U.S.-CREST

Search

Go to content

Emergence of new concepts

Programs


Overall Objectives

_____________________________


Defense & Security Policy

_____________________________


Transatlantic Coalition Building

_____________________________


Concept Development & Experimentation

_____________________________


Defense & Civil Aerospace Trade

From Network-Centric to Stabilization: Emergence of "new" concepts and contemporary military innovation _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


This study is being conducted jointly by U.S.-CREST and the Fondation pour la Recherche Startégique (FRS). It seeks to understand the emergence of new concepts, what contributes to their durability (or lack thereof) and their impact on the conduct of operations.
This study provides an analysis of military innovation, by examining the development, the dissemination, the institutionalization and the appropriation of a variety of new concepts by military organizations (mainly American, British and French) over the last twenty years. The research team undertook six case studies of significant concepts developed over the last decade, which have been disseminated at the joint and international levels and have experienced a complete "life" cycle from their initial conception to their possible implementation. These concepts were: network centric warfare; effects based approaches to operations; the comprehensive approach; the imbroglio of irregular warfare, counterinsurgency and stability operations; and Provincial Reconstruction Teams. For each case, a sequential approach articulated in six broad stages was adopted:
1. What are the causes of the innovation?
2. What is the nature and the concrete purpose of the new concept (or of the various concepts that result from it)?
3. When and how did the emergence of the new concept take place (the moment when its name and its latent substance emerged)?
4. What modes and mechanisms enable the dissemination of these concepts?
5. To what extent, how and why was the concept institutionalized (i.e. officially built-into doctrine, training, etc)?
6. What is the degree of appropriation (i.e. socialization among relevant communities of the institution) of the concept, and of its various components or associated concepts?
The study was completed in July 2010 and is being published by the Institut de Recherche Stratégique de l'École Militaire (IRSEM - www.irsem.defense.gouv.fr).



Back to content | Back to main menu