Defense 101: Understanding the Military of Today and Tomorrow

263 Pages·2021·1.757 MB·English

by  Michael E. O'Hanlon

DEFENSE 101
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DEFENSE 101
Understanding the Military
of Today and Tomorrow
Michael E. O’Hanlon
CORNELL UNIVERSITY PRESS ITHACA AND LONDON
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Copyright © 2021 by Cornell University
All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in a review, this book, or parts
thereof, must not be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from
the publisher. For information, address Cornell University Press, Sage House, 512
East State Street, Ithaca, New York 14850. Visit our website at cornellpress. cornell . edu.
First published 2021 by Cornell University Press
Library of Congress Cataloging- in- Publication Data
Names: O’Hanlon, Michael E., author.
Title: Defense 101 : understanding the military of today and tomorrow /
Michael E. O’Hanlon.
Description: Ithaca [New York] : Cornell University Press, 2021. |
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2020042666 (print) | LCCN 2020042667 (ebook) |
ISBN 9781501754470 (hardcover) | ISBN 9781501754487 (paperback) |
ISBN 9781501754494 (epub) | ISBN 9781501754500 (pdf)
Subjects: LCSH: United States—Defenses. | United States—Armed Forces. |
United States—Military policy.
Classification: LCC UA23 .O327 2021 (print) | LCC UA23 (ebook) |
DDC 355.00973—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020042666
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020042667
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To my research assistants over the years at Brookings, including Stacey,
Christina, Julien, Sue, Micah, Aaron, Adriana, Nina, Jason, Ian, and Adam,
and in memory of Bruce Blair, Janne Nolan, and John Steinbruner
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Contents
Acknowl edgments ix
Introduction: A Primer on the US Military Machine 1
Today’s Global Security Environment 4
A Quick Historical Sketch of the American Military 10
The Secretary, the Joint Chiefs, the Serv ices,
and the Commands 15
The People and Personnel Policies of the Military 26
Domestic Bases and Places 31
The US Military’s Global Reach 34
Conclusion: The American Military Juggernaut 43
1. Defense Budg eting and Resource Allocation 44
The Big Picture: Broad Definitions and Bud get Pro cesses 46
Breakdowns of the US Department of Defense Bud get 52
The Acquisition Bud get 56
The Wars and the Wart ime Supplementals 58
Bud geting by Overseas Region 61
The Economics of Overseas Basing 64
Military Readiness 67
The Main Show: Costs of Individual Combat Units 70
Conclusion: Defense Bud geting and Grand Strategy 81
2. Gaming and Modeling Combat 85
Wargaming 91
Micromodeling 92
The Lanchester Equations 94
Modeling Air- Ground Combat 97
Modeling Naval Combat 106
Artillery Barrages against Population Centers 123
Nuclear Exchange Calculations 124
Assessing Counterinsurgency and Stabilization Missions 127
Conclusion: Subconscious versus Conscious Modeling 132
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viii COntEnts
3. Technological Change and Military Innovation 134
Sensors 141
Computers, Communications, and Robotics 146
Projectiles, Propulsion, and Platforms 151
Other Technologies 157
Conclusion: Might a Revolution in Military Affairs
Be in the Offing? 160
4. Space, Missile Defense, and Nuclear Weapons:
Three Case Studies in the Science of War 162
The Military Uses of Space 163
(Ballistic) Missile Defense 171
Nuclear Weapons, Nuclear Testing, and Nuclear
Proliferation 184
Conclusion: Security Dilemmas, Wars of Choice,
Uncertainty, and the Science of War 198
Notes 201
Index 243
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Acknowl edgments
Every one who has contributed to my education and career deserves thanks for
helping, directly or indirectly, with this book. I have been blessed by dozens, even
hundreds, of such inspirational figures in my life. But special thanks to my grand-
father Ferd, who first sparked my love of science; to my f ather, Ed, whose mili-
tary ser vice, while never something he discussed much, helped steer me to the
field; and to my mom, Frieda, who was (and is) t here every step of the way.
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