Leveraging Information Technology to Enable Army Transformation: Capabilities and Challenges for the Interim Force

摘要

The Army is now engaged in a formal transformation process to create forces to capitalize on technological and organizational opportunities that new electronic, automotive, and ballistic technologies appear to provide. The transformation effort is also designed to alleviate problems in strategic mobility that have traditionally degraded the Army's ability to rapidly deploy forces other than light and airborne infantry. The transformation process will move along three interdependent yet simultaneous axes: the Legacy Force, the Interim Force, and the Objective Force. The purpose of this study is to examine the Interim Force and determine whether or not the higher technical performance expected to be gained from information technology will equate to a higher operational capability for the Interim Brigade Combat Team. The method of analysis will review the future operational environment for which this force is being developed, underscore the capabilities information technology brings to the transformation effort, and examine the challenges information technology presents Army planners and leaders as they further develop the campaign plan and execute the program. This study will suggest that accounting for the unintended consequences brought about by gains from information technology will contribute to a tighter fit between aspirations and emerging capabilities.