"This paper introduces the idea of persistent security that originates from dominant landpower--establishing a force that can establish a persistently secure environment is the challenge frequently overlooked in the way the American military trains, thinks and approaches warfighting. The author begins by discussing the logic behind a notion of persistent security and how land forces play a critical role in sustaining it, followed by a discussion on the constant ebb and flow of firepower versus maneuver warfare to see how modern armies have evolved to meet the threats of their day."--Page v.

"This paper introduces the idea of persistent security that originates from dominant landpower--establishing a force that can establish a persistently secure environment is the challenge frequently overlooked in the way the American military trains, thinks and approaches warfighting. The author begins by discussing the logic behind a notion of persistent security and how land forces play a critical role in sustaining it, followed by a discussion on the constant ebb and flow of firepower versus maneuver warfare to see how modern armies have evolved to meet the threats of their day."--P. v.

Land warfare in the 21st century will be shaped by the cumulative effects of many revolutionary changes that have yet to merge in a clear or predictable pattern. This paper identifies three elements of change that are likely to have the greatest impact on the Army and the joint conduct of land warfare. First, the international system is undergoing its third major transition of the 20th century in response to the end of the cold war. Second, changes in military technology are culminating in what many believe will be a "military-technical revolution" that brings unprecedented depth and transparency to the battlefield. Finally, this paper cautions that change will inevitably coexist with at least three constants--the root causes of war, the nature of war, and the essence of fighting power. Preparation includes traditional non-quantifiable factors as much as technology. Leadership, courage, self-sacrifice, initiative, and comradeship under extreme conditions of ambiguity, fog, friction, danger, stark fear, anxiety, death, and destruction--all remain the coins of war's realm and no amount of technological advance will degrade their value. A central message of this paper is for strategists to carry the best of the present forward as we adapt to the revolutionary changes on the horizon. Land warfare will remain a vital component in the national military strategy, but only if we understand and respond to the forces that are shaping the battlefields of the 21st century.

Making a brilliant case that the 21st century, even more than the 20th, will be "The American Century, " and that America's global dominance will be associated with a revolution in weaponry and warfare as basic as the one that arose with the development of gunpowder 500 years ago, The Future of War speaks of a new geopolitical system that will shape the next century. 480 pp. Author tour. Radio & print ads. National publicity. 25,000 print.

Divisive debates over the future force structures of the U.S. Armed Forces have continued despite the Report of the Commission on Roles and Missions for the Armed Forces (May 1995) and the more recent reports of the Quadrennial Defense Review (May 1997) and the National Defense Panel (December 1997). Part of the reason for the bitter nature of these debates is due to parochial partisanship. Part is due to a lack of clear understanding of the individual components of military power or of their collective interrelationships. This latter conclusion may be particularly true for land power. Responsibility for this misunderstanding does not always fall at the feet of outside observers. No official definition or general articulation of land power currently exists. And, because land power is self-evident to most who wear Army or Marine Corps green, they see little need to explain land power to a broader audience. But, if national leaders are to have a fuller under- standing of land power, its central role in the growing interdependence of military power, or the policy options that land power's versatility brings to security policy planning and execution, then such explanations are imperative. To help fill this conceptual gap, the author offers a definition of land power to meet the demands of the 21st century. While defining land power is his primary purpose, he also places land power within the overarching context of total military power. Additionally, he highlights the growing interdependence among the components of national power.