What’s the Shape of Future Warfare?

It may be stranger than we can imagine.

I found your article to be very encouraging. No one is suggesting that things will play out exactly as the stories predict, but they look at possibilities not being considered.

The old saying, “The generals are always fighting the last war,” may be put to rest by the use of fictional stories. Anything that opens the mind to alternative possibilities can be a game-changer.

The Allies did not recognize the use of airpower in WWI in the planning for WWII. The French dependence on the Maginot Line in WWII is a classic example of military planning, not keeping up with changes in military technology.

I feel our political leaders need to read some of these stories before they consider huge military expenditure bills that are funding outdated technology. An excellent example of this lack of foresight is our response to the pandemic.

There have been many sci-fi stories that dealt with pandemics and the consequences of ignoring their spread. I can only imagine if a state actor had caused the epidemic using biological warfare techniques. If the plague had been a biological warfare attack, the death rate and economic devastation could have been a hundred times worse.

Our leaders, both military and political, need to be versed in science and in the consequences of ignoring expert opinion. The implications of a local conflict spreading into a regional conflict are terrifying.

Our leaders need to recognize these possibilities and react accordingly. Sci-fi can open their minds to opportunities they would not have otherwise considered.