The Future of Air and Space Power: Intersections of Theory and Technology

In 2021, the U.S. Air Command and Staff College’s futurist-leaning commandant issued a research call to pursue the following question: how much would cyber, nanotechnology, hypersonic weapons, artificial intelligence, remotely piloted aircraft, and other technologies impact air and spacepower strategy and theory in the twenty-first century? In responding to this question, most contributors to this volume argue that theory—given that its very purpose is to illuminate enduring fundamentals of warfare—probably will not change much, but there are some technologies that are more likely to transform theory than others. As such, this manuscript encourages readers to assess each chapter from the prism of where the authors fall on the spectrum between technological futurism and traditionalism. It is not that significant technological change will not greatly change warfare, but that strategy and theory are more resistant to technological change. Being open to momentous change while remaining well-grounded in time-tested theory and strategic principles offers the best preparation for future warfare.