51. Evaluating Military Balances Through the Lens of Net Assessment: History and Application
- Author:
- Thomas Skypek
- Publication Date:
- 01-2010
- Content Type:
- Journal Article
- Journal:
- Journal of Military and Strategic Studies
- Institution:
- Centre for Military, Security and Strategic Studies
- Abstract:
- For senior statesmen and their advisers, the task of evaluating external security threats and identifying strategic opportunities is a perennial challenge. This process is an exercise familiar to all states and is the antecedent of effective national strategy and policy. It requires significant intellectual effort, curiosity, creativity, and a tolerance for uncertainty in the exploration of alternative futures. But this task has vexed statesmen throughout history, who have frequently misperceived the threats and behavior of their competitors. This article examines one contemporary approach the United States has employed to understand the complex state-based military and security threats confronting it: net assessment.
- Political Geography:
- United States