Greg Burch wrote:
Lately I've been thinking that the period between the Franco-Prussian
War and WWI might have some lessons for the current time, in many ways.
That was also a long period of relative peace in the relations of the "Great
Powers", and was also increasingly seen by contemporaries as a kind of
Golden(or "Gilded") Age (see Twain's writings). However, it seems that the
military and geopolitical predominance of the US is greater now than that
enjoyed by the UK in that period.
(end)
I do think we are in a sort of golden age. 'Pax Americana' is now in force
and god forbid any nation get in the way of our economic and political
interest. Isn't neo-colonialism great when you're the one on top? ;)
I hope the analogy does not hold up in the sense that by the mid 21st
century we will see an age of horrifying conflict. 'Down and out' former
great powers like China, Russia and India are hungry to play catch-up with
the United States and Europe. How long will that take(if ever) and when it
happens what will they want from us??
Greg wrote:
One of the main characteristics of these kinds of vehicles is their
significantly lower cost than current- and next-generation manned fighter
aircraft, since they 1) don't have to carry pilot-support systems and 2) can
be built with much lower service-life expectations in terms of numbers of
hours of total system operation. They also have significantly enlarged
flight and tactical envelopes, since they don't have to be constrained by
the limit of g-forces a human can survive and can be risked in threat
environments much more dangerous than those to which a modern democracy will
expose the lives of their fliers.
(end)
I remember how Arthur C. Clarke predicted such warcraft in his book _2019_
which came out in the mid-eighties I believe. Of course, I am sure long
before that these aircraft had been conceived of. My question is, could the
software and hardware of a drone really equal the flying skills of a gifted
and experienced human pilot? I suppose it could come close, and by not
being constrained by the limits of having a human on board, be much
deadlier.
Whatever happened to so-called 'anti-gravity technology?' I remember seeing
old newsreels showing researchers flying several feet of the ground on what
I thought were devices that projected strong magnetic fields. Where is this
research now?
If this were perfected I could see the navy becoming airbourne with aircraft
carriers taking after the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier which Nick Fury sometimes
lead his striketeam's from. Now that would impress the neighbors! And
could you imagine the bomb tonnage you could drop on someone with such
craft?
Greg wrote:
The point of this digression is that the military think-tank establishment
is already developing a mind-set that could evolve into one adaptable to
"nano-war": The factors described above in connection with anticipation of a
strategic and tactical environment characterized by a tiered deployment of
increasingly autonomous and smaller and smaller munitions seems capable of
evolving into the ultimate development of "robo-warfare" at the molecular
scale.
(end)
The present military mindset of the pentagon does seem to be very forward
looking. I know they love to write reports about 'war in 2020' a great
deal! The military has had a fascination with pilot-less weapon platforms
for awhile and now the tech is getting here to makes such things a reality.
Go Bolo! For the glory of the Corps!! :) I also see a natural process
going on that will ultimately lead to nano-warfare. And I am sure the
pentagon already has reports written on the big picture! lol
sincerely,
John Grigg
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