Revolution in Military Affairs Wilf Owen and Preparing for War
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Dec 8, 2025 William F. Owen, a former British Army officer and defense expert, dives deep into modern military strategies. He criticizes the trend of drawing lessons from current conflicts without solid evidence. Owen emphasizes the importance of preparing land forces with realistic, evidence-based training rather than getting lost in speculative technologies like AI and unmanned systems. He argues that logistics are crucial and that common-sense fundamentals should guide military practices, especially in challenging environments like urban warfare.
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Unmanned Systems Are Evolutionary
- The hype around unmanned systems and 'AI' is largely evolutionary, not revolutionary.
- Owen cautions that many claimed AI breakthroughs are automated functions or shape recognition, not transformative warfare changes.
Keep Proven Capabilities Until Proven Useless
- Avoid cutting proven capabilities simply because they're unfashionable or politically inconvenient.
- Owen urges decision-makers to keep capabilities like military police and manned helicopters until evidence proves they're obsolete.
The Land Force's Core Task
- A land force's fundamental task is destroying the enemy land force to gain freedom of action, not merely seizing terrain.
- Owen insists services must focus on core destructive and enabling tasks like defeating air defenses and sustaining forces at distance.
