Susan T.

Williams
March 2013

Geography and Military Affairs

Though the term Revolution in Military Affairs (RMA) is not new, its definition has evolved along
with our capabilities. Generally defined as a "discontinuous increase in military capability and
effectiveness (Metz & Kievit, 1995), these increases typically refer to technological advances in
concert with organizational, operational, and societal changes (Schneider, 1995).
In Geotechnology, the US Military and War, Corson and Palka contend that new RMAs are
based fundamentally on geospatial technologies and techniques, such as aerial imagery and
photogrammetry, or utilizing GPS to guide smart weaponry for better precision, dominating
maneuvers, and information dominance (Corson & Palka, 2004). P.W. Singer, in The Big
Cebrowski, explains that a true RMA changes how wars are fought (Singer, 2009). Modern
examples of this include the use of UAVs which enable pilots to remain safe in a remote location
while not only scoping out an area but even targeting the enemy with Hellfire missiles, an action
that certainly changes who fights at the most fundamental level (ibid). While UAVs may be
considered more robotics than geospatial, they rely heavily on geospatial information and
technology to conduct operations, and are therefore intricately tied together.
However, while the policymakers and contractors like to tout modern innovations that they
believe will revolutionize warfare, soldiers in the field seem to have a different opinion. At times
they are left cobbling together a piecemeal system (Singer, 2009), much like the astronauts of
Apollo 13 who used a binder and duct tape to repair a malfunctioning filter. Indeed, soldiers
who are actually enmeshed in the fog of war are not calling it a revolution, but are struggling
to keep this technology functioning in the midst of extreme conditions (ibid).
A personal example occurred during a long hike in my teenage years. My friends fancy
wristwatch with built-in digital compass and altimeter suddenly ceased functioning entirely.
When I suggested using an old-fashioned compass, he admitted never having learned to use
one. The digital gadget created a dependency that was efficient when working but crippling
when not. We must be careful to not put troops or leaders in similar positions.
This is not to say that the technology has not made a difference merely to caution that the
results are perhaps not as revolutionary as optimistic policymakers and leaders like to believe.
Corson & Palka acknowledge that geography and military activities have always been intimately
linked and will therefore always play a critical role in any RMA (Corson & Palka, 2004). But to
depend entirely on geospatial technologies to carry the weight of a revolution would be shortsighted, as effective use of these technologies is also dependent on the organization and basic
gear such as a gas-guzzling 7-ton tank or ship or airplane that might be too slow or
cumbersome (Freedberg, 1999). From this perspective, an RMA can only occur as a whole,
including within the organization itself and at all levels, and this is where network-centric warfare
may help cement the success of a revolution.

References
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Technology, pages 401-427. Edited by Stanley D. Brunn, Susan L. Cutter, and JW Harrington Jr.
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