This article contributes to the current debate on military innovation in the US context. It builds on the theorical work of key scholars in military innovation research, namely Barry Posen, Steve Rosen, Harvey Sapolsky and Theo Farrell. More specifically, we look at the way the United States Armed Forces reacted to the Revolution in Military Affairs in the 1990s and we assess the technical, doctrinal and organisational changes in the US military during the two decades following the Cold War. Our analysis examines the evolution of RMA-inspired reforms and the numerous impediments to these initiatives at the political or service level.