Access the Orbis Fall 2020 issue here
This summer, I had the privilege of extended conversations with General Philip M. Breedlove and Admiral James A. Winnefeld, both of whom retired around the same time after highly decorated careers in the United States military. In the interviews, these practitioners, draw from their illustrious careers, serving across different military institutions, as well as from their engineering backgrounds. They offer unique practitioners’ perspectives on the national security implications of emerging technologies. Gen. Breedlove and Adm. Winnefeld touch on several important threats, opportunities, and challenges related to emerging technologies and the future of warfare. These interviews try to capture how these leaders view emerging and disruptive technology, and the way it affects, and is affected by, the operational and strategic environment. One of my main take-aways, from the perspective of an analyst, is the importance of remembering that it’s one thing to develop a technology, but it’s another thing to know how, from the start, you will field it and how it might affect the strategic environment. In addition, they recommend that technologists and strategists be in constant dialogue. These conversations will not only affect government planning, but also design choices by manufacturers of these emerging technologies that the government seeks to acquire.
Access the conversation here
