A Tale of Stumbling Blocks and Road Bumps: Germany's (non-)Revolution in Military Affairs

The changes that have taken place in the last decades in the United States armed forces approach to waging wars have attracted a lot of attention in the strategic community. For some, the use of information technology, unmanned weapon systems, and precision-guided munitions represent a “revolution in military affairs” (RMA). But while the characteristics of change perfectly fit the needs of other countries such as the major European powers, the alleged RMA is not a hot topic among European and especially German defense specialists. Only some aspects of the RMA have found their way into the German armed forces. Efforts to transform the German armed forces are hampered by political controversy and difficult cultural premises.

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