The impact of the ‘long peace’ on modern military capabilities
<i>&gt; What is – quietly, because they haven’t tried to launch a major invasion recently – most militaries are probably similarly incapable of the basic tasks of industrial warfare?</i><p>I once read an article that argued in the absence of war, it&#x27;s <i>impossible to tell if a doctrine or commander is good or not</i>.<p>Maybe you&#x27;ve got five officers up for promotion. One officer wants to give soldiers high-tech equipment, a heads-up display in every helmet and a grenade-dropping drone in every backpack.<p>One officer wants to train loads of soldiers as linguists, so they can win hearts and minds in any country they might occupy.<p>One officer wants to focus on PR at home, as maintaining a steady supply of cash and adventurous young men is key to winning any conflict.<p>One officer wants to cut bureaucracy and red tape, as every individual in a support function is someone not in a front-line function, and it&#x27;s front line fighters that win battles.<p>One officer thinks the important thing is physical conditioning and classic soldiering - Marching, marksmanship, long hikes carrying heavy backpacks.<p>How do you decide who to promote, if it&#x27;s 30 years since you were last at war and none of them has ever won a real battle?