Army After Next, Airland Battle 2000, Futuristic Concepts or Jules Verne

摘要

The Army conducts concept studies, such as Army After Next, to craft a vision offuture requirements. The combat systems and operational concepts described in those studies are not fiscally constrained; stress present day technologies; and challenge future technologies. To the uninformed, these concept studies often read like science fiction novels Airland Battle 2000 was a concept study conducted in 1981 to guide future organizational alignments, doctrine, training, and materiel requirements for the Army of the 21st century. This paper examines: (1) Airland Battle's futuristic concepts and its requirements for the Air Defense Artillery branch; (2) evaluates the Air Defense Artillery branch's progress towards meeting those requirements; and (3) assesses whether or not long range, futuristic concept studies are a valid approach for determining future developments, or simply government sanctioned science fiction.