TABLE
OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
of the Study
1.2 Statement
of the Research Problem
1.3 Research
Questions
1.4 Objectives
of the Study
1.5 Research
Hypotheses
1.6 Assumptions
of the Study
1.7 Scope
of the Study
1.8
Limitation of the Study
1.9 Significance
of the Study
1.10 Operationalization
of Terms
CHAPTER
TWO
LITERATURE
REVIEW AND THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
2.1 Introduction
2.1.1
Global Revolution in Military
Affair
2.1.2 Previous Revolutions in Warfare
2.1.3 Revolution in Military Affairs and Origins
2.2
Empirical Review
2.3 Theoretical Frameworks
2.3.1 “Three-Wave” Theory
2.3.2 Dynamic Theory
2.3.3 Strategy for Chaos Theory
2.4 Gaps
in Knowledge
References
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 Research Design
3.2 Area of Study
3.3 Method of Data Collection
3.4 Validity of Instrument
3.5 Reliability of Data
3.6 Method
of Data Analysis
CHAPTER FOUR
RESULTS AND FINDINGS
4.1 The
Driving Force of Revolution in Military Affairs
4.1.1 Elements of Global Revolution
4.1.2 Combat Effectiveness in Revolution in
Military Affairs
4.1.3 Impact
of Revolution in Military Affairs
4.1.4 Challenges
of the Nigeria Military
4.1.5 Prospects
of Nigerian Military towards Revolution in Military Affairs
4.2 The Extent Global Revolution in Military
Affairs Has Brought About Combat Effectiveness in the Nigeria Military
4.3 The Measures Taken By the Nigeria Military
to Be Part of the Global Revolution in Military Affairs
4.3.1 Benefits
of Nigeria’s Military Participation in Peace Keeping
4.3.2 Challenges
of Nigeria Military Participation in Peacekeeping Operations
4.4 The
Activities of Revolution in Military Affairs help the Nigeria Military in
Combating Terrorism in Nigeria
4.5 The relationship between the
Revolution in military affairs and combat effectiveness
4.6 Summary
of findings
References
CHAPTER
FIVE
SUMMARY,
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
5.1 Summary
5.2 Conclusion
5.3 Recommendation
REFERENCE
CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1
Background of the Study
Technological revolution in military
science has progressed from the mid 20thcentury into the 21th
century. Its often claimed that the Revolution in Military Affairs, which exploits recent dramatic
development in electronic technology to communicate, store, analyse and display
stupendous quantities of data, has radically transformed military operations at
every level of command. To put the Revolution in Military Affairs in better
perspective, munitions can now be delivered with
unprecedented precision; surveillance and exploring systems can provide
amazingly detailed information about hostile forces, structures and locations.
The combination of data analysis and distribution systems can allow information
to be rapidly exploited within minutes. Most military analysts agree that
the advances in military technology need a basic assessment and revision of
operational ideas to make sure that full advantage is exploited. This mix of
technological advances and revisions in operational ideas represents a
Revolution in Military Affairs (RMA). (LotharI,
1998)
True
revolution in military affairs is a narrowly military phenomenon. In the most fundamental
sense the product of a broad social and political transformation which gives
rise to new military organizations and technologies. Together, these changes
demand substantial reforms in existing methods of conducting warfare.
The concept of military revolutions goes back to the 1950s, but as
Charles Townshend observed, “modern war” has to be seen as “the product of
three distinct kinds of change: administrative, technological and ideological”
(Townshend, 2005). There have been several revolutions in military strategy
throughout history, such as the innovation of the longbow in the 14th
century; the introduction of gunpowder and artillery in the 15th; the
Napoleonic leveé en masse – the first compulsory military
service; the communications revolution brought by telegraphy; mechanization in
the late 19th and early 20th century, which resulted in such technologies as
tanks, aircraft and submarines; and, perhaps most importantly, nuclear weapons.
Williamson Murray and McGregor Knox distinguish between military revolutions
and revolution in military affairs (Murray and Knox, 2001). In their view, military revolutions such as
the “French Revolution” or the “advent of nuclear weapons” are cumulative and
hard to predict in their consequences for modern states and societies.
Revolutions in Military Affairs (RMAs), on the other hand, result in the defeat
of enemies (for example. in the 1991 Iraq war), but do not necessarily shape
the character of states and societies.
Revolution in Military Affairs is
based on the marriage of new technologies with organizational reforms and
innovative concepts of operations. The result is often characterized as a new
way of warfare. There have been a number of revolutions
in military affairs
just in the past century. The desire to substitute firepower for manpower,
or what General Van Fleet during the Korean War termed the desire “to expend
fire and steel, not men,” (James, 1973) has been a
focus of U.S. defense policy for many decades. This basic American value led
ultimately to an effort to develop a new way of waging war that depended less
and less on quantitative material superiority and attrition to ensure victory.
Conceived in the 1970s, this approach was part of what former Secretary of
Defense Harold Brown called the “offset strategy,” which was based on the need
to counter the overwhelming quantitative superiority of Soviet and Warsaw Pact
forces in Europe. The aim was not simply to field better weapons than the
Soviet Union; rather, the offset strategy was intended to give American weapons
a systems advantage by supporting them on the battlefield in a manner that
greatly multiplied their combat effectiveness. (William, 1991)
The Soviets recognized and
appreciated the potential impact of these technological developments and the
resultant change in American strategy. This appreciation was developed in
concepts first put forward in the late 1970s and early 1980s in the series of
papers by Soviet Marshal Nikolai V. Ogarkov, including his seminal 1982 paper
(Marshal Nikolai, 1982), Revolution in Military
Affairs (RMA), evolved from the ideas developed by the Soviet military
theorists in the early 1970s. The Soviet concept on the matter was more limited
than an RMA, as it was called a military-technical revolution; showing that the
primary focus of Soviet theorists was on revolutions in military technology
(Galdi, 1995). An
example of an RMA is the mechanization of warfare that began in World War I
with the introduction of military airpower, aircraft carriers, submarines and
armoured fighting vehicles. Out of these advances in technology came
independent air forces, strategic bombardment and large-scale amphibious
operations.
Another occurred with the invention
of nuclear weapons and long-range ballistic missiles leading to the creation of
new organizations such as the now-defunct Strategic Air Command and new
concepts such as deterrence. In the 1970s, Soviet
theorists concluded that two military-technical revolutions have so far taken
place in the 20th century, the advent of information technologies and
high-performance computing led to an ongoing revolution in military affairs based largely on improved intelligence and precision strike
weapons.
The first of these revolutions, according
to Soviets, took place during, or soon after, World War I, as it was “driven by
the emergence of aircraft, motor vehicles and chemical warfare;” while the
second, was “driven by the development of nuclear weapons, missiles and
computers in World War II” (Galdi, 1995). The
same Soviet military theorists even attempted to outline the nature of the next
“military-technical revolution;” which, according to them, “would involve
advances in microelectronics, sensors, precision-guidance, automated control
systems, and directed energy” (Galdi, 1995). And in retrospect, while the
revolutionary nature and significance of these changes in military technology
is open to question, it is clear these Soviet theorists have succeeded in
correctly predicting which technologies will play the leading role in future
warfare. Hence, this research will seek to show that a revolution in military
affairs (RMA) is a theoretical concept which does not seem to be applicable to
the changes in military affairs that have been taking place since the last
decades of the 20th century.
Revolution
in Military Affairs is a superior change in military
warfare brought about by the innovative application of new technologies. This
brought about the dramatic changes in military doctrine, operational and
organisational concepts; and the character and conduct of military operations.
(Jeffrey2000) argues that such
these revolutions have occurred many times in history for a variety of reasons
and most obvious cause is the technological thrust which started with the
industrial revolution. Technological development saw the invention of gun
powder, the steam engine, submarine, internal combustion engine, aeroplane,
aircraft carrier and the atom bomb as some of the most obvious innovations
which led to changes in the conduct of modern warfare. (LotharI, 1998). The
history of global revolution in military affair does not seem that entire long
since the United States was considering how advancements in military technology
would allow it to use advances in long-range precision weapons, intelligence
sensors, and command and control capabilities to dominate conventional wars.
American combat effectiveness in the first
Gulf War in 1990 amazed observers around the world. Out of Iraq and Kuwait came
hints of a future where the U.S. military could strike anywhere with force,
precision, and relative safety, its enemies electronically confused into
submission with little of warfare’s normal collateral destruction. It seemed
that “information age” technology, if combined with appropriate doctrine and
training, might allow a small but advanced 21st century U.S. military to
protect national interests with unprecedented efficiency. The Gulf War thus
suggested that a historic revolution in military affairs (RMA) is underway, bringing
solutions to many of the strategic dilemmas of the post-Cold War world.
The Gulf War in 1991 saw the military use
of information technology at its zenith, the fighting in Kosovo in 1999, the
initial invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, and the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq to
topple a Saddam Hussein 2003, (Wikipedia Search, 2019). All seemed to prove
that superior technology and tactics had led to a “Revolution in Military
Affairs” that would dominate modern warfare. Some technological advances
originated in the civil sector. Revolution in Military Affairs
were brought about by social military revolutions such as the development of
airlines, railways, trucks which enabled military forces to be travel and moved
over great distances. The advent of the motor-car for instance, has profound
impact, providing a measure of fast and comfortable individual mobility never
previously possible. The advent of train provides alternative means of
transportation. With rail, goods can be conveyed in extra-ordinarily large
volumes from their areas of production to the commercial zones. Sea liners
which are larger are faster and more comfortable comparable to public transport
system by road. The development of aircraft and of course airplane made
possible inter-continental movement in a matter of hours by the military.
Revolution in military affairs has changed
the spectrum of warfare in today’s dynamic battle space. The effect has been
demonstrated in recent wars after World War II. The 1991 Gulf war was
characterised by technological warfare with state-of-the-art Precision Guided
Missiles (PGMs), cruise missiles and an exceptional display of air power, among
others.
Growth and improvements in technology have
created a global environment with relatively unrestricted flow of information.
Thus, there is now a gradual shift from the centre of gravity of physical
combat of military and means of combat towards non-traditional methods,
including information. The ability to access information at the right time has
brought tremendous impact on command and control in Revolution in military
affairs. In modern times days of information communications technology (ICT) is
the real weapon in combating effectiveness in military, not just in a
metaphoric sense but in the direct sense as well, (Nnoli, 2003). The current
Revolution in military affairs are the PGMs, sensors, fibre optics and the
miniaturisation of microchips, global positioning systems (GPS), satellite
technologies and simulators. These are all products of ICT and components of
network-centric warfare (NCW). Therefore, the appropriateness and promptness of
information could make a difference in the outcome of a war, (Amauche, 2004).
The
trend in technological advancement is unprecedented. In the past, technological
improvement was either contingent on or catalyzed by military needs, but today,
technological innovations seem to dictate the ways and means of warfare. (Ayoola, 2006).Therefore,
developing countries need to cope with this wave of change and its challenges.
These countries possess an appreciable level of technology and a strong defence
industrial base which can match some of the challenges. This is due to the
level of technology available to their peculiar environments.
The complex task of keeping Nigeria one, and of
protecting the country from external aggression and attacks undoubtedly
rests primarily on the Nigerian armed forces, that is, the army,
navy and the air force. Between 1960 when Nigeria secured its
independence from Britain right to this present moment, when the country
is in the process of consolidating the gains of democracy it started
in 1999, the journey into the “tortuous terrain” of defence and security
of the country’s territorial integrity from internal and
external threats in a rapidly changing, complex albeit
an unpredictable environment, has been both challenging and onerous
for the country’s military. It is, therefore, not surprising that the
Nigerian Army is the most potent element of Nigeria’s national security.
With a total strength of about one hundred and Eighty-One
thousand (181,000) men, with no official reserve, the Nigerian armed
forces has over the years, acquired considerable stock of weapons of
offense and defence, and has also been engaged in series of military
exercises aimed at boosting the combat readiness and war preparedness of
its officers and men, (Oluyemi,
2018).
The primary purpose of the Nigerian military, just like
those of other nations, is to defend their nation from external attack and
deter or attack would-be enemies. The realization of this function
primarily entails the preservation of the territory, peoples, culture and
the national security of the nation. In Nigeria, the functions of the
military, is contained in the Federal Constitution (1999) thus:
The protection of the country against all forms of internal and
external danger/threat or attack is a primary responsibility of
government performed through the armed forces in collaboration with
the civilian population. Subversion of government policy from
within or without, religious intolerance and fanaticism, ethnic
antagonism and class struggles, unemployment, hunger, perceived
inequality and social injustice, etc. are the major sources of
internal threats to security, while the grave forms of external threats are
aggression or actual attack on our territorial integrity, both
of which represent an assault on our very survival as a people.
To effectively perform its constitutional
role, the Nigeria military need to modernize in line with the global RMA
warfare.
The next few decades could pose both
political and military challenges to Nigeria (Yusuf, 1999). These challenges
are occasioned by the quest to have a permanent seat in the UN Security
Council, regional power posture and Nigeria’s frontline role in the cooperation
and integration of Africa. The unavoidable characteristics of the environment
in which the Nigerian Armed Forces could fight in the future dictate that her
forces should be structured to face such challenges. Since globalization has
united the world into one village, the engagement of the Nigerian Armed Forces
will not be limited to the West African arena alone. Today, internal conflicts within one state
are easily made international by global media coverage and many nations are
quickly drawn into them, (Yusuf, 1999).
The situation in the Nigerian Armed Forces
is that there has been scanty and uncoordinated acquisition of modern
platforms, weapons systems and equipment. Consequently, some of those in the
inventory are either becoming or are already obsolete. Others have become
degraded by long usage and poor maintenance. Furthermore, strategies and
processes for upgrading them are not clearly defined due to lack of defined
policies from the Ministry of Defence (MOD). The situation is further compounded
by the competition for resources by other sectors of the economy in addition to
the defence sector, (Ayoola, 2006).
Hofstede, (2002) stated that “One of the most
important features of the digital age is the use of new communications technologies
to build digital citizenships.
The state of insecurity in
Nigeria today is no news to anyone and although it can be blamed on some
factors that have been left unchecked for a long time by the Nigerian Government
and Nigeria army but the level of insecurity in the country is threatening to
tear her apart and requires quick, adequate and a new approach to deal with the
security challenges plaguing the nation.
The backwardness in Nigerian
military over stunted technology advancement signifies giant strides in Revolution
in military affairs should awakened the
Nigerian Army that had been dormant for a long period of time and signaled the
birth of insecurity and to this effect, this study aims at examining the global
revolution in military affairs: challenges and prospects for the Nigerian
military.
1.2 Statement of the Research Problem
The
Federal Republic of Nigeria has a very good military to help ensure and defend
both the internal and external security threat that may face the country.
However, Nigeria's security challenges and threat perceptions emanated from
many quarters, which include the threat of extreme Islamic sects like Boko
Haram, high level of unemployed youths, militants from the oil rich Niger
delta, ritual killings, kidnapping, flow of illegal migrants from the
neighbouring countries and election violence. In addition, when external
threats are directed at the country there is an attempt to keep these threats
isolated. Nigeria’s security challenges require emergence preparedness among
many other security issues.
In the Nigerian military today, the
development of technology facilities is at a minimal level. Thus, if the
Nigerian military witness, for example, information warfare attacks on its ICT
facilities it would face severe challenges. Equally worrisome are the dearth of
modern platforms, weapons systems, equipment and the absence of appropriate
policies to address the problem. This situation is further compounded by poor
funding and a low level of national technological and industrial base. The Nigerian
military, particularly the Nigerian Army, since 1863 of its inception has
participated in both internal and external operations in the fulfilment of its
constitutional roles (Nigeria Army, 2017). Specifically, Revolution
in military affairs
will enable the country’s security and intelligence community to identify
potential threats, share information more readily, provide mechanisms to
protect the country, and develop response capabilities. The use of Emergency
Communication Systems, GPS-enabled devices, Social Networking Tools,
emergency-operation centres, Intelligent Monitoring systems, Data Mining and
Database Tracking systems and Information Sharing will greatly improve the
ability of the Nigeria security agencies in combating security challenges in Nigeria.
For the Nigerian state to achieve the objectives of the National Defence
Policy, it would be important to discover how the Nigerian Armed Forces could
keep pace with trends in global Revolution in military affairs. It would also
be important to learn how the revolution in military affairs can enhance combat
effectiveness. It is essential
that the revolution in military affairs have given the country a different level of military affairs
in country’s security strategy, which include improvement in peace keeping
mission (diplomacy), intelligence, combat effectiveness and information
technology and emergency management. This is what generated the researcher’s
interest in the study. The problem of the study is therefore articulated in the
following research questions.
1.3 Research Questions
i.
What is the relationship between the
Revolution in military affairs and combat effectiveness?
ii.
What measures have the Nigeria army taken
to be part of the global revolution in military affairs?
iii.
How have the activities of revolution in
military affairs helped the Nigerian army in combating terrorism in Nigeria?
1.4 Objectives of the Study
The main objective of this research
project is to examine the global revolution in military affairs, focusing on
challenges and prospects for the Nigerian military.
The specific objectives are;
i.
To examine the relationship between the
Revolution in military affairs and combat effectiveness
ii.
To assess the measures taken by the
Nigeria Army to be part of the global revolution in military affairs.
iii.
To examine how the activities of
revolution in military affairs help the Nigerian army in combating terrorism in
Nigeria.
1.5 Research Hypotheses
In view of the problem that prompted this
research, also in line with the objectives mentioned above, the following hypotheses
are tentatively formulated and will be tested in the cause of this research.
Hypotheses One (1)
Ho:
There is relationship between the revolution in military affairs and combat
effectiveness
Hi:
There is no relationship between the Revolution in military affairs and combat
effectiveness
Hypotheses Two (2)
Ho: Nigeria
army has taken measures to be part of the global revolution in military affairs
Hi: Nigeria
army has not taken measures to be part of the global revolution in military
affairs
1.6 Assumptions of the Study
This study views at combating
effectiveness in terms of limited and general war. Although none of Nigeria’s
immediate neighbours is a major threat to her territorial integrity, the
possibility of engaging in warfare with their allies was considered.
1.7 Scope of the Study
The study concentrates on the global revolution in military
affairs: challenges and prospects for the Nigerian military.
It takes a broad look at the Nigerian military, but mainly examines the Army.
Critically, the study covers a timeframe from 2009 to 2019, a period, a period
the Nigerian military had to battle the Boko Haram insurgence with less
sophisticated weapons.
1.8 Limitation of the Study
The research is constrained by official
secrecy of information, which is empirically, scientifically and analytically
valuable to the research. However, other non-official anonymous sources were
explored. However, care was taken to ensure that the study was successfully
carried out to reach a valid but tentative conclusion.
1.9 Significance of the Study
The study is significant for the fact that
it would contribute to knowledge on the revolution in military affairs. It
would also assist the government to appreciate the necessity for achieving a revolution
in military affairs and ensure proper funding of the Nigerian Military.
Furthermore, it would stimulate further research on the revolution in military
affairs, thus contributing to the drive by the Nigerian military in improving
its capability in the defence of Nigeria’s territorial space.
1.10 Operationalization of Terms
Revolution in Military Affairs
(RMA): is a major change
in the nature of warfare brought about by the innovative application of new
technologies which, combined with dramatic changes in military doctrine and operational and organisational concepts,
fundamentally alters the character and conduct of military operations
Global Revolution in
Military: Is the radical change in military doctrines,
strategies, tactics, and methods of warfare under the influence of new military
technologies (especially modern information technology,
telecommunication, space technology and high-precision weapons).
Combat Effectiveness: Is the readiness of a military unit to engage in combat based on behavioral, operational, and leadership
considerations. Combat effectiveness
measures the ability of a military force to accomplish its objective and is one
component of overall military effectiveness.
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