THE GLOBAL REVOLUTION IN MILITARY AFFAIRS AND COMBAT EFFECTIVENESS CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS FOR THE NIGERIAN ARMED FORCES
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Weapons technology has progressed within the last century. Munitions can now be delivered with unprecedented
precision; surveillance and reconnaissance systems can provide amazingly detailed information about hostile forces,
structures and locations. A combination of data analysis and distribution systems can allow this information to be
rapidly exploited. Most military analysts agree that the advances in military technology require a fundamental
reappraisal and revision of operational concepts to ensure that full advantage is exploited. This combination of
technological advances and revisions in operational concepts represents a Revolution in Military Affairs (RMA).1
RMA is a major change in the nature of warfare brought about by the innovative application of new technologies. This
leads to dramatic changes in military doctrine, operational and organisational concepts. It will fundamentally alter the
character and conduct of military operations.2 Such revolutions have occurred many times in history for a variety of
reasons. The most obvious cause is the technological thrust which started with the industrial age. The invention of
gun powder, the steam engine, submarine, internal combustion engine, aeroplane, aircraft carrier and the atom bomb
are some of the most obvious innovations which led to changes in the conduct of modern warfare. Some of these technological advances originated in the civil sector. Other forms of RMA were brought about by social
military revolutions such as the development of railways, which enabled military forces to be moved and supplied over
great distances.4 RMA has changed the spectrum of warfare in today’s dynamic battle space. The effect has been
demonstrated in recent wars after WW II. The Gulf war was characterised by digital battle fields with state-of-the-art
Precision Guided Missiles (PGMs), cruise missiles and an exceptional display of air power among others.
Advances 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 traditional methods of force and means of combat towards nontraditional methods, including information. The ability to access the right information at the right time has made
tremendous impact on command and control. Nowadays, information communications technology (ICT) tools are
becoming real weapons, not just in a metaphoric sense but in the direct sense as well.5 The drivers of the current
RMA 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 of information could make a difference in the outcome of a war.6
The pace of technological advancement is unprecedented. In the past, technological advancement was either
contingent on or catalyzed by military needs, but today, technological innovations seem to dictate the ways and
means of war fighting.7 Developing countries therefore, need to cope with this wave of change and its challenges.
Developing countries like Egypt, Brazil and South Africa have some advantages. They possess an appreciable level
of technology and a strong defence industrial base which can match some of the challenges. This is due to the
adaptation of technology available to their peculiar environments. Nigeria, in view of her low defence industrial base,
needs to examine the options available. Modern technology is having an overwhelming influence on the world and
one is either part of it or prey to it.8 This is pertinent if Nigeria must become relevant in the global RMA in order to be
effective in modern warfare.
The next few decades could pose both political and military challenges to Nigeria.10 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 employment 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. 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.
THE GLOBAL REVOLUTION IN MILITARY AFFAIRS AND COMBAT EFFECTIVENESS CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS FOR THE NIGERIAN ARMED FORCES