If technology is not the only driver in the evolution of warfare, it can be considered for sure as an enabler, not to say the trigger, of most of the changes that occur at the turning point between generations. We, at armasuisse S+T, test and evaluate the operational readiness, functionality and effectiveness as well as the security requirements of current and future systems of the Swiss Armed Forces. We do our best to enable our customers to take conscious technology decisions, minimize investment risks, and keep informed on future technologies. For a country like Switzerland, anticipation is therefore paramount to identify the opportunities and threats a technology can represent for the different military capabilities building our national armed forces.
This anticipation is performed concretely by the following research programs:
- Reconnaissance & surveillance
- Communications cyberspace and information
- Impact, protection and safety
- Unmanned mobile systems
- Technology foresight
These research activities not only help gathering experience and knowledge, but they also allow the participation in national and international networks of competences. Different actors have accepted to contribute to this publication and we hope, thanks to them, to provide you with an interesting and instructive reading.
There are a lot of different ways to anticipate the future, ranging from the basic question if it is worth the challenge to the more proactive attitude of building it. One thing however that is absolutely sure is that if you don’t try, you will always have to react rather than to take advantage of a possible opportunity. This is something that you cannot afford if you are considering the defense and security of a country.
The armasuisse Science and Technology Foresight research program has the mission to get the necessary understanding of the emerging technologies which might have implications for the military in general, and for the Swiss armed forces in particular. After centralizing the relevant information on emerging technologies on a collaborative platform, the next most important step is to make sense of it, and then, not to be underestimated, to disseminate that information within the armed forces.
In parallel to futuristic scenarios, simulations and war-games which allow to better grasp the potential of a technology (translated into the improvement of a system or the creation of a new capability), we believe it is important to get an understanding, or sometimes more a feeling, of the enabling technologies: their potentials, strengths and weaknesses.
Building on the report “Defence Future Technologies: Emerging Technology Trends 2015”, the present publication offers, via short contributions, an overview of the technological areas that will for sure impact the future of warfare. It is by default not exhaustive, but it emphasizes the competences built by armasuisse Science and Technologies as well as the importance of establishing national and international cooperations. The challenges are many and the ever increasing speed of convergence of the various technological areas makes Technology Foresight a necessary and fascinating activity.
Source & Full Report : Armasuisse