What happens if we bet too heavily on unmanned systems, cyber warfare, and special operations in our defense?
In today's U.S. defense policy debates, big land wars are out. Drones, cyber weapons, special forces, and space weapons are in. Accordingly, Pentagon budget cuts have honed in on the army and ground forces: this, after the long wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, seems like an appealing idea. No one really wants American boots on the ground in bloody conflicts abroad. But it is not so easy to simply declare an end to messy land wars. A survey of the world's trouble spots suggests that...
What happens if we bet too heavily on unmanned systems, cyber warfare, and special operations in our defense?
U.S. defense spending isn't excessive and, in fact, should continue to grow because it's both affordable and necessary in today's challenging world. The United States spends a lot of money on defense--$607 billion in the current fiscal year. But Brookings national security scholar Michael O'Hanlon argues that is roughly the right amount given the overall size of the national economy and continuing U.S. responsibilities around the world. If anything, he says spending should increase modestly under the next president, remaining near 3 percent of gross domestic product....
U.S. defense spending isn't excessive and, in fact, should continue to grow because it's both affordable and necessary in today's challenging world...
