Winning the war : advanced weapons, strategies, and concepts for the post-9/11 world / John B. Alexander.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Alexander, John B.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Nonlethal weapons.

Military art and science.

History.

United States--Armed Forces--Weapons systems.

United States.

Armed Forces.

Weapons systems.

Military art and science--United States--History--21st century.

War on Terrorism, 2001-2009.

Nonlethal weapons--United States.

Military doctrine--United States.

Military doctrine.

United States--Military policy.

Military policy.

World politics--21st century.

World politics.

Physical Description:

xvi, 304 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations ; 25 cm

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

New York : Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin's Press, 2003.

Summary:

Twenty-Second-Century Historians will note that a new world war began on September 11, 2001. In reality, it began much earlier. Competing value systems and the lust for natural resources will precipitate an inevitable clash of civilizations. Currently, we face elusive foes -- foes who play by other rules -- and in fact, we are already engaged in brutal, truly asymmetric conflict with varied forms of fighting; terrorism is but an isolated part. The increasing number of polymorphic hostilities requires revolutionary and unconventional responses. Special operations are the norm. Nanoscale, biological, and digital technologies have transformed how we will fight future wars. Tactical lasers that zap pinpoint targets at twenty kilometers are being developed, as is the millimeter-wave Active Denial System that causes intense pain to those exposed. The "Mother of All Bombs" has been dropped, as have thermobaric weapons that destroy caves and bunkers. Robots roam the battlefield, while exotic sensors catalog nearly every facet of our lives. Paralyzing electrical-shock weapons are in the hands of police. Even phasers on stun are closer than you think.

Winning the War details the technologies and concepts ultimately necessary to determine the outcome of this global conflict. Via realistic scenarios from recovering tourists kidnapped by terrorists to bringing down drug cartels in the Amazon and even preventing Armageddon in the Middle East, Winning the War provides an insider's view into how these futuristic weapons will be used and into the complexities of modern warfare. Bold and controversial measures are prescribed, including the essential nature of absolute domination of space. Winning the War makes clear that drastic and innovative actions will be necessary to ensure our national survival.

Contents:

Raid xi

Part 1. The Tools of War

1. "Phasers on Stun" 11

2. You Can Run, But You Can't Hide 41

3. The Lethal Legacy 61

Part 2. The Real World

4. The Nile 89

5. Ports of Call 99

6. Another World 105

7. Himalayan Holiday 115

8. The War we Want to Fight 131

9. The War We Will Fight 143

Part 3. Plan A: Win the War on Terror

10. The Root of All Evil 171

11. Power of the Press

A Strategic Weapon 181

12. The Epitome of Precision 197

Part 4. Plan B: The Event Horizon

13. Rethinking Space Missions 213

14. Six Sigma Solutions 225

15. Winning World War X 245

Appendix The Importance of Defining the Conflict 275.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 277-295) and index.

ISBN:

031230675X

OCLC:

51518387