CW-900

Maj Dolly Hutagalung/Flight 13 ACSC AY24

 

TALKING PAPER 

ON 

THE THREAT OF EMERGING TECHNOLOGY

 

PURPOSE: Strengthening NORTHCOM/NORAD capabilities to engage with emerging technological challenges and improving the capacity of TRANSCOM to project and sustain combat power from the CONUS 

DISCUSSION: Potential threats from directed energy (DE) weapons and quantum technology to NORTHCOM/NORAD and the limited ability of TRANSCOM to support the U.S. power from the CONUS

 

-     DE weapons: High-energy laser (HEL) weapons used for short-range air defense, counter-unmanned aircraft systems, and counter-rocket, artillery, and mortar missions. High-powered microwave (HPM) weapons could provide a non-kinetic means of disabling electronics and communications systems[i]

 

--    China develops a 30-kilowatt road mobile DE system, LW-30, and an airborne DE weapon pod for engaging UAV and precision-guided weapons[ii]

 

-     Quantum technology could hold significant implications for the future of military sensing, encryption, and communications[iii]

 

--    Quantum technology can be used in kinetic and non-kinetic ways, both offensively and defensively

 

--    China is a world leader in quantum technology. China has launched the world’s first quantum satellite[iv]

 

-     Improve TRANSCOM's capacity to support NORTHCOM/NORAD combat power to engage emerging technology weapons from the CONUS

 

--   TRANSCOM requires DoD support to maintain adequate combat readiness to execute global mobility missions, including assisting NORTHCOM/NORAD’s mission

 

--    Optimize U.S. Allies and regional partners' capability who can work together to improve TRANSCOM performance to project power

 

RECOMMENDATION: Intense coordination between the DoD, NORTHCOM/NORAD, and TRANSCOM ensures they are constantly updated on emerging technology weapons and given the best support to carry out their primary missions

 

-     Have a comprehensive training program incorporating emerging technology weapons to grasp better the mechanisms of DE and quantum technologies and how to anticipate them

 

-     Cooperation between combatant commands through exchanging information; thus, the TRANSCOM is conscious of the NORTHCOM/NORAD's requirements, and the NORTHCOM/NORAD is aware of the TRANSCOM's capacity to provide support

NOTES

 

        I want to thank our Contemporary and Emerging Warfare Instructor, Dr. John G. Terino, Maj. Christopher Nguyen, Maj. Kresna H. Wibawa and all the students of Flight 13 for their thoughtful comments and suggestions. All errors found therein are my own.

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[i]. Kelley M. Sayler et al., "Department of Defense Directed Energy Weapons: Background and Issues for Congress," Congressional Research Service, last modified September 13, 2022, https://crsreports.congress.gov. 

[ii]. Sayler M. Kelley, "Emerging Military Technologies: Background and Issues for Congress," Congressional Research Service, last modified April 6, 2022, https://crsreports.congress.gov. 

[iii]. Ibid. 

[iv]. Sayler, " Emerging Military Technologies."