In his address to ELF members, Director
Michael Vickers, a
former Special Forces Officer and CIA Operations
Officer, enlightened the group on the present and
future status of the United States' defense
initiatives. Mr. Vickers also highlighted the
revolutionary changes taking place in the realm of
military affairs. He stressed the dominance of the
U.S. military complex, stating that its strength has
dramatically increased since the end of the Cold War.
In his assessment, he recognized the retreat of Soviet
power from Europe and the disintegration of the Red
Army as the fundamental reason for this upsurge in
power.
Our speaker noted that the U.S. allocates more
resources for defense than all of its likely
competitors combined. Since the fall of Communism in
Europe, the U.S. has become the world leader in air,
naval, land, space, and information warfare. Also
instrumental in our nation's current position is its
monopoly over stealth capabilities which is ten to
twenty years ahead of our nearest competitor.
However, Mr. Vickers stressed that times are
changing. He feels that a revolution will soon begin
to take place in the realm of global defense, thus
challenging America's position. He argues that
groundswells in economic growth and technological
modernization will bring about these changes. The
United States' present course in military
transformation will not change rapidly, due to the
Clinton administration's nearsightedness, but Director
Vickers feels that by 2025, up to half of the U.S.
force structure could be fundamentally transformed,
causing it to rely more on its stealth capabilities,
information databases, extended range, and
distribution of forces. The days of human maintained
systems will soon fall by the wayside, replaced by
unmaned munitions and platforms, and a reliance on
space capabilities.
