MANAGING CHANGE IN THE ARMED FORCES
Victory smiles on those who anticipate the changes in the
character of war, not upon those who want to adapt
themselves after the changes occur.
- Guilo Douhet
INTRODUCTION
There has been profound changes in the last two decades of the 20th century which
have altered our perceptions of the nature of future conflict and the mechanics of its
resolution. There has also been a sea change in the way nations perceive themselves
and each other in the international system. The military will continue to be an
important and critical element of national power. However, Indian Military
Establishment requires creative adaptation, fundamental changes and determinism to
be able to respond effectively to the nation’s need in the future.
In today's information age the revolution in information technology is also causing
revolutionary changes in how warfare will be fought. The ability to integrate weapons,
sensors and other military systems such as networks depend upon rugged Command,
Control, Communications, Computing, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance
(C4ISR) systems. Military establishments achieve a Revolution in Military Affairs
(RMA) when they successfully exploit technology, organization, training and
leadership to attain qualitatively superior fighting power, as well as dramatic positional
advantages in time and space which the opponent’s countermeasure cannot defeat.
To meet the challenges of changing the Armed Forces, senior leaders and other
agents of change must break the long tethers that bind the Armed Forces to the past
and move it forward. To do so they must not only compel those within the services to
alter the way they think about their traditional roles and branch missions, but also win
support for their efforts to change the Armed Force from the people and the nation's
political leaders. One of the key factors for change is the level of popular and political
support given to the military represented by the nation’s willing men to pay for its
armed forces. These are derived from a complex set of related determinants that
includes geography, threat perceptions, history, ideology, culture and economics.
However, factors like previous historical experience, a naturally conservative outlook
towards change, inability to evaluate new ideas adequately, an awareness of
tremendous cost of defeat, and a desire by some within the organization to preserve
the status quo for fear of losing either personal or professional power and prestige
within the organization may prevent meaningful changes to occur.
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HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
I am all for using aeroplanes and tanks, but they are only
accessories to the men and horse, and I feel sure that as
