding the future of warfare often revolve around the transformative effects of technology on the battlefield but fail to properly account for the frictions involved in employing sophisticated military systems. This chapter examines several technologies likely to be significant on the future battlefield-autonomous systems, layered precision fires, high fidelity sensors, and artificial intelligence-and tries to map how they will shape fighting by exploring the opportunities they create and the limitations they impose. Critically, the chapter argues that these capabilities must be assessed in the context of a system that can field and sustain them, rather than in isolation.