COME THE REVOLUTION Transforming the Asia-Pacific’s Militaries

Defense transformation has preoccupied the U.S. Defense Department for over a decade. In recent years as well, militaries and governments throughout the Asia-Pacific region have begun to pay attention to the promise and requirements of defense transformation and to the emerging information-based revolution in military affairs (RMA). Increasingly, their conceptions of defense transformation, along with their intentions, efforts, and capabilities to transform their militaries, could have a profound effect upon regional stability and security. These activities could particularly affect future American security interests and military operations in the Asia-Pacific—both due to their potential to influence joint operations and interoperability with U.S. forces and by endowing new capabilities upon potential competitors and adversaries—and therefore could inject new uncertainties and complications into the regional security calculus. Defense transformation is much more than the “mere” modernization of one’s armed forces—that is, being able to fight better the same kinds of wars. Rather, it is the promise of a paradigm shift in the character and conduct of warfare. At the same time, it is more than simply overlaying new technologies and new hardware on existing force structures; it requires fundamental changes in military doctrine, operations, and organization. For these reasons, therefore, transformation is an increasingly loaded issue, with many implications for defense and security in the Asia-Pacific. Moreover, for these same reasons, transformation in the region is beset with considerable challenge. Mr. Bitzinger is an associate professor with the AsiaPacific Center for Security Studies, Honolulu, Hawaii. He is the author of Towards a Brave New Arms Industry? an International Institute for Strategic Studies Adelphi Paper (2003).