transforming defence capabilities: new approaches for international security

4
This article was downloaded by: [University of Kent] On: 19 November 2014, At: 15:15 Publisher: Routledge Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK European Security Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/feus20 Transforming defence capabilities: new approaches for international security Kamil Zwolski a a University of Salford , Salford, UK Published online: 08 Sep 2010. To cite this article: Kamil Zwolski (2009) Transforming defence capabilities: new approaches for international security, European Security, 18:4, 506-508, DOI: 10.1080/09662839.2010.505236 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09662839.2010.505236 PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the “Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of the Content. This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/page/terms- and-conditions

Upload: kamil

Post on 24-Mar-2017

216 views

Category:

Documents


0 download

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: Transforming defence capabilities: new approaches for international security

This article was downloaded by: [University of Kent]On: 19 November 2014, At: 15:15Publisher: RoutledgeInforma Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registeredoffice: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK

European SecurityPublication details, including instructions for authors andsubscription information:http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/feus20

Transforming defence capabilities: newapproaches for international securityKamil Zwolski aa University of Salford , Salford, UKPublished online: 08 Sep 2010.

To cite this article: Kamil Zwolski (2009) Transforming defence capabilities: new approaches forinternational security, European Security, 18:4, 506-508, DOI: 10.1080/09662839.2010.505236

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09662839.2010.505236

PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE

Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the“Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis,our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as tothe accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinionsand views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors,and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Contentshould not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sourcesof information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims,proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoeveror howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to orarising out of the use of the Content.

This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Anysubstantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing,systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. Terms &Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-and-conditions

Page 2: Transforming defence capabilities: new approaches for international security

states that were most critical of their principal supplier’s domestic politics. Finally,

European oil and gas companies retained a distance from the bloc’s external energy

policies and more often followed than led their governments’ strategies.

Overall, a broader picture emerges from this detailed analysis. The EU’s

institutions and member states have not entirely abandoned their foreign-policy

values in ruthless pursuit of energy security, but nor have they united firmly behind

them. In consequence, Europe finds itself in the unsatisfactory position of having an

energy strategy that is neither particularly principled nor particularly effective. The

implication is clear. If the EU genuinely wishes to promote a Liberal, rules-based

agenda, in areas where it is not in a position of strength its members must act

collectively. Youngs demonstrates the validity of this maxim with regard to energy

security but, in an international environment in which Europe is likely to find its

stature steadily diminished, this finding is of much wider relevance. By highlighting

the logic of this conclusion in such an objective and coherent manner, Youngs

ensures that this book will be of importance, not only to students of energy security

and intra-EU politics, but to scholars of international relations and foreign policy

more broadly. The only obvious weakness of the publication is its anodyne title,

which fails to do sufficient justice to its intriguing contents.

James D.J. Brown

University of Aberdeen

Aberdeen, UK

[email protected]

# 2009, James D.J. Brown

Transforming defence capabilities: new approaches for international security, edited by

Scott Jasper, Boulder, CO, Lynne Rienner, 2009, xi � 259 pp., $65.00 (hardcover)

ISBN 978-1-58826-634-7

The volume edited by Scott Jasper constitutes a thorough, advanced and highly

focused contribution to the debates on contemporary military capabilities. The

main purpose of the book is to explain the importance of the so-called capabilities-

based approach to addressing contemporary security challenges, by focusing ‘more

on how adversaries may challenge us than on who they might be or where we

might face them’ (p. 2). To this end, the volume provides an in-depth analysis of

the process of transformation of military capabilities, mainly in the USA and

NATO.

The book is divided into two parts: conceptual and empirical. In the first part,

four chapters discuss various aspects related to the idea of transformation. For

example, Moran examined the concept of military revolution, particularly in the

context of military advancements in the two world wars. Friman and Higgins analyse

the impact of the Information Age on the transformation of military capabilities,

underlining the role of factors such as connectedness and innovative education.

Garstka focuses in his chapter on the idea of innovation, distinguishing sustaining

and disruptive innovation. Whereas, the first kind improves existing products or

services, the latter leads to the creation of new products or services. The author then

applies this model to analysing innovation in military organisations, focusing on the

506 Book reviews

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Uni

vers

ity o

f K

ent]

at 1

5:15

19

Nov

embe

r 20

14

Page 3: Transforming defence capabilities: new approaches for international security

experiences of the two world wars. Finally, Moreland and Mattox identify a number

of issues requiring close attention of military decision-makers, in order to effectively

respond to contemporary security challenges. These include, for example: compat-

ibility and interoperability, deployment planning and execution, information

sharing, military operations in urban areas, as well as joint and multinational

training.The second part of the book discusses the actual implementation of transforma-

tion, mainly by the US Department of Defence and NATO. Significant part of this

empirical part is structured around so-called ‘concept development’ and ’defence

experimentation’. These stages of military transformation represent key elements in

the capabilities-based approach of modern defence bureaucracies. The role of

concept development is ‘to solve problems through the design of new capabilities

before potentially dangerous elements in the environment impinge on us (. . .)’(p. 119). After a new transformational concept is developed by appropriate military

structures, it then needs to be tested. A separate chapter discusses the process of

experimentation, which is ‘a practical means of testing, assessing, and validating

concepts prior to implementation’ (p. 134).

Following the chapters on the role of concept development and defence

experimentation in developing a capabilities-based approach, Butler, examines the

impact of terrorist attacks from 11 September 2001 on the transformation of US

military capabilities. After outlining key transformation documents guiding the USDepartment of Defence, the author focuses on each individual service: Army, Navy,

Marine Corps and Air Force. He noted that, for example, ‘[t]he air force has

revolutionised UAV [unmanned aerial vehicle] operations, using them not just for

intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions but also as kinetic kill

vehicles’ (p. 160). Giarra evaluates in his chapter the NATO Response Force

initiative (NRF), constituting a symbol of NATO’s efforts to transform itself in

the changing international security environment. The author outlines the history of

the NRF and assessed its early performance. Finally, Chalopuka and Solomon

analyse a capabilities-based approach to transforming US Pacific forces by US

Pacific Command.

If this brief overview creates an impression that the volume is written in a highly

technical language full of military jargon, it is because this is precisely the case. The

large majority of contributors are current or former military and/or government

officials. Only a few come from academia. Such a combination of authors allows for

considerable first-hand knowledge and expertise, making this volume, as intended, ‘a

detailed reference for common and accepted principles and practices that can be usedto implement transformational concepts and procedures’ (p. vii).

This observation is not to suggest that the editor should have invited a more

diverse group of contributors, making the volume more accessible for a non-military

expert. This would undermine the aforementioned purpose of the book and the

intended audience, consisting of international military decision-makers. As a result

of this highly technical and military-focused approach, wars are discussed in this

volume exclusively from the perspective of the effectiveness of military capabilities.

For example, to illustrate their point, the authors often refer to the Second World

War and the effectiveness of Nazi army. The point of such references is to explain the

role of transformation in defence capabilities, as the title of the book accurately

suggests. Consequently, the approach taken in this volume may be considered too

Book reviews 507

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Uni

vers

ity o

f K

ent]

at 1

5:15

19

Nov

embe

r 20

14

Page 4: Transforming defence capabilities: new approaches for international security

narrow for some scholars of international security. Nonetheless, it fulfils the promise

of providing a highly detailed overview of various aspects related to the

transformation of military capabilities.

Kamil Zwolski

University of Salford

Salford, UK

[email protected]

# 2009, Kamil Zwolski

508 Book reviews

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Uni

vers

ity o

f K

ent]

at 1

5:15

19

Nov

embe

r 20

14