Center for Security Policy Studies

The “Bow Wave” and the Military Balance

April 5, 2016 – CSPS Student Fellow Matthew Fay examines the challenges of discerning, prioritizing, and funding a coming “bow wave” of military modernization that the U.S. will likely face in the next decade in this piece originally published by War On The Rocks.

Click here to read the full article

“The acquisition programs at the heart of the bow wave are legacy systems — new platforms that are costly and technologically advanced incremental improvements on existing platforms. According to a recent Cato Institute policy analysis by T.X. Hammes, new technologies could enable states and non-state actors to generate military power that negates U.S. military advantages at far lower cost than the Department of Defense will pay to upgrade its current force. The result is that the United States will have to either rethink the wisdom of a grand strategy that requires it to project power globally, or to rethink the current, increasingly expensive, way it does so.”

Disclaimer

The articles and other content which appear on the Center for Security Policy Studies website and social media posts are unofficial expressions of opinion.  The views expressed are those of the authors, and do not reflect the positions of the Schar School of Policy and Government or of George Mason University.

The Center for Security Policy Studies does not screen articles to fit a particular editorial agenda, nor endorse or advocate material that is published.  The Center for Security Policy Studies merely provides a forum for scholars and professionals to share perspectives and cultivate ideas.  Comments on any digital outlet of the Center for Security Policy Studies will be moderated to ensure logical, professional, and courteous application to intellectual content.