ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the implications of new technology for land warfare and, specifically, why "smart weapons" favour the defence and inevitably lead to non-offensive defence. The tank has dominated normal terrain warfare for the last half century, and warfare has accordingly been dominated by the offensive. The future battlefield will therefore be dominated by light infantry operating in broken terrain defending long range sensor/weapons systems that are widely dispersed across a battlefield substantially extended in depth and breadth. Modern smart weaponry has revolutionized the art of war fighting, while new realities have undermined its relevance. New solutions for mobility on the battlefield will be required, most probably smaller and narrower armoured vehicles capable of twisting through the cover provided by close terrain. The transformation of the future battlefield will require radical changes in the roles and missions currently assigned to the combat branches of the existing services.
