Think … into direction of disruptive technologies

10 Thesen zur Veränderung im Verteidigungsbereich – Teil 6: Die Geschwindigkeit der kreativen Innovation wird der entscheidende Faktor sein

Please note: Since some good friends have asked me to write in a language they understand …. ;-)…. I am now switching to English here.

New technologies and success on the battlefield belong together. The race for newest technologies has very often determined who succeeded militarily then. Today, we face a situation where technologies seem to reach physical, biological or chemical limits. Here, they seemingly are maxed out while within given technologies the new driving factor is digitization.

Overcoming given biological, physical limits is game changer

Actually, main efforts are undertaken to optimize given systems like tanks, planes, weapons, etc. by implementing processors in it. Many expect, that you may not change the fact that a plane in every case needs wings and propulsion but AI and automated systems give the whole system a completely new setting and capabilities. This is enhanced detection, faster reaction time and an increased capability to maneuver within greater complexity.

Honestly, this is not really a game changer. This kind of dog race is the old version of technological development and may soon find its limits and will not help any party to gain a decisive advantage on the battlefield again. Who will be able to develop furthermore new propulsion systems with unseen speed of bullets or weapon systems, new heat-waves, overcoming so far known biological, physiological and psychological limits, entering new dimensions between time and space will gain an decisive advantage that will certainly determine battles.

Trust in the “crazy” people

Very probably, this decisive kind of development will not take place in classical armament development. Thus, it is urgently needed that actors within the military community and its sectors’ interest shall find new coalitions to learn how things work, f.ex. in the gaming industry. That country, interest group or whoever else who is able to do this, will succeed – not only militarily. And it makes sense that those will succeed who are creative enough combining currently still considered “crazy” approaches with traditional linear technological development and not necessarily those who have the largest budget or which have been successful so far. “Too big to fail” will only remain to be true when it’s combined with a huge portion of craziness.

Next episode (7): Politics will become efficient and quick