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The Long Search for a Surgical Strike: Precision Munitions and the Revolution in Military Affairs

2002; Society for Military History; Volume: 66; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.2307/3093443

1543-7795

John Andreas Olsen, David R. Mets,

History of Science and Medicine

Abstract : This research paper explores the relationship between the advancement in conventional weapons guidance technology and the in military affairs (RMA) said to be afoot. It also explores whether the improvement in conventional air weapons accuracy since World War II is the foundation, the main pillar, one of the principal supports, or is irrelevant to the RMA. Clearly, the air theorists of the 1920s were fully persuaded that indeed a revolution was afoot. Equally clear, the visions of Guilio Douhet, William Billy Mitchell, and the Air Corps Tactical School (ACTS) were no more than partially fulfilled in World War II. This research paper explores the degree to which the shortcomings of aerial weapons were responsible for the denial of their visions and the degree to which those inadequacies were overcome in the conflicts that followed. It closes with an estimate as to whether those dreams of a revolution are about to be fulfilled. Bernard Brodie concluded that World War II had been as complete a test of the theories as Douhet could have desired. Yet, the argument goes on as to the effectiveness of the bombing campaigns of that conflict. Consequently, none of the subsequent air wars has approached the completeness of the tests over Japan and Germany in the 1940s. Therefore, the concluding estimate cannot be much more than a guess.