The Global Revolution In Military Affairs And Combat Effectiveness: Challenges And Prospects For The Nigerian Armed Forces

The Global Revolution In Military Affairs And Combat Effectiveness: Challenges And Prospects For The Nigerian Armed Forces

Chapter One

Preface

Background Of The Study

Munitions technology has progressed within the last century. Munitions can now be delivered with unknown perfection; surveillance and surveillance systems can give astonishingly detailed information about hostile forces, structures and locales. A combination of data analysis and distribution systems can allow this information to be fleetly exploited. utmost military judges agree that the advances in military technology bear a abecedarian retrospection and modification of functional generalities to insure that full advantage is exploited. This combination of technological advances and variations in functional generalities represents a Revolution in Military Affairs( RMA).1

RMA is a major change in the nature of warfare brought about by the innovative operation of new technologies. This leads to dramatic changes in military doctrine, functional and organisational generalities. It’ll unnaturally alter the character and conduct of military operations.2 similar revolutions have passed numerous times in history for a variety of reasons. The most egregious cause is the technological thrust which started with the artificial age. The invention of gun greasepaint, the brume machine, submarine, internal combustion machine, airplane, aircraft carrier and the snippet lemon are some of the most egregious inventions which led to changes in the conduct of ultramodern warfare.

Some of these technological advances began in the civil sector. Other forms of RMA were brought about by social military revolutions similar as the development of railroads, which enabled military forces to be moved and supplied over great distances.4 RMA has changed the diapason of warfare in moment’s dynamic battle space. The effect has been demonstrated in recent wars after WW II. The Gulf war was characterised by digital battle fields with state- of- the- art Precision Guided Missiles( PGMs), voyage dumdums and an exceptional display of air power among others.

Advances in technology have created a global terrain with fairly unrestricted inflow of information. therefore there’s now a gradational shift from the centre of graveness of traditional styles of force and means of combat towardsnon-traditional styles, including information. The capability to pierce the right information at the right time has made tremendous impact on command and control. currently, information dispatches technology( ICT) tools are getting real munitions, not just in a tropical sense but in the direct sense as well.5 The motorists of the current RMA are the PGMs, detectors, fibre optics and the miniaturisation of microchips, global positioning systems( GPS), satellite technologies and simulators. These are all products of ICT and factors of network- centric warfare( NCW). thus, the felicitousness of information could make a difference in the outgrowth of a war.6

The pace of technological advancement is unknown. In the history, technological advancement was either contingent on or catalyzed by military requirements, but moment, technological inventions feel to mandate the ways and means of war fighting.7 Developing countries thus, need to manage with this surge of change and its challenges. Developing countries like Egypt, Brazil and South Africa have some advantages. They retain an perceptible position of technology and a strong defence artificial base which can match some of the challenges. This is due to the adaption of technology available to their peculiar surroundings. Nigeria, in view of her low defence artificial base, needs to examine the options available. ultramodern technology is having an inviting influence on the world and one is either part of it or prey to it.8 This is material if Nigeria must come applicable in the global RMA in order to be effective in ultramodern warfare.

The coming many decades could pose both political and military challenges to Nigeria.10 These challenges are occasioned by the hunt to have a endless seat in the UN Security Council, indigenous power posture and Nigeria’s frontline part in the cooperation and integration of Africa. The necessary characteristics of the terrain in which the Nigerian Armed Forces could fight in the future mandate that her forces should be structured to face similar challenges. Since globalization has united the world into one vill, the employment of the Nigerian Armed Forces won’t be limited to the West African arena alone. moment, internal conflicts within one state are fluently made transnational by global media content and numerous nations are snappily drawn into them.11

The situation in the Nigerian Armed Forces is that there has been skimp and awkward accession of ultramodern platforms, munitions systems and outfit. Accordingly, some of those in the force are either getting or are formerly obsolete. Others have come degraded by long operation and poor conservation. likewise, strategies and processes for upgrading them aren’t easily defined due to lack of defined programs from the Ministry of Defence( MOD). The situation is farther compounded by the competition for coffers by other sectors of the frugality in addition to the defence sector.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

In the Nigerian Armed Forces moment, the development of technology installations is at a rudimentary state. therefore, were the Nigerian service to substantiation for illustration, an information warfare attack on its ICT installations it would face severe challenges. Inversely worrisome is the dearth of ultramodern platforms, munitions systems, outfit and the absence of applicable programs to address the problem. The situation is farther compounded by the deficit of finances and a low position of public technological and artificial base.

The Nigerian Armed Forces since its commencement starting with the Nigerian Army( NA) in 1883 has shared in both internal and external operations in the fulfilment of its indigenous places. still, the demoralized and obsolete status of the fighting outfit in its force has affected its fighting capability. In view of the part of the Nigerian Armed Forces to achieve the objects of the National Defence Policy, it would be important to discover how the Nigerian Armed Forces could keep pace with trends in global RMA. It would also be important to learn how the RMA can enhance combat effectiveness. This is what generated the experimenter’s interest in the study. It’s against this background, that the study seeks to answer the following questions

a. What constitutes a RMA?

What’s the relationship between the RMA and combat effectiveness?

c. What are the challenges for the Nigerian Armed Forces in achieving a RMA?

d. What strategies and programs can be employed to achieve a RMA for the Nigerian Armed Forces in order to enhance combat effectiveness?