Paul D. Erickson
Executive Summary
This report contributes to ongoing efforts that examine the role of the US Army’s maneuver brigade combat teams in today’s operating environment. It seeks to reconcile current training, reform, and modernization efforts with the likeliest competencies for contemporary interstate conflict. The findings of this report suggest that the United States has overemphasized preparing for large-scale operations at the cost of being better prepared for other, likelier conflict scenarios.
Most current research addresses these issues at the policy or strategic level. This report, however, identifies asymmetries between the United States, China, and Russia that should drive innovation at lower echelons within the US Army’s maneuver organizations. In part 1 a literature review examines the concepts of competition and conflict, revisiting a number of trends that many contemporary strategic planners deemphasize. These include the frequency of low-intensity conflict, hybrid tactics, proliferation of lethal weapon systems to non–state actors (NSAs), and the use of underground and urban terrain to negate the technological capabilities of state actors. These trends suggest a lens through which to analyze future engagements with Chinese and Russian forces.
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