Dennis M. Bushnell
Chief Scientist
NASA Langley Research Center
Future Strategic Issues/Future
Warfare [Circa 2025]
• Capabilities of the "Enemy After Next"
-Ongoing Worldwide Technological
Revolutions
-Economic Trends
• Potential Nature of Farther Term
Warfare
Future Strategic Issues, 7/01
The 'Bots, 'Borgs, '& Humans
Welcome You to
2025 A.D.
Future Strategic Issues, 7/01
THIS PRESENTATION BASED ON
"FUTURES" WORK FOR/WITH
USAF NWV
USAF 2025
National Research
Council
Army After Next
ACOM Joint Futures
SSG of the CNO
Australian DOD
NRO, DSB
DARPA, SBCCOM
DIA, AFSOC, EB, AU
CIA, STIC, L-M, IDA
APL, ONA, SEALS
ONI, FBI, AWC/SSI
NSAP, SOCOM, CNO
MSIC, TRADOC, QDR
NGIC, JWAC, NAIC
JFCOM, TACOM
SACLANT, OOTW
ic Issues, 7/01
THIS PRESENTATION
Is meant to incite thought/ discussion
Is based in all cases upon existing
data/trends/analyses/technologies (e.g., NO
PIXIE DUST)
Provides in some cases a somewhat broader
view of prospective developments and
issues
Issues, 7/01
Utilization/Application of
2025+ Projections
» Inputs to Future Warfighting Concepts
Development(s) (Enemy After Next &
Blue)
» Inputs to New Procurement Decision (15+
years to Produce, 40+ years in Inventory
» "Heads Up" for Intel Community
("Watches and Warnings")
» Inputs to DOD R&D Planning
Issues, 7/01
"Going In" Assumptions
• Politics can/does change "overnight" (e.g.
Russia, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, etc.), Potential
CAPABILITIES is the future warfare issue,
not Who but WHAT
Issues, 7/01
Need to Plan "Differently"
WORLD is in the throes of
triple/exponential (IT/Bio/Nano)
Technological Revolutions
Changes occurring at scales of months
(instead of decades)
Zeroth order potential effects upon
Defense/Offense equipment/conops/threat
Issues, 7/01
"SPACESHIP EARTH"
The crew are:
- Plundering the ship's supplies
- Tinkering with the temperature and life-support
controls
- Still looking for the instruction manual
- Engaging in bloody skirmishes in every corner of
the vessel
- Increasing the size of the crew by 2 million
PER WEEK
P. Creola
Future Strategic Issues, 7/01
Humans Have "Taken Over" and
Vastly Shortened "Evolution"
• Of the Planet
- Global Warming/Pollution/Deforestation
- Huge "Public Work" (e.g. 3 Gorges Dam)
• Of the Human Species
- Genomic Design and Repair
- "Mind Children" (Moravec)
• Products/Life Forms
- Cross Species Molecular Breeding
- "Directed Evolution" (Maxygen etc.)
Future Strategic Issues, 7/01
CURRENTLY
• Order of 70 % of Worlds Research
conducted outside of U.S. (to first order,
a % of GDP, U.S. produces order of 18%
of worlds GDP)
• Order of 70% of U.S. Research now
"Commercial" (as opposed to
Government sponsored)
Issues, 7/01
NanoTechnology Research
• 29% in Europe
• 28 % in Japan
• 27% in U.S.
• 16% "Other(s)"
Future Strategic Issues, 7/01
Technological Ages of
Humankind
• Hunter/Killer groups [Million BO10K
BC]
• Agriculture [10K BO1800 AD]
• Industrial [1800-1950]
• IT [1950-2020]
• Bio/NANO [2020-?]
• Virtual
ic Issues, 7/01
Hunter-Gatherer - "Nature Provided"
Agriculture - Controlled Nature
(Plants/Animals)
Industrial - Mechanized Agriculture
IT/BIO/Nano - Automating
Industry/Agriculture
Virtual - Robotization of
IT/Bio/Nano/Industry/Agriculture
KEY "FUTURE TECHNOLOGIES"
(all highly synergistic! at the frontiers of the small,
in a "feeding frenzy" off each other)
• IT
- Silicon/bio/optical/quantum/nano computing ("no end in sight," another 10 6 +)
- (Virtual reality/holographic) immersive ubiquitous corams., hyperspectral sensors,
"virtual presence"
- Automatic/robotic "everything"
- Huge cost reductions
• Bio
- Life span doubling
- Genetic engineering before birth
- Plants irrigated by seawater (food, petro-chem feed stock, minerals, terraforming)
• Nano
- Carbon nanotubes (600X strength-to-weight of steel)
- "Assemblers"/"living factories"
- Huge cost reductions
Future Strategic Issues, 7/01
Worldwide IT Revolution
• Comms/Computing/Sensors/Electronics
• U.S. Commercial IT R&D - $100B/yr.
• Factor of 1 Million further improvement
[Silicon,Molecular,QuantumJ5io,Optical]
• Beyond Human AI?
• Automatics/Robotics "in the large"
• Immersive multi-sensory VR/"Holodecks"
• Ubiquitous multi physics/hyperspectral sensors
[land/sea/air/space]
• Micro/Nano sats/GNC/sensors,etc.
Issues, 7/01
[Worldwide] Impacts of Ongoing
Revolution Upon Society
• Tele-commuting
• Tele-shopping
• Tele-entertainment
• Tele-travel
• Tele-Education
• Tele-medicine
• Tele-commerce
• Tele-politics
• Tele-socialization
IT Status
10E6 improvements in Computing since ' 59,
10E8 further possible next 30 years
(10E3 provides "better than Human"
capabilities)
100 Million Telecommuters Worldwide NOW
(expected to at least double in 15 years)
India graduates three times more software
engineers than the U.S., More software written
in Bangalore than Southern CA
IW effectively constitutes a 4th WMD
(, 7/01
SOME IT "PREDICTIONS
Quantum computing initially available in
5 years
15% of all power today is used by
computers, will reach 60% by 2010
Wearable/implantable (on-person)
electronics—comms, computing, sensory
augmentation, health monitoring, brain
stimulation
Issues, 7/01
AI (AND BEYOND) COMPUTING
Human Brain Characteristics/Capabilities
• 100 billion neurons
• 100 trillion connections
• 200 calculations/second, (slow) speed of neural circuitry
• 20 million billion calculations/second
• Excellent at (parallel-computing) pattern recognition, "poor" at
sequential thinking
• Operates via "random tries"
Machine Capabilities
• Currently, 10,000 billion calculations/second; 100,000 billion by 2004
• By 2010, 20 million billion is available (by 2025, on a PC)
• By 2030, PC has collective computing power of a town full of human
minds
Future Strategic Issues, 7/01
U.S. "HUMAN BRAIN PROJECT"
Begun in early 90's, funded by 16 organizations across
5 agencies (NIH, NSF, DOD, NASA, DOE)
AKA "Neuroinformatics" (intersection of neuroscience
and informatics)
"Exploding field;" 10,000 individual presentations at
annual meeting of Society for Neuroscience (from
molecular geneticists to cognitive psychologists)
Determining detailed neuroanatomy of human brain
("digital brain atlas")
Use of IT to study brain, use of brain info to aid IT/AI
,7/01
THE "IMAGINATION ENGINE"
aka "Creativity Machine, "
aha "Creative Agent"
• Current AI "best bet," not a rule based/expert
system
• GENERATES new ideas/concepts via starving
a trained neural net of meaningful inputs,
forcing it to "dream' 7"cavi tat e," create new
concepts, etc. An attendant neural net used to
capture/record/evaluate and report on these
"writings."
c Issues, 7/01
'In this [Worldwide] economy our
ability to create wealth is not
bounded by physical
limits/resources but by our ability
to come up with new ideas"
[However ,even "universal wealth"
will not obviate the other causes of
warfare which include
Politics,"Face",Religion,
Megalomania and Territorial
Disputes]
Future Strategic Issues, 7/01
Global Problems/"Solutions"
• (Serious) Problems
- Energy (2)
- Water (2)
- Food (2)
- Land (2)
- Population Growth ( 1 )
- Wealth Generation ( 1 )
- "Pollution/Warming" (2)
"Killer Ap Solutions"
- (1) Motivational/inexpensive
Web-based Asynchronous
"Distance Learning"
- (2) Bio mass/food via seawater
irrigation in current
"wastelands"
Future Strategic Issues, 7/01
Inexpensive Motivational
Asynchronous Web-Based
Distance Education Enables:
• Demise of the U.S. "underclasses"
• Wealth Creation from enabled "Invention"
• Stabilization of World Population
• [Even More] Rapid Technology Diffusion
• Equalization of "Haves" and "Havenots"
• Altered Political/military outlooks Worldwide
- I.E. Changes "Everything"
Future Strategic Issues, 7/01
Motivational learner/web-based asynchronous
distance learninjpp3w£§^only method of providing
requisite/improved educational
- BREADTH
- DEPTH
- QUALITY
- RESPONSIVENESS to shifting global
economic warfare requirements/ accelerated
increase in knowledge
At orders of magnitude
(1) reduced societal/individual cost
(2) increased convenience/accessibility
Future Strategic Issues, 7/01
By - 2025, 40% of Private and
15% of Public Colleges and
Universities are Expected to
Close Due to Web-Based
Competition
A Northern VA Business man
recently donated ~ $ 1 00M to set up a
FREE Ivy League Class On-Line
University
,7/01
The "Ultimate" Education
Approach - Plug and Play
Direct Silicon (or other such) device
connection to brain, (very rapid)
uploads, Education in minutes
instead of (many) years
Advantages of Shallow Sea/Desert
Production of Biomass (Via Sea water
Irrigation)
• Closed C02 Cycle (Obviates Global Warming)
• Food
• Petro-chemical feedstock
- Materials/clothing, etc.
- ENERGY (end reliance on Middle East)
• Terraforming, alter desertification etc.
• Preservation/Production of Fresh Water
• Rich Mineral source (Seawater)
• Utilization of "Wastelands" (Sahara, etc.)
Issues, 7/01
Probable Circa 2025
Societal Changes
• (Much) Increased Life Span (Bio)
• "Solution" to Energy/Water/' Warming" (Bio)
• (Far More) Global Distribution of Technology,
Education, Economics, Wealth (IT)
• (Tremendous) Increases in Capability of
Automatic/Robotic "Everythings" (IT/Bio/Nano)
- Resulting in Reduced Tensions Associated with
"Have/Have Nots" and Historical/Religious Issues
- Also Resulting in (Greatly) Increased Individual destructive
power (Bio, IW, etc.) and General Societal Disaffection
WRT "Machines"
Future Strategic Issues, 7/01
Major Emerging Law
Enforcement "Issues"
• Privacy (Ubiquitous micro/nano sensors)
• IT/Net Crime (wide spectrum)
• Bio Crime (binary pathogens, genetics)
• Protection of Human Electronic Implants
• Protection of CONUS (Beyond Terrorism)
• Societal Disaffection/Upheaval Caused by
Rapid Technological Change(s) (Road/Air
Rage, Psychosomatic Illnesses, Withdrawal)
ic Issues, 7/01
Of Particular Concern
Uncontrolled/Uncontrollable
SELF-REPLICATION
Of
- Brilliant Robots (IT)
- Nano-Replicators (Nano)
- Rampant Recombinant Bio
Current Competitive
Landscape
• U.S. produces only 18% of Worlds GDP
• -70 % of Research conducted offshore
• $400B/yr trade deficit
• 32 other nations devote a larger % of their
GDP to Research
• 5th in No of R&D personnel/labor unit
•3% savings rate vs. 30% in Asia
• 13th out of 30 - Student Math/Science Scores
ic Issues, 7/01
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2020
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2020
High-Growth
Source: OCED, The World in 2020, p. 92
Future Strategic Issues, 7/01
Bio Revolution Applications
» "Pharm Animals" [drugs, spare parts]
» Fast Growing plants on/near sea surface
& sea water irrigated plants for biomass
energy/closed C02 cycle
» Polymer growing plants
» Spider genes in goats allow spider silk
spinning from goat milk for "Biosteel",
3.5X strength of aramid fibers for Armor
» Binary Bio- weaponry
Issues, 7/01
Examples
Confluence of IT/Bio/Nano
• Brain of a sea lampry inserted/connected
to body of a robotic fish (an initial
cyborg)
• "Chew-Chew" - a flesh/plant eating robot
that hunts/bio-digests "natural foods" to
"live off the land"
Issues, 7/01
Carbon Nanotubes
0,000,000, Buckminister Fullerine
Carbon
100X strength, 1/6 weight of steel
8X better Armor
Low energy Molecular/Petaflop
Computing (10 4 En. Usage)
Ultra Capacitor/High Temperature
Issues, 7/01
Revolutionary Power
Generation/Storage Opportunities
• Ultracapacitors
• Adv. Fuel Cells (e.g.
Lithium/water/ air)
• HEDM (e.g. Solid
H2, Isomers, anti-
matter, etc.
• Adv.PV(50%?)
• Room Temperature
SC/SMES
Issues, 7/01
• C-Nanotube storage
of H2 (non-cryo)?
• Offshore Methane
Hydrate
• Black light power?
• LENR
• ZPE
Free Form Fabrication
Powder/Wire Metallurgy using robotic
magnetically steered electron beams to
create accreting local melts - GROW
instead of CUT
No fasteners, no strong backs for
fasteners
Nearly infinite fatigue life, excellent
metallurgy
(Repairable) metals at lower weight than
far more expensive composites
,7/01
Aluminum/V ortex Combustor
Micro powdered Aluminum fed into a
vortex combustor "burns" SEA WATER
Provides AIP with high energy
density/efficiency for:
-inexpensive SS with "near SSN" perf.
-Transoceanic UUV's
Would allow "Enemy After Next" to
AFFORDABLY Threaten CONUS via
Multitudinous in-shore short-time-of-
flight "popups"
,7/01
(Sample) New(er) Sensors
• Lidar w/ 50% efficiency via S-C optical
Amplifiers, Also Fempto-second Lasers
• Molec/Bio Sensors
• Nanotags
• Smart Card Sensors
• Sensors implanted during Manuf./Servicing
• Nano IR (10E-6 Sensitivity)
• Smart Dust
Future Strategic Issues, 7/01
Some Sensor "Swarms"
SMART DUST
- Cubic mm or less
- Combined sensors, comms and power su
- Floats in air currents
NANOTAGS
- Placed on everything/everywhere
- Identification and Status Info
Co-opted INSECTS
Issues, 7/01
Some "Explosive" Smart
Dust Opportunities
Optimal Positioning of Explosive Dust -
Dust/Air Explosives
Formation of "Explosive Lenses"
Infiltration of Deeply Buried/other such
targets
Issues, 7/01
Micro Dust Weaponry
A Mechanical Analog to Bio, Micron sized
mechanized "dust" which is distributed as
an aerosol and inhaled into the lungs. Dust
mechanically bores into lung tissue and
executes various "Pathological Missions."
A Wholly "New" class of Weaponry
which is legal.
Future Strategic Issues, 7/01
"Givens" (Now-to-"Soon")
• Gb data transfer rates, optical comms
• Petaflop + computing
• Exceptional AI (from Bioinfomatics,
biomimetics)
• Wonderous/Ubiquitous land/sea/air/space
multiphysics/hyperspectral sensor swarms
(military/commercial/scientific)
• Survival requires dispersion/size reduction and
concealment
• Robotic/swarm technologies primarily
commercial/endemic worldwide
Issues, 7/01
(Agreed Upon)
Assumptions, Combat in 2025
• Proliferation of TBM's, IT, Precision
strike/targeting, ubiquitous micro sensors,
camo/spoofing, robotics, bio/chem munitions
» Logistic assets highly vulnerable in or out of
theater
• In and near theater ports/air fields possibly
unusable
• Beam weapons increasingly prevalent
Issues, 7/01
Cruise Missiles (Current Status)
• Range/payload similar to TBM at fraction of the cost and
far greater accuracy
• 75,000 in inventory of 75 countries, 130 different versions
produced in 19 countries (10 "exporting" countries)
• German V-l cruise killed 5,000; injured 40,000
• LO, launchable "anywhere/from anything," highly
maneuverable
• "Then Year" costs potentially reduced to 10K - 25K
• Warhead(s) de jour/de hour (HE/carbon fibers/EMP/sub
munitions/CNB/volumetric)
Future Strategic Issues, 7/01
Cruise Missiles (Potential Outlook)
• Any RPV/UAV (or UUV) is a potential "cruise
missile" (50 countries have UAV's!)
• Low cost and "ready availability" of requisite
technology/components essentially ensure the
"Enemy after Next" will have/inventory/
field " hordes " of very capable/ easily
concealed/very difficult (and expensive) to
counter/accurate cruise "missiles" with a
potential "devil's brew" of warheads.
Issues, 7/01
"Volumetric" Weaponry
[Alternatives to HE]
• EMP
• Info/Net/Psy warfare
• Miniature brilliant sensor/mine combo's
• Fuel/air & dust/air/Thermobarics
• RF
• Chem/bio Antifunctionals/antifauna
• Isomers, Strained Bond Energy Release, etc.
• Carbon fibers and "Blades," Acoustics etc.
Future Strategic Issues, 7/01
Antipersonnel MW/RF Weaponry
» Heating [High Power Requirements(s)]
» Surface Effects
» Brain Interactions [Low Frequency
Modulation]
Issues, 7/01
EFFECTS OF LOW POWER
MICROWAVES (U.S. ARMY, SRI,
WALTER REED)
• Behavioral performance decrements
• Seizures
• Gross alteration in brain function
• 30% to 100% increases in brain blood flow
• Lethality
- Interactions between low power
(microwatts per sq. cm./.4 to 3 GHz) MW and brain
function
ic Issues, 7/01
Often "Fingerprintless" Bio Archipelago
• Bacteriological
• Viruses
• Prions
• Parasites
• Fungi
• Carcinogens
• Toxins
• Hormones/Regulators
Future Strategic Issues, 7/01
Fatal-to-disabling
Short-to-long time
scales
Anti-
flora/fauna/functional
Direct and
(undetectable) Binary
Natural, Genomic
Bio-Hacking
Some Interesting "Then Year"
BW Possibilities
Aflatoxin - ("natural/' parts-per-billion,
carcinogen)
Airborne varieties of Ebola, Lassa, etc.
Binary agents distributed via imported
products (Vitamins, Clothing, Food)
Genomicaly (individual/societal) targeted
pathogens
Long term/fingerprintless campaign (as
opposed to "shock and awe" BW)
Issues, 7/01
pr An (Existing Bio Calmative -
VEE (Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis)
• Ideal Incap. BW Agent
• Weaponized by U.S. & USSR in 50's/60's
• Easily transmitted via Aerosol
• Highly infectious, Low Fatality Rate
• 1 to 5 day incubation, 3 week recovery
• Tested on Humans (Operation Whitecoat)
• No Treatment Available
Future Strategic Issues, 7/01
Frontiers of
(Rapidly Growing/Genomic/Insitu)
"Bio on the Battlefield"
• Sustainment:
- Food
- Water (soil/air/purif.)
- Energy (HC, H2, PV)
- Meds/"Health"
- Computing, Clothing
GREATLY REDUCES
"LOGISTICS TAIL" &
ENHANCES CAPABILITIES
Lethality
- Capabilities Enhancement
- Armor
- Concealment (living camo)
- Sensors, FOF ID
- Bio-weaponry (anti-
personnel/functional, bio
virus into bio computer)
- Explosives (e.g. N2 fixation,
grow overnite)
Future Strategic Issues, 7/01
What is Apparently "Legal"
Microwave/RF Anti-Functional and Anti-
Personnel Weaponry
Chemical Anti-Functional Weaponry
Chemical "Psychological Effects" via Sensory
Organs Weaponry (e.g. smell)
Chemical Personnel Incapacitation Weaponry
["Non- Warfare" (e.g. Hostage/Terrorism) only]
PSYWAR
Acoustic Weaponry
Mechanical Micro Dust
Issues, 7/01
(FUTURE) NON-NUCLEAR
EXPLOSIVES FOR "VOLUMETRIC"/
WEAPONS OF "MASS EFFECT"
Metastable interstitial composite
(MIC/Cubanes)
- Order of 6 x TNT
Fuel-air/dust-air explosives
- Order of 15 x TNT
Strain-bond energy release (SBER)
- Order of 100 x TNT
Hafnium (metastable) isomers
- Order of 1,000 to 100,000 x TNT
Atomic boron, carbon, hydrogen
High Energy Density Materials
(HEDM)
(Power, Explosives, Propellants)
• Tetrahedral N (Isp — ► 600+ sec)
• Atomic Born, C, H (Isp — ► 600+ sec)
• Metastable He (Isp — ► 1500 sec)
• Metallic Hz (Isp — ► 2000 sec)
• ISOMERS (— ►lO 5 x TNT)
• Anti-matter, LENR's
ic Issues, 7/01
Transoceanic UAV's
Current Capability - (<98 - 29 lbs, 2000 mi., 1.5 gals. Fuel
'01 - Transpac, 5000 mi.
Provides Capability for Undetectable Ultra-inexpensive
Swarms Against CONUS
Interesting (Precision) "Payloads"
- ISR
- Smart Dust/Explosive
- Target/explode Hazmat Trucks, Chem. Plants, Oil
Storage/Refineries, etc.
- Bio Dispensers (Anti-People, Things, Plants)
- IW/EMP
- Brilliant/Miniature sensor/Mine Combos
- CNT's (Power Lines, "Wire Blade")
:gic Issues, 7/01
Blast Wave Accelerator
» Global Precision Strike "On the Cheap"
» No barrel, ~200 ft. notched rails,
sequentially detonated Distributed HE
» Mach 21 or less as desired, up to 3000 lb
» Base anywhere, ~$200/lb of projectile
» Excellent stealth [no plume],
affordability, ferocity, reaction time,
survivability, recallability, effectiveness
» Being worked at Aberdeen and NASA
MSFC for lofting of Fuel and Nanosats
Issues, 7/01
Future Strategic Issues, 7/01
"Slingatron" for Global
Precision Strike
• lOKg projectiles, up to thousands/minute
1 Global, or less, range
» $20M/device, 80m diameter
• Mechanical "on-the-ground" propulsion via
Gyrating Spiral Guide Tube (a multiple "hula
hoop"
• "Poor Mans" Global Precision
Strike/"Takedown Weapon"
Issues, 7/01
Then Year Targeting/
Connectivity etc.
• MILITARY overheads/systems
• Ubiquitous COMMERCIAL
overheads/systems
• SCIENTIFIC overheads/systems
IN the context of:
- Inexp. Reconstitution via micro/nano sats
- Optical comms /GPS etc.
- Ubiquitous inexp. UAV/HALE adjuncts
Issues, 7/01
EXAMPLE: POTENTIAL "COMPETITOR" MILITARY
(SURVELIANCE/INTELLIGENCE/TARGETING/DAMAGE ASSESSMENT)
UTILIZATION OF INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC "GLOBAL CHANGE"
PROGRAMS/ASSETS
• Extensive/increasing international assets (land-based, ship, aircraft
(conventional/HALE), spacecraft) dedicated to measuring , on a global scale , details of
land, atmospheric, ice, ocean, biota status/"dynamics" (to understand total Earth
"system" and effects of humans on the global environment)
• Extensive/magnificent/often redundant wide coverage and detailed instrumentation
suite(s) (imaging radars/SARS/LIDARS/radar altimeters/laser
altimeter s/radiometers/scatterometers/spectrometers/IR sensors/ magnetomiters/etc .
• Terrabites+ of data archived/readily/publicably available increasingly in near real time
• Sample measurements include: OH, 3 , HCI, NO, N0 2 , N 2 O, CO, CH 2 , HN0 3 , C0 2 ,
H 2 O, aerosols, wind speed/vector/profile(s), vegetation type, temperature profile(s),
humidity profile(s), soil moisture/composition, snow cover/depth/moisture content,
cloud/surface reflectance, sea ice type/coverage/temperature, ocean
temperature(s)/sediments/topography/salinity/currents, magnetic field(s), surface
emissivities/reflectance, leaf area index, land topography /use/temperature/cover, ice
sheet elevation/topography gravity field/gradients, fires extension/temperature, 3-D
cloud distributions/temperatures/ice content, pressure distribution(s), ocean wave
heights/period(s)/direction(s)
Future Strategic Issues, 7/01
Then Year, Global Targeting Capabilities
are a Given - Major Issue is "Legs' VRange
for Increasingly Miniaturized Affordable
Payloads/Systems
• Range Enhancement Approaches:
- Airbreathing or "water breathing/' to first order doubles
range
- Initial boost for cruise (ala Blast Wave Acceleror)
- HEDM Fuels [Atomic Boron, Carbon, Isomers, etc.)
- Drag Reduction (Wave/Friction/Drag-due-to-lift, Increased
Dia.)
- Hypersonic Maneuvering Boost-Glide
Future Strategic Issues, 7/01
Summary - Major Influences
of IT/Bio/Nano Upon
Future Warfare
• Ubiquitous miniaturized/networked multi
physics,hyperspectral sensors
• Robotics/Automatics "in the large"
• Long range precision strike/targeting
• Info/net Warfare
• Mini/micro/nano Sats, Cruise, UAV's
• Binary Bio Weaponry
• Miniature/ubiquitous "smart mines"
Future Strategic Issues, 7/01
Increasingly Critical Human
Limitations/Downsides
• Large
• Heavy
• Tender
• Slow (Pysically, Mentally)
• Require Huge Logistic Train(s)
i.e. Humans have rapidly decreasing-to-
negative "Value Added"
ic Issues, 7/01
ROBOTICS "IN THE LARGE"
(saves lives, enhances affordability,
redefines risk/threat environment,
enhances effectiveness)
"Unattended"
- Munitions
Sensors
Platforms
• Air(UAV's)
• Sea(UUV's)
• Land(UGV's)
Logistics
Spoofing/obscurants
RSTA (including NBC)
Defense (across the board
including counter
recon/ambush)
Offense
- Obstacle breaching
- "The Shooter" (especially
Mout)
- Mine Clearing
Issues, 7/01
Emerging Characteristics
of Robotic Systems
(Enabled by Ongoing IT Revolutions-
Comms/Sensors/Computation/Miniaturization
• From expert systems toward AI and beyond
• Much more reactive than humans, greatly increased
tempo
• Greatly improved hyperspectral sensors/data fusion
• Greatly improved accuracy and lethality
• Greatly improved affordability/miniaturization
• Redefines "risk," minimal casualties, salutes CNN
syndrome
• Greatly reduced logistics
Future Strategic Issues, 7/01
Robotic Intelligence
Two "flavors
- Traditional AI - Rule Based
- Experiential - Behavior Based (Neural
Nets/other "Soft Computing"
Combination of these is current "best bet"
(per Moravec) to produce artificial/cyber
"life" which will possibly-to-probably be
sentient but will not be anthropomorphic
ic Issues, 7/01
Evolution of Computer Power /Cost
.MIPS pcrSlflflO (IWIigll.irtJ
Brain Power liquivjlent perSIDOO of Computer
1900
1920
1940
itso
a.tunlc
C'^l.-.iln1ii:n
mo
Jroao
20^0 Year
Future Strategic Issues, 7/01
WHAT IS BEYOND ROBOTIC SYSTEMS
(SENSORS/PLATFORMS/WEAPONS/
MUNITIONS)
Robotic/ automatic
> autonomous warfare?
- Computer capability will exist (beyond terra flop) to do "AT' (or better?),
required connectivity is a "given"
- Competitor capabilities /tempo sidelines the innate inadequacies of
human interactions/education/conscious decision timelines
- Little-to-no "troops" ► "Acme warfare Ltd."
- Flat hierarchy ► demise of "main in the chair?"
- H
igh level/"soft sciences" human aspects " boundary conditions"
Sociological/"humanitarian" ^
Political
Environmental
Religious
Psychological
Economics
Etc.
Extent/scale, projected effects/
y Damage(s), personnel attrition
(general-to-specific)
J
Future Strategic Issues, 7/01
"Non-Explosive Warfare"
IW/IO
PSYWAR "In-the-Large"
Anti-Functionals
-MW
- Chem
-Bio
- Micro-Mechanical
Anti-Personnel MW/RF, Micro-Mechanical
Issues, 7/01
"Natural Warfare"
• Sensors:
- Utilize insitu plants/animals/insects as sensor
platforms/instruments to indicate
presence/movement/characteristics
• Weapons/Munitions:
- Utilize animals (e.g. urban rats)/insects as
"delivery systems' '/munitions ("feeding/'
swarming, biting, poisoning)
- Utilize insitu explosive/destructive capability
(e.g. offshore Methane Hydrate, Dams, etc.)
c Issues, 7/01
Characteristics - Future/Emerging
Sensors/MunitionsAVeapons/Platforms
• Inexpensive
• Numerous- to-Hordes/Clouds/S warms
• Small/light/ubiquitous
• Readily Available (Largely Comm. Tech.)
• Long Range
• "Volumetric" or "Precise"
• Both "Explosive" and "Non-Explosive"
• Smart-to-Brilliant
Future Strategic Issues, 7/01
Potential Future "Orders of
Magnitude" Increases in Overall
Weapon Effectiveness/Availability at
Orders of Magnitude Reduced Cost(s)
• Bio/Chem/Molec/Nano Computing - (E6)
• Ubiquitous Optical Comms - (E4)
• Micro/Nano/Ubiquitous Sensors - (E4)
• Bio Weaponry - (EN)
• Co-operative Swarms of Cheap/Small
Weapons/Sensors - (E4)
• Volumetric Weaponry - (E4)
• Cyber/Artificial Life (Beyond AI) - (E?)
Future Strategic Issues, 7/01
Major (Anti-U.S.) Asymmetries
• Long increasingly vulnerable logistics chain
• Long, "undefendable" coastline (esp. against
underwater threats)
1 Sensitivity to casualties (greatly enhanced by
the "CNN syndrome")
• Vulnerabilities to "terrorism" (esp. IT, bio)
• Increasing over reliance upon vulnerable
"overhead" assets
Issues, 7/01
Potential En-route
Logistic Vulnerabilities
Logistic surface ships and aircraft are non-LO
and undefended , could be targeted and attrited
inside the continental shelf by:
-"Eggs" [subsurface floating encapsulated
missiles implanted by freighters/SS/air]
-SS [torps/missiles/subsam]
-Transoceanic UUV's, UAV's, USV's
-Blast wave accelerator
-Cruise, TBM's
-MINES
ic Issues, 7/01
Fundamental Problem With
Future U.S. Power Projection
"EAN" can have "country sized magazines"
filled with hordes of inexpensive Precision
strike "Munitions" - Area Denial
U.S. Forces run out of "bullets" and die
[Beam weapons not panacea, inexpensive
workarounds available]
Deep Water Subs with large loadout/"swimin"
weaponry only survivable "Close-in" platform
Issues, 7/01
Sampling of TBM/Cruise Missile "Penaids"
(Derived from Extensive Worldwide
ICBM/IRBM RV Cold War Defensive/Offensive
Studies Over Some Three Decades
• Decoys (anti-sensor)
• Ablative/subliming coatings (thermal [laser/mw]
protection)
• Fluid injection (laser protection)
• Wake modification(s) (anti-sensor)
• Electronic/optical "shielding" (MW protection)
• RAM/RAS/shaping (anti-sensor)
e.g., current efforts involving beam weapons (laser, MW)
"kills" of undefended" /"unpenaided" "dumb" incoming
NOT REALISTIC
Future Strategic Issues, 7/01
Potential "Workarounds" for Beam
Weapon Effects on Missile
Sensors/Comms
Off board sensors
(networked, everywhere, on everything)
Optical Comms
Optical/fluidic Computing
Optical GPS
Issues, 7/01
Example 'Then Year" Direct
Conus Attack Capabilities
[-80% of CONUS population/infrastructure
within - 50 Miles of a "coastline"]
• Inexp. Transoceanic UUV's/UAV VCruise
• Inexp. Blast Wave Accelerators
• Inexp. Info/Net/Psy war
• Inexp. Inshore AIP SS [mines/torps/SLCM]
• Inexp. Binary Bio into Food Supply
• Inexp. Semi-submerged Missile "eggs"
• Inexp. 'Trojan Horse" "civilian" systems
[Above in addition to ICBM/TBM]
Future Strategic Issues, 7/01
"Unconventional" Nuc Delivery
• Sink a ship offshore, detonate to produce Tidal
Waves with Radioactive spume
• Transcontinental UAV's, UUV's (nano, AI)
• Ballons with GPS sport ' chutes
• Ganged Micro Rockets (ala MIT)
• Trojan Horse Everything (ships, boats, planes,
cars, trucks, packages, cargo, containers)
- Targeted "Effects" include Tidal Waves, EMP,
Earthquakes, Radiation, Blast
Issues, 7/01
(Civilian) IW Examples/CONUS
• (National) Banking System Computers
- 3 sites/nodes - HE/EMP/IW/C/B (attack buildings,
power, software, hardware)
- Interruptions in National/International Payments
system irrecoverable
• Railroads
- 4 sites, attack options as above
- All freight cars networked, "everyone" on "just in
time," no reserves/stockpiles
- Takes down Auto Industry, power grid, chicken
farms, all movements of "War Materials," ETC!!!
c Issues, 7/01
The Revolutionary
Size/Capability/Cost Warfighting Spiral
1 Commercial electronics/GNC/Comms/Sensors (Much
smaller/cheaper/better - Allows:
2 IO and "Precision" - Reduces Reqd. munition size and
Numbers much-Leads to:
3 Small/Light/Deadly/Inexpensive Munitions -
4 Which Reduces requisite Platform size/cost -
5 Which is reduced still further by (also enabled)
"Automatics/Robotics" - Uninhabited
6 Combined with Much lighter/cheaper Revol.
Materials/Fabrication for structure and energetics
(propuL/warhead) - Yields "Cheap Warfare"
Issues, 7/01
And Then There Is NANO .
:gic Issues, 7/01
Future Warfare
"On The Cheap"
• Info/net warfare
• Binary bio [anti-functional/fauna]
• Non-lethals
• Miniature brilliant sensor-mines
• Micro/Nano Sats
• LO/Long leg/precision
UUV's/UAV's/Cruise
• Inexp./Superb/survivability ISR/comms
• Blast wave accelerator
Future Strategic Issues, 7/01
"Then Year"
"Peer Competitors"
Peer Competitor no longer defined by
"megatonnage" of obsolescent Industrial
age steel and aluminum Artifacts. The
Drastically reduced entry investment
enabled by "Warfare on the Cheap"
ensures almost any nation or sizable
organization can be a very worrisome
Military "peer."
ic Issues, 7/01
SOME INTERESTING POSSIBILITIES
» Surreptitious nano "tagging" (with MW
interrogation) of "everything/everyone"
(imprinted during
manufacture/maintenance etc.)
» Detonation of offshore seabed methane
hydrate deposits to produce
tactical/strategic level tidal waves against
littoral regions
» Demise of "stealth" via ubiquitous multi-
static, multi-physics sensors operated on
"take-a-vote"
Issues, 7/01
"Anti-Access"
• MINES
• Hordes/Swarms (country-sized/dispersed
magazines) of small/inexpensive/brilliant
cruise/UAVs, micro rockets, BWA/slingatron
projectiles, UUVs (e.g. RPGs on jet skis)
• Tyveknets
• Attrite/"take out'Vthreaten APODS/SPODS
• EMP,IW/IO
• TBM/Cruise/HPM/Lasers
• "The Sensor Web"
ic Issues, 7/01
Counters to U.S. "Information
Dominance"
EMP ("conventional," Isomers/other HEDM,
Nuc.)
Jammers "in the Large"
"Fry" (MW, Lasers), "Blowup"
Anti-Sensor (various, include D&D)
"Software"
(subvert/ deception/decimation/Troj an
Horse/viruses/etc, other IO/IW)
"Chaos" (Excite circuit nonlinearitys)
PSYWAR
Issues, 7/01
Counter U.S. Logistics
Take out pre-positioned everything
Ubiquitous nano inexpensive multiphysics,
hyperspectral land/sea/air/space military, scientific,
commercial sensors; Nano tags (aka "The Sensor Web")
Target/attrite logistic air/sea lift over continental shelf
via Brilliant mines, cruise, UAVs, UUVs, TBMs, Micro
missiles, prepositioned semi-submerged missile "eggs,"
Al/vortex SS weaponry (include Subsam), BWA,
slingatron, Automatic MANPADS in CONUS (via
Blast/EMP etc.)
Small number of military ports/airfields in CONUS;
C-17/5/141, Ro-Ro/other ships, trains inside CONUS are
non LO, undefended
Issues, 7/01
Anti-U.S. RMA "Strategies/Tactics"
Threaten Bio to force "suit-up"/degrade effectiveness
Keep forces beyond range of short-legged fighters
Attrite JSTARS/AWACS/ABL/Missile "cows" etc.
platforms
Miniaturize/Disperse EVERYTHING - no large/massed/
interesting targets
Use "Hard to Degrade'VJam optical Comms/GPS
Operate out of cities/International Commercial Entities
Degrade U.S. Info Dominance
Machine Intell. "automatic warfare," (much) tighter
OUDA loop (faster than Human ops)
Issues, 7/01
Exploit "CNN Syndrome"
Sink Carrier(s) via "swarm attacks"
Capture/torture Americans in living color on
prime time
"Terror" attacks within CONUS (binary bio,
critical infrastructure "takedown/' IO/IW,
EMP, RF against Brain, etc.)
Serious "Psywar" (collateral damage
exploitation, etc.)
Issues, 7/01
The Key Technologies
• Free form/"point of use" fabrication
• Beyond silicon computing (quantum, optical, bio, nano, molec.
• Optical comms/nav
• Nano sensors/tags/materials/bots/GNC
• HEDM explosives and propellants (NANO POWDERS,
CUBANES, SBER, ISOMERS, LENR, THERMOBARICS, F-S
LASERS/4TH GEN NUCS)
• Anti-personnel/material (Binary) Bio, MW
• Robotics/Machine Intelligence
• Miniaturized/brilliant/lightweight/low-power/inexpensive
swarms of everything (SATS, weapons, robots, sensors, mines,
etc.)
Future Strategic Issues, 7/01
Fundamental Military
Issues/Metrics
• Affordability ["Warfare on the Cheap"]
• Survivability ["Can see everything,
Anything you can see you can kill"]
• Effectiveness [Lethality of Precision and
Volumetric weaponry]
I.E. Simultaneous ongoing Revolutions in
all three of the major Warfare Metrics
Future Strategic Issues, 7/01
Given the Superb/Ubiquitous World
Wide Sensor Suites and Precision
Strike Capabilities "Then Year" the
Following WILL NOT BE SURVIVABLE
• APODS/SPODS
• Runways
• Surface Ships
• Manned (logistic/combat) Aircraft
• Manned (logistic/combat) Ground Vehicles
Due to their size & (multi-physics)
signatures
ic Issues, 7/01
CONCERNING (CURRENT) FARTHER TERM
(U.S.) DEFENSE "STRATEGIC STUDIES"
• Almost wholly dedicated to/concentrated on
offensive operations (DOO?)
- Across the board (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines,
OSD)
• (Apparent) wholly inadequate consideration of
defense
- Defense of Conus, especially from short time of
flight inshore undersea attack
- Defense of the offensive forces [especially in terms of
the "enemy after next" capabilities definitization
and response(s) thereto]
- Defense of the logistics assets, especially "out of
theater"
Future Strategic Issues, 7/01
Typical Scenario - "Takedown"
of U.S. by 10 People and <$10M
• Binary Bio [via (imported Vitamins/Clothing,
etc., food supply(s)]
• Terror Bio (e.g. Aflatoxin)
• IW ("usual" plus physical against key nodes
such as Railroads - take down the economy)
• Selective anti-personnel RF/MW (Towers)
• Water Supply Contamination via
Intercontinental UAV's
Accompanied by SERIOUS "PSYWAR"
Future Strategic Issues, 7/01
Trends Summary
Tele-everything
U.S. just "one of the crowd" economically
"Warfare on the cheap," many potential
"peers"
Warfare Increasingly Robotic
Survivable/Affordable power projection
via deep water subs and Blast Wave
Accelerators
CONUS and Logistics Defense
increasingly worrisome
,7/01
FROM U.S. COMMISSION ON
NATIONAL SECURITY/21ST CENTURY
• It will soon be possible to connect human brain
cells to silicon chips
• Due to IT technology we will witness the "death
of distance"
• More than 2/3rds of the satellites are foreign
owned
• Large scale missile attacks will be able to
overwhelm defensive systems
• Development of genetically engineered
pathogens that will thwart our bio
detection/defense measures/cycles
ic Issues, 7/01
"Circa 2025"
• Machines as creative/"smart" as humans
"Robotics" the "norm"
• Zeroth order "warstopper" - Binary bio into
nation's agric/food distrib. system (every
home/fox hole)
• Next level of concern: Ubiquitous/Cheap
micro-to-nano EVERYTHING (sensors,
munitions, weapons swarms/hordes)
• Battlefield attrition/CNN syndrome forces
U.S. Army to look/act like SOCOM
Issues, 7/01
(Suggested) Major U.S. Future
(2025) Warfare Issues
• CONUS Defense (Requirement(s) for, potential
approaches)
• Logistics Defense/Protection (in/out of theater)
1 Survivability/Effectiveness of U.S. Forces
on/near the "Killing Ground" in an era of
affordable ubiquitous multiphysics
hyperspectral sensors, precision strike,
volumetric weaponry, "swarms" and hardened
munitions
Issues, 7/01
• "Non-explosive Warfare" (psywar,
biowar IT/net war, "anti-operability
war," Beam weaponry including RF,
Spoofing/Cammo
• Robotic Warfare "in the large'Ybetter
than human AI/"Cyber life"
• Alternative Power Projection
Approaches (e.g. Deep Water
depth/death sphere, blast wave
accelerator, etc.)
,7/01
Future "Power Projection"?
• Humans "hold" instead of "take" ground
(go in after "Sanitization")
• Sanitization via:
- IW/Psy war
- Global Reach "Guns" (BWA/Slingatron)
- Deep water/large loadout Subs w/"swimins"
- "Robotic Everything" w/V olumetric
weaponry, non-explosive warfare
c Issues, 7/01
Future(s) of SOF
• Becomes THE (only survivable) HUMAN Strike
Force (Army/Marines forced to become "SOF-Like")
• Increasingly The "Overseas FBI" to counter the
increasingly capable (IO/Bio WMD) & horrific
destructive power of INDIVIDUALS and Groups
• Ops involve increasingly difficult-to-deal-with omni-
present/omni-physics sensor/ID suites, Few-to-No
exploitable Interstices for Covert/Clandestine
"work" - THE Challenge
Future Strategic Issues, 7/01
Future "Warfare"
• "Defense" against the "then year" multitudinous
conventional and unconventional delivery
methods for volumetric and precision munitions
is essentially neither doable nor affordable.
• Suggested National Defense Approaches:
- Work Technology, Intel, Diplomacy, SOCOM for
detection/interdiction/deflection of the "pre-delivery"
phases (causes of war, motivational and decision
processes, design and construction, test)
- Work and ADVERTISE a REALLY EFFECTIVE
RETRIBUTION to deter delivery (ala MAD)
c Issues, 7/01
Changing
Huiter/ Hunting
Gatherer Grounds
Agricultural Farm Lands
Industrial Natural
Re sou rces
IT/Bio/Nam Sodtal
Di s rpti m
Strategic Issues, 7/01
of Warfare
Tr i hi Ban as
Prof. Arm ies
Mass Lewe
Hand Hid
Thrown
Hand Hid
Thrown
Mech./Ch en.
Everyone
IT/Bi d'Bots
RMA Planning "Shortfalls"
(NPS)
• "Indications of the innovative paths
adversaries might take or how they might
adapt technologies from the civilian
world"
(Being worked in the "Technical War
Games")
• "The path from todays systems and
capabilities to those hypothesized for the
future (2020+)"
c Issues, 7/01
What is needed is a "Then Year" (-2030)
Serious/Holistic Vision of Warfare Changes
Resulting from the On-going
IT/Bio/Nano/Virtual Technological Revolutions
• Such does not exist, "bumper sticker" attempts
extant.
• All are agreed, warfare will become increasingly
robotic and probably more affordable, swarms of
sensors/shooters are a given.
• A longer term "Vision" of these changes would
enable "mapping" from the present, NOT AT ALL
CLEAR HOW TO "Get There From Here" as do
not know where "there" is!
Issues, 7/01
"War between mass armies weighed down
with baroque equipment has become a third
world sport. The advanced world, too
vulnerable to survive a war of attrition or
mass destruction, must learn to conduct its
affairs by the Rapier- -by the threat or use of
small specialized forces exploiting high
tempo and strategic surprise"
R. E. Simpkin, "Race to the Swift: 1985
7/01
In the second half of the 1900 's
Nuclear/Bio Warfare was
"Unthinkable"
In the first half of the 2000 's
"conventional" warfare may
become so deadly/effective as to
become "Unthinkable" ("Killer
Aps" available to mitigate the
"Causes of War")
Future Strategic Issues, 7/01
Approaches to Countering
Group/Individual Deployment of
IO/Bio WMD
PREVENTION -
- Universal inexpensive Web based educ.
- Biomass via sea water irrigation
DISCOVERY -
- All Source Intel/Fusion/AI Analysis
PREEMPTION/RETRIBUTION -
- SOF (Foreign)
Future Strategic Issues, 7/01
(Usual) Reactions to
this Presentation
• Is in the "Too Hard Box"
• Not being done yet by anyone, therefore, will
not be done
1 They would not do that
» We have to Hope they would not do that
• Why go there, cannot defend against it
» Some Disbelief, but agreement there is too
much there to disregard
Issues, 7/01