April 2010

Al-Qaeda, The Revolution in Military Affairs, and the Future of Warfare

It is quite possible that in our efforts to effect a Revolution in Military Affairs (RMA), the US military essentially missed the true revolution that was occurring in al-Qaeda. This chapter will expand on this concept of al-Qaeda as an RMA. By examining RMA from a conceptual basis, it will establish a functional framework for RMA to include historical examples. The framework of RMA will then be applied to al-Qaeda as an organization. Finally, the chapter will examine US Government and military responses to al-Qaeda ’s RMA, with a focus on developing a more comprehensive solution to warfare under the new RMA paradigm.

This publication is subject to Title 17, United States Code, Sections 101 and 105. It is in the public domain and may not be copyrighted.

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