Landpower Update: Strategies – Drones, Visionaries, and Political Development
We have added three strategy articles: first is one concerning the employment strategy for drones applicable to both the US and our international partners, second is one that deals with budget cuts and saving our strategic visionaries within the military services, and third is one focusing upon the US strategy for political development and creating stability.
Amid Debate, U.S. Shares Drone Approach With Partners
While Americans debate when and where the United States should use drones to strike at insurgents and terrorists who cannot be reached by other means, they may be overlooking an important trend: the move to supply a targeted killing capability to allied nations. To be effective, any strategy must be suitable, feasible and acceptable. The big issue, then, is acceptability: Will the American public and U.S. allies continue to accept the use of drones to kill insurgents and terrorists?
Saving America’s Strategic Visionaries
Everyone knows that the United States needs to shrink its defense budget and national security organization; the challenge is doing so intelligently. Fostering creativity is not easy for an immense, ponderous bureaucracy even in the best of times. There are many signs that today’s hasty downsizing has taken a penny-wise, pound-foolish tack.
Avoiding Praetorian Societies: Focusing U.S. Strategy on Political Development
It is clear that fragile nation-states will continue to be a major contributor to instability in the international strategic environment. The United States, its allies and partners have attempted to mitigate the negative effects of fragile states through a variety of approaches, including military stability and reconstruction (S&R) operations such as those undertaken in Iraq and Afghanistan. America’s success rate at conducting S&R operations, however, is mixed. Despite immense efforts undertaken in Iraq and Afghanistan, the creation of politically stable states in both countries eludes the U.S., partner states, and international allies.
We hope you will enjoy these insightful works and we look forward to your feedback thru Landpower.
Scott