Tactical Developments During the Third Year of the Russo–Ukrainian War
[RUSI, February 2025, Jack Watling, Nick Reynolds]
This valuable study is the result of interviews with soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The interviews were conducted within various sectors of the AFU, all deployed on active frontlines in the Donetsk and Sumy regions. The study further examines how tactics in the war are evolving and what effect UAS (Unmanned Aerial Systems) are having. The authors’ observations in the field also point out that due to casualty-intensity and highly vulnerable MEDEVAC and logistics, NATO’s medical doctrine and logistical processes must be updated. An extremely valuable read, as many of its lessons for NATO can similarly be applied to the Swiss Armed Forces.
Warfare at the Speed of Thought: Balancing AI and Critical Thinking for the Military Leaders of Tomorrow
[Modern War Institute, 21.02.2025, Amanda Collazzo]
Much ink has been spilled on how AI-integrated militaries will be more effective. The author of this article agrees, yet she argues that overreliance on AI comes with dangers which occur when the AI tools are not available, compromised or failing to adapt. As George Dyson succinctly warned: « What if the cost of machines that think is people who don’t? ». The key therefore is that (military) users of AI tools engage in critical thinking to make sure that it is them who use AI and not the other way round.
Combatant Commands as Customers?
[War on the Rocks, 08.05.2025, Justin Johnson]
This article begins by stating that, with a budget of nearly $1 trillion and 3.4 million employees, the US Department of Defense is one of the largest economies in the world (in terms of GDP, even larger than Switzerland). Yet it is a centralized planned economy. This contrasts not only with the civilian economy, but also with the decentralization of responsibility through mission command that is sought in the armed forces. The author suggests that with the right incentives, management can be made more efficient and decisions can be accelerated —for example, by giving the demand side, the regional (such as USEUCOM) or functional (such as USCYBERCOM) combatant commands more budgetary autonomy.
Link: https://warontherocks.com/2025/05/combatant-commands-as-customers/
The Future of Great Power Competition
[Joint Force Quarterly 3/24, July 2024, National Defense University]
The journal’s article Deviance and Innovation highlights a key paradox of armed forces, namely the need to innovate within an environment that structurally often favours stability. As the article elaborates: “Innovation and adaptation are inherently deviant. When these behaviors collide with an institutional culture of strict social control such as the U.S. military, most members of the organization will treat them as such”. The journal features various other articles, ranging in topic from logistics and military education to information operations.
Link: https://digitalcommons.ndu.edu/joint-force-quarterly/vol114/iss2/2/
How generational stereotypes hold us back at work
[TEDxCreightonU, 4/2018, Leah Gorges]
In this insightful TED Talk, social psychologist Leah Georges explores the dynamics of the multigenerational workforce, encompassing the Silent Generation, baby boomers, Generation X, millennials, and Gen Z. She challenges the assumptions that often create barriers between these groups and highlights how our similarities outweigh our differences. Georges provides practical strategies for improving communication and collaboration across generations. This talk is particularly interesting for military leaders, who work with diverse age groups and must bridge generational gaps to foster effective teamwork and mission success.
Moderne Kriegsführung − Zwischen Hightech und moralischen Grenzen
[IF – Zeitschrift für Innere Führung 1/25, Dezember 2024]
Diese Ausgabe der Bundeswehrzeitschrift Innere Führung befasst sich mit den Themen der Gesamtverteidigung, und diskutiert den militärischen Einsatz von KI aus militärethischer Perspektive. Weiter wird die hybride Einflussnahme Russlands auf Deutschland beschrieben, ein ebenfalls aktuelles Thema für die Schweiz, welche von Russland ebenso mittels Informationsoperationen zu beinflussen und destabilisieren versucht wird. Auch interessant ist die Diskussion zur Zukunft des Krieges aus Clausewitz’ Perspektive ab Seite 62.
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