Executive Summary
This issue of Military Strategy Magazine explores various facets of military strategy, including the challenges of military innovation within NATO, the concept of "Outpacing" as a grand strategy for managing strategic rivalries, and the proposal for a Pacific Bastion Strategy in the First Island Chain. It also delves into the theory of strategic judgment and the role of missile defenses in deterrence. The articles collectively highlight the evolving nature of warfare and strategic thinking in the 21st century.
Why It Matters
This document offers critical insights into contemporary military strategy, grand strategy concepts, and regional security dynamics, which are essential for defense and geopolitical analysts to understand evolving threats and strategic responses. It covers topics from military innovation and deterrence to specific regional strategies in the Indo-Pacific and the Middle East.
Key Takeaways
- Military innovation within NATO is re-emerging as a strategic dead end, with armed forces prioritizing disruptive innovation over adapting to actual conflict needs.
Source evidence · PDF page 6
This paper argues that the logic Nagl identified has not disappeared but has instead re-emerged in a new form and metastasised around NATO. Two decades later, the armed forces’ preoccupation with disruptive innovation
- The "Outpacing" grand strategy proposes gaining and maintaining a commanding lead over rivals to avoid historical errors and manage strategic competition effectively.
Source evidence · PDF page 20
This article describes how a grand strategy of Outpacing—gaining and keeping a commanding lead over one’s rivals—can help the Western powers confront their strategic rivals and avoid the Carthaginian error.
- A Pacific Bastion Strategy, drawing lessons from the 1984 Maritime Strategy, is proposed for the First Island Chain to enhance security and stability against potential adversaries like China.
Source evidence · PDF page 31
The United States’ 1984 Maritime Strategy came about during a period dubbed by some a “Naval Renaissance” in naval strategic thinking.[13] The crafting of this strategy took place against the backdrop of the Reagan administration’s goal of building a “600-ship” Navy.
Strategic Relevance
The articles discuss critical strategic challenges such as military innovation, grand strategy formulation, regional defense postures (Indo-Pacific), and the role of missile defense in deterrence, all of which are central to national security and international relations.