Foreign Policy Research Institute report looks at technology in arms race

A new report by the Foreign Policy Research Institute looked at how major powers have been destroying moving targets.

The report examined land-based mobile missiles and moving targets, seeing how technology has changed regarding war and peace. The changes, the report states, are because of artificial intelligence, drones, data analytics, cyber, cloud computing and hypersonic missiles. The report notes that these changes are now becoming foundational technologies when it comes to new mission areas and strategies.

"An exemplar is an ideal model — an outstanding example of something which shows its feasibility," the report states. "Other exemplars of advanced technology include the Manhattan Project, Sputnik, and the AI win over champions in the game of Go."

The report notes that exemplars are important because they show that things can be done on a smaller scale and because they show what is feasible or not.

It also notes that there are other exemplars for advanced technologies involving defense and that those are how peace and war changes are brought about.

"The principal findings of this report cover a wide range of national security topics," the report states. "Advanced technologies will alter extant military power arrangements, and for this reason will have important political impact. Changes in international order, in turn, will shape national security."

The report notes that national polices regarding investing in technology innovation will impact the arms race, but it will not look like previous arms races because of technology.

A one-size-fits-all approach will not work with military usage involving technology, the report states, because countries all use technology differently and no one can manage all facets of new technologies.

The report also notes that there are frameworks, such as value chains, touchpoints and information chains that are unknown in academic strategic studies or in military education that are new and significant. It said the new methods were developed from business and how it worked through technology changes.