Wild Blue Yonder - Category Featured Articles

April 27, 2020
Scenario Planning for the Twenty-first-Century Military Strategist

In what ways does scenario planning add value for the military? Completing the scenario planning process in its entirety requires dedicating anywhere from two weeks to upward of several months toward exhaustive attention in creating and analyzing plausible future narratives. This is an unrealistic
April 13, 2020
Airmen and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles: The Danger of Generalization

The present inquiry is motivated foremost by continuous developments in technology. As military systems incorporate ever more elements of autonomy, it is essential to assess their potential to become successfully integrated in existing force structures. Given that a human operator is projected to
March 30, 2020
Examining and Enhancing Deterrence Education for Future Leaders

This article examines educational gaps instructing the Joint Force on deterrence, proposes combatant commander recommendations, and suggests changes for services, increasing student learning. Without integrated and updated education, future leaders may miscalculate situations, leaving the US
March 16, 2020
Making a Moral Case for Nonconflict in Space: Expanding Strategic Norm to Taboo

To construct a moral case against kinetic space conflict in particular, one needs to demonstrate how and why it should be considered uniquely dangerous and reckless. Using space warfare’s similarity to nuclear conflict, this article proposes a moral case against conflict in space based on the amount
March 2, 2020
Whatever Happens, Happens: Deterring Russia’s Threat of Nuclear Weapons through Non-Nuclear Means

Deterring nuclear adversaries such as Russia will continue to provide challenges to the United States during the remainder of the twenty-first century. While the United States and Russia (formerly the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics or Soviet Union) signed multiple arms control and reduction
March 2, 2020
Intelligence-Based Urban Operations: Intelligence Preparation of Battlefield Methodology in Urban Settings

Urban warfare is intelligence and surveillance-intensive. Thorough knowledge of buildings, alleyways, tunnels, and rooftops may have to be acquired, through intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) sources and human intelligence (HUMINT), to operate in cities.8 After reviewing US Army
Feb. 3, 2020
Future Technology and Nuclear Deterrence

The following discussion is speculative in nature given the future orientation of the topic. In many respects it is policy-prescriptive in its focus. This is because there is little possibility of a future in which nuclear deterrence will diminish in importance to international security. On the
Jan. 20, 2020
Operational Plan Orange: American Strategy in a Western Pacific War

While the likelihood of conflict between the United States and China is presently low, it cannot be completely excluded. The days of Western military superiority over China are ending, if not already over. China’s deployment of numerous ballistic missiles, modern aircraft, and cruise missiles amount
Jan. 20, 2020
Caught in the Crossfire: The Impact of US–China Trade Tensions on Taiwanese Direct Investment in Mainland China

As the world’s manufacturing center, mainland China imports large amounts of intermediate goods from its Asian neighbors, particularly Taiwan. As the key component supplier for mainland China, will Taiwan suffer from the increasing trade tensions between the United States and China? Since Taiwanese
Jan. 2, 2020
Realignment and Indian Airpower Doctrine

With a shift in the balance of power in the Far East, as well as multiple challenges in the wider international security environment, several nations in the Indo-Pacific region have undergone significant changes in their defense postures. This is particularly the case with India, which has gone