Future War: An Assessment of Aerospace Campaigns in 2010 - Strategic

In this review of Future War: An Assessment of Aerospace Campaigns in 2010, the bottom line is clear: this is a focused, forward-looking analysis intended for professionals and serious readers of military strategy who want a compact, theory-driven examination of future conflict. Colonel Jeffery R Barnett argues that the pace of change in the coming 15 years could rival or exceed the interwar transformation, and the single biggest reason to read this book is its concentrated attention on how communications and stealth technology will shape both niche and peer competition.

Key Features

• Comparative historical analysis: Places the next 15 years alongside the interwar period to frame how rapid technological and doctrinal shifts may unfold, helping readers understand possible trajectories.
• Scenario-based thinking: Lays out theoretical scenarios for conflicts with niche competitors and peer competitors, which aids planners and analysts in imagining varied operational challenges.
• Focus on technology: Emphasizes communications and stealth as decisive elements, clarifying where investment and attention may yield strategic advantage.
• Authoritative perspective: Written by a Serving USAF Colonel and Military Assistant to the Director, Net Assessment, offering a practitioner viewpoint grounded in defense assessment.
• Concise synthesis: Offers a compact assessment rather than an encyclopedic treatment, making it easier to read in a short sitting while still provoking thought.

Who It's For

This book is best suited for military professionals, defense analysts, graduate students of security studies, and readers interested in the intersection of technology and strategic planning. The focused, analytical tone and scenario planning approach will appeal to those who want an expert assessment rather than popular history or expansive textbook treatment.

Readers seeking detailed technical specifications of systems, an exhaustive historical account, or light popular reading should look elsewhere; this work assumes familiarity with defense concepts and rewards readers who want a concentrated, policy-relevant argument about future aerospace campaigns.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Clear emphasis on communications technology and stealth as strategic enablers provides a useful analytic lens for planners.
• Useful scenario descriptions that separate niche from peer threats, supporting contingency thinking.
• Author's background in net assessment lends credibility and a pragmatic orientation to the arguments.

Cons

• The concise format limits deep technical detail, so readers seeking exhaustive system-level analysis may find it brief.

Specifications

Title	Future War: An Assessment of Aerospace Campaigns in 2010
Author	Jeffery R Barnett
Author affiliation	United States Air Force, Military Assistant to Director, Net Assessment
Foreword	Admiral William A. Owens, Vice Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff
Focus areas	Communications technology, stealth technology, aerospace campaigns
Approach	Comparative historical analysis and scenario planning

Our Verdict

Future War is a compact, thoughtful assessment that serves professionals and serious students well by highlighting how communications and stealth could determine outcomes in future aerospace campaigns. Its value lies in stimulating strategic thinking rather than providing technical deep dives, making it a worthwhile read for planners and analysts who want a focused, authoritative perspective on likely changes in the next decade and a half.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this book include technical system specifications?
Answer. No, the book emphasizes strategic implications of technology rather than detailed technical specs of specific systems.

Who wrote the foreword and why is that relevant?
Answer. Admiral William A. Owens wrote the foreword; his senior joint experience underscores the work's connection to high-level defense assessment.

Is the book more historical or forward-looking?
Answer. It is forward-looking, using the interwar comparison as a frame to project likely changes and scenarios for the next 15 years.