Modern war and the systemic learning deficit in Western military institutions

Lowy Institute

Western military institutions, including Australia's, exhibit a systemic learning deficit, failing to rapidly integrate lessons from modern conflicts like Ukraine and Iran. Despite unprecedented visibility into battlefield innovations, Western forces have not institutionalized key insights into doctrine, force structure, or procurement priorities. This creates a structural disadvantage against an "authoritarian knowledge market" formed by China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea, where battlefield insights transfer rapidly.

For Australia, this results in minimal drone capabilities, almost no counter-drone defenses, and slow mechanisms for translating foreign war lessons into force development. The deficit stems from organizational culture, promotion systems rewarding conformity, and political leadership's lack of accountability for learning. The paper recommends culture change, promotion reform, AI-enabled learning, rapid drone capability development, and acquisition reform to address this critical strategic vulnerability. Ignoring these lessons poses catastrophic consequences for Indo-Pacific contingencies, where massed autonomous systems are highly applicable.

To read in details click here