The overarching question imparting urgency to this exploration is: Can U.S.-Russian contention in cyberspace cause the two nuclear superpowers to stumble into war? In considering this question we were constantly reminded of recent comments by a prominent U.S. arms control expert: At least as dangerous as the risk of an actual cyberattack, he observed, is cyber operations’ “blurring of the line between peace and war.” Or, as Nye wrote, “in the cyber realm, the difference between a weapon and a non-weapon may come down to a single line of code, or simply the intent of a computer program’s user.”
Scholars have studied the sources of military innovation extensively. However, innovation's actual battlefield effects are under-examined. More often than not, an innovation's effect on the battlefield depends on how well the adversary adapts to it. As part of his ongoing research on the effects of military innovation on war outcomes, Matthew Tattar will discuss the efforts of the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization (JIEDDO) to lead the U.S. adaptation against insurgents' innovative use of the IED in Afghanistan. JIEDDO's goals are to "Attack the Network," "Defeat the Device," and "Train the Force." Based on his recent deployment to Afghanistan, the speaker will evaluate the organization's level of success in achieving those goals.
Please join us! Coffee and tea provided. Everyone is welcome, but admittance will be on a first come–first served basis.