ABSTRACT

Occasionally, during times of peace, military forces achieve major warfighting innovations. Terry Pierce terms these developments 'disruptive innovations' and shows how senior leaders have often disguised them in order to ensure their innovations survived.

He shows how more common innovations however, have been those of integrating new technologies to help perform existing missions better and not change them radically. The author calls these 'sustaining innovations'. The recent innovation history suggests two interesting questions. First, how can senior military leaders achieve a disruptive innovation when they are heavily engaged around the world and they are managing sustaining innovations? Second, what have been the external sources of disruptive (and sustaining) innovations?

This book is essential reading for professionals and students interested in national security, military history and strategic issues.

chapter 1|18 pages

Introduction

chapter 2|32 pages

Explaining disruptive innovations

chapter 3|19 pages

US Marine Corps innovation

The development of amphibious warfare

chapter 4|9 pages

Post-World War II Marine Corps disruptive innovations

(I) Helicopter warfare

chapter 6|19 pages

US Marine Corps inchoate disruptive innovation

Maneuver warfare

chapter 8|5 pages

US Navy sustaining innovation

Continuous aim gunfire

chapter 9|11 pages

US Navy disruptive innovation

Carrier warfare

chapter 10|13 pages

Disruptive innovation

Japanese carrier warfare

chapter 11|7 pages

US Navy disruptive innovation

CWC – naval combined arms warfare

chapter 12|3 pages

US Navy sustaining innovation

Carrier battle group concept

chapter 13|9 pages

US Navy disruptive innovation – aborted

Project 60 – defensive sea control warfare

chapter 14|12 pages

US Navy disruptive innovation: maritime action groups – surface land attack warfare

Maritime action groups – surface

chapter 16|10 pages

Conclusion