Steve Blank Technology, Innovation and Great Power Competition – Part 6 – Unmanned Systems and Self-Management

This article first appeared at the West Point Institute of Modern Warfare.

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We have just completed the sixth week of the new National Security at Stanford – Technology, Innovation and Great Power Competition. Joe Felter, Raj Shah and I have developed a section to cover how technology implements its character and work. All equipment National Power.

In Part 1 we learned that national power is the sum of all the resources a country has to achieve its national goals and interests. This power is a combination of diplomacy, intelligence, military capabilities, economic strength, finance, intelligence and law enforcement. These instruments of national authority, employed by the “whole government” in the interests of the state, are known by the acronym DME.– FIL

Part 2 focuses on China, the United States’ main competitor. China uses all its national resources, such as information, military and economic strength, as well as Western finance and technology. China’s goal is to oppose and overthrow the US-led liberal world order and replace it with its own neo-totalitarian model. China’s emergence as a regional and global power.

The third part focuses on Russia and has proven itself as a competitive force since 2014. We have learned how Russia pursues security and economic interests in parallel with its ideological goals.

The fourth section focuses on the impact of commercial technologies on DIME-FIL equipment. It was the first technology we explored Semiconductors, And US Dependence on TSMC in Taiwan, the most advanced logic chips. China has a problem with saying that Taiwan is a province of China.

In the fifth section, we explored the impact of AI and machine learning on DIME-FIL capabilities and performance. We have heard the focus of DOD AI strategy from the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC); And the Department of Defense Innovation (DIU) – a Dodie organization to address national security issues with commercial companies.

Today’s episode Wireless platforms And Autonomy

Connect with the class by reading our introduction to the class and the summaries of sections 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

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Important reading

UAVs and Unmanned Aerial Systems (USA)

• Helen Warrell, “How the US Drone War Changed From Desert Storm to Suleiman the Magnificent” Financial Times, 2020.
• Kelly Seller, “Expanded Drones World Lighting Technology Primer” For the new American Security Center, 2015.
• Paul Scharre et al. “Why drones are still the future of war. Foreign Affairs, 2018.
• Eric Lynn-Greenberg, “What do drone games show about airplanes and aggravated experimental wars?” War on the rocks, 2019.
• David Hamming, “What are the drone herds and why does every soldier suddenly want one?” Forbes, 2021.
• Video “Slaughter Boats” Stop Automated Devices – YouTube, 2017.

UVV / UUV

American Civil War Theories

The concepts of Chinese man-made war

Use of drones in Nagorno-Karabakh

Reading Assignment Questions

Choose one of the questions below and answer approximately 100 words depending on the desired reading.

1. Explain how the advent of self-propelled barges (ie drones) has changed the course of American warfare to this day. What changes would you recommend for the United States to take as self-government continues to build?
2. Select a domain (eg Air, Land, Sea, Submarine, Space, etc.). How do autonomous systems threaten American traditional military interests in that domain for large forces, small forces, or non-state actors (choose one of three)?

Episode 6 – Guest Loudspeakers and Autonomous Control Panel

This room had seven guest speakers on wireless systems and autonomy.

Our first guest speaker was Rear Admiral Lori Salby, Commander-in-Chief of the United States Navy. Admiral Selby is in charge of the Naval Research Institute. The Navy and Navy Corporation is Venture Capital. It is comprised of ONR – Naval Research Bureau, ONR Global, Naval Research Laboratory and Special Projects (PMR 51.).

When the WWII government, established in August 1946, ran out of funding for universities, the ONR provided research support to universities. Fred Terman, Stanford Dean of Engineering receives ONR initial research support for electronics and microwaves. These donations were funded by the Stanford Electronics Research Laboratory and started innovating in what became known as Silicon Valley. Creativity.

RADM Selby’s naval research core work, innovations, and the role of ONR in developing new / related ideas and rapidly dragging its role in competing with enemies, but does not impede the Navy’s mission.

Our next guest is Meinard Holiday, Director of Dodge Director of Defense Research and Engineering Modernization (5G, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Automation, Biotechnology, Cyber, Dedicated Energy, Completely Networked Command, Control and Communication, Hypersonics, Microelectronics, Quantum And space). He stated that the role of the office is similar to that of DARPA. Its 11 executive directors set up maps for Dodge Technical Paths and help translate the technologies into practical use.

Dr. Jared C. Ridik, Director General of Dodi Modernization, joined us. It helped the department understand Dodie’s definition of autonomy, that Dodie was actively following the lines of effort and why it was important.

Lesson 6

If you can’t see the lesson, click here.

In the Department of Defense, manpower systems and autonomy are moving rapidly. In two panel sessions, we gave the students a sense of the breadth of activity.

Panel 1 – Research and engineering of autonomous systems

RADM Selby, Mr. Holiday and Mr. Riddick joined a panel discussion on how their companies prioritize research and investment strategies. You discussed.

1. What time frame do their companies consider when deciding which technologies to invest?
2. How these investment strategies and time opportunities are compared and compared with similar estimates from China and Russia
3. What the future holds for autonomous systems. Their biggest profit companies hope to invest in self-government
4. What ethical considerations should be considered when making technological investments? China and / or Russia have similar or different ethical considerations. How these ethical frameworks affect American competitiveness

Panel 2 – Application for Self-Government – Navy Unmanned Task Force

Michael Stewart, Deputy Chief of Staff of Naval Operations, Director of Naval Operations and Deputy Director of the United States Navy Operations; Bradley Garber, Deputy Director / Chief of Naval Operations; Dr. Jason Stack, Manager of Autonomous Naval Research Portfolio; And Dr. Shane Arnot, Chief Engineer, Andrew Industries. You discussed.

1. Motivation for the creation of their forces
2. The biggest challenges and opportunities for self-government from the private sector to support Dodie
3. What the future holds for autonomous systems. The biggest profit that their companies hope to invest in self-government
4. Where China and / or Russia are making huge profits. What a threat to America!

next week: The Second Space Age The Great Power Competition in Space

Lessons learned

• Self-regulation and wireless systems are critical technologies that affect all aspects of DIME-FIL national power tools.
  • Although Dodge ecology is being developed, commercial companies and universities are still leading
  • China and Russia have made national autonomy and wireless systems a national priority
  • Other nations, such as Turkey and Israel, abolished warfare
• The Navy is actively seeking to build and integrate autonomous systems as part of its fleet.

Filed under: Innovation and Modern Warfare and the Great Power Competition |