Ahmad Ibrahim
The impact of emerging technologies on the character of war and operational art must be understood with conceptual distinction. Carl Von Clausewitz has defined the nature of war as “an act of [violent] force to compel our enemy to do our [political] will.” The nature of war remains the same: it’s a political instrument rooted in violence and showcases reciprocity characteristics. In contrast, the character of war is dynamic, and as advocated by Collin S. Gray, “the nature, unlike the character, of war cannot be transformed. If the nature of war is transformed, then war ceases to be war…and instead becomes something entirely different.” Antulio J. Echevarria II has explicitly warned about confusing technological change with changes in war’s nature by arguing that “the nature of war refers to its essence and inherent features; the character of war refers to the particular forms war takes at any given time.” Therefore, what we are witnessing in contemporary times is not an alteration of war’s nature but a significant transformation in the character of war. Emerging technologies are accelerating this change at such a pace that it is challenging the traditional military thought process and the subsequent operational adaptability.
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