Before there was a 3rd offset, there was Harold Brown

In today’s Pentagon, the buzzwords are “innovation,” “replicator,” and “deterrence by denial.” Defense leaders speak of creating thanks to advances in AI, autonomy, hypersonic and quantum technologies, an approach that was previously termed the “Third Offset Strategy.” But before that term existed, there was Harold Brown — a physicist, strategist, and Secretary of Defense who quietly pioneered the art of combining advanced technology with new concepts of military operations to bolster deterrence. Brown’s Pentagon fully funded and accelerated the stealth aircraft program that became the F-117, pioneered the integration of computers into battlefield networks, advanced the adoption of cruise missiles, and created concepts that linked ground, air, and space-based sensors with precision weapons. When the Cold War ended, many of the technologies Brown had championed formed the backbone of America’s unmatched military edge in the 1991 Gulf War — a vindication of his long-term vision.

Author: RealClearWire

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