The digital integration of armies, from tactical incorporation to strategic conjunction
Abstract
The implementation of digital tools in the armed forces has led to upheavals at both an organizational and human level, which cannot be understood from a simple technical or technological point of view. For this reason, this paper focuses on conducting a human and sociological analysis centered on the process of “digitalization of armies” rather than analyzing cyber separate from the rest of the armed forces. This change of perspective makes it possible to identify several concepts that complement and enrich the analysis of strategic decision-making processes. From this point of view, the creation of tactical-level units dedicated to computerized warfare is only one necessary step in the “digital integration of armies”, requiring the transformation and adaptation of all forces to the new digitized technical command and coordination system. It is; therefore, necessary to distinguish between “tactical digital incorporation” and “strategic digital conjunction” in order to complete an assessment of the armed forces’ digital transition processes.
About the Author
Antony Dabila is associate professor at University Toulouse-I-Capitole and researcher at the Institute for Defense and Strategic Studies. His work is focusing on the transformations of the human environment formed by the combatants and how strategic thinking adapts to its evolution. He teaches strategy and defense policies at the Sciences Po Lyon and University Lyon-III-Jean Moulin
Is the phenomenon of partial digitalization of military confrontations limited to the creation of dedicated and functionally specialized units, or does it require, on the contrary, the implementation of digitized elements within each unit, in order to face, in a proportionate manner, the extremely diverse challenge of "cyber-threats"?
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