Net Assessment and Military Strategy: Retrospective and Prospective Essays

272 Pages·2020·2.4 MB·English

by  Thomas G. Mahnken

Net Assessment and
Military Strategy

Net Assessment and
Military Strategy
Retrospective and Prospective Essays
EDITED BY
Thomas G. Mahnken
with an introduction by
Andrew W. Marshall

Rapid Communications in Conflict and Security Series
General Editor: Geoffrey R.H. Burn
Copyright 2020 Cambria Press
All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data on file.
ISBN: 978-1-62196-475-9
Table of Contents
List of Figures............................................................... vii
Acknowledgments........................................................... ix
Acronyms and Abbreviations.............................................. xi
Introduction: The Origins of Net Assessment
Andrew W. Marshall................................................. 1
Chapter 1: What is Net Assessment?
James G. Roche and Thomas G. Mahnken................... 11
Chapter 2: Net Assessment in the Era of Superpower Competition
Barry D. Watts.................................................. 27
Chapter 3: Net Assessment after the Cold War
Barry D. Watts and Andrew D. May......................... 73
Chapter 4: Net Assessment and its Customers
Thomas G. Mahnken........................................... 99
Chapter 5: Assessing Soviet Military Capabilities
John A. Battilega.............................................. 117
Chapter 6: Contributions of Military Historians
Williamson Murray........................................... 139
Chapter 7: The Revolution in Military Affairs
Dmitry (Dima) Adamsky..................................... 153
Chapter 8: Understanding the Nature of “the Other”
Abram N. Shulsky............................................. 175
Chapter 9: Analytical Tools and Techniques
Jeffrey S. McKitrick........................................... 195
vi Net Assessment and Military Strategy
Conclusion: The Future of Net Assessment
Andrew D. May.................................................... 213
Select Bibliography........................................................ 225
About the Contributors................................................... 237
Index......................................................................... 241
Cambria Rapid Communications in Conflict and Security (RCCS)
Series............................................................... 255
List of Figures
Figure 1a: The Structure of ONA’s Early Balances .....................50
Figure 1b: The Structure of ONA’s Early Balances (Cont.) ............ 51
Figure 2: US-USSR Military Spending, 1964–1976 ......................59