Overview

From a former senior advisor to Senator John McCain, an urgent wake-up call about how new technologies are threatening America's military might. When we think about the future of war, the military and Washington and most everyone gets it backwards. We think in terms of buying single military systems, such as fighter jets or aircraft carriers. And when we think about modernizing those systems, we think about buying better versions of the same things. But what really matters is not the single system but the battle network -- the collection of sensors and shooters that enables a military to find an enemy system, target it, and attack it. This process is what the military calls the kill chain -- how you get from detection to action, and do it as quickly as possible. The future of war is not about buying better versions of the same systems we have always had; it is about buying faster, better kill chains. As former Staff Director for the Senate Armed Services Committee and senior policy advisor to Senator John McCain, Christian Brose saw this reality up close. In The Kill Chain, he elaborates on one of the greatest strategic predicaments facing America now: that we are playing a losing game. Our military's technological superiority and traditional approach to projecting power have served us well for decades, when we faced lesser opponents. But now we face highly capable and motivated competitors that are using advanced technologies to erode our military edge, and with it, our ability to prevent war, deter aggression, and maintain peace. We must adapt or fail, Brose writes, and the biggest obstacle to doing so is the sheer inertial force of the status quo.

Full Product Details

9781549105524

Table of Contents

Reviews

Provocative, jolting, superb, and on target! The Kill Chain is all of those things and more. If you read only one book to better understand the challenges facing the US military and the promise of emerging technologies, this should be it. -- Admiral James Stavridis, former Supreme Allied Commander at NATO and author of Sailing True North Christian Brose understands like few others the serious challenges the U.S. military faces, especially in relation to China. He delivers a powerful wake-up call to the American people and our leadership--warning aptly that America's military superiority is at grave risk unless we reimagine defense. Thankfully, Brose issues a thoughtful and compelling plan for America to adapt effectively in this gripping, must-read book. -- Susan E. Rice, former US National Security Advisor and Ambassador to the United Nations Christian Brose has done the country a great service by writing this important and timely book. The Kill Chain is a powerful and thoughtful challenge to much of the conventional wisdom about national defense. It also offers a compelling vision for how the US military can get beyond business as usual to compete and win in this new era of great power competition. Brose's book should be read by every American. -- Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR), author of Sacred Duty The Kill Chain is an exceptional--and an exceptionally stimulating--guide to thinking about the military and technological revolutions that will produce a fundamental change to the character of war. -- General David Petraeus (US Army, Ret.), former Commander of the Surge in Iraq, US Central Command, and Coalition Forces in Afghanistan, as well as former Director of the CIA The Kill Chain is a tour-de-force. Few people are as knowledgeable and experienced as Christian Brose in thinking about the intersection of emerging technology and national defense. He pulls it all together in this compelling, unsettling, and outstanding book. -- Eric Schmidt, former Chairman of Alphabet and CEO and Chairman of Google

Christian Brose understands like few others the serious challenges the U.S. military faces, especially in relation to China. He delivers a powerful wake-up call to the American people and our leadership--warning aptly that America's military superiority is at grave risk unless we reimagine defense. Thankfully, Brose issues a thoughtful and compelling plan for America to adapt effectively in this gripping, must-read book. -- Susan E. Rice, former US National Security Advisor and Ambassador to the United Nations Christian Brose has done the country a great service by writing this important and timely book. The Kill Chain is a powerful and thoughtful challenge to much of the conventional wisdom about national defense. It also offers a compelling vision for how the US military can get beyond business as usual to compete and win in this new era of great power competition. Brose's book should be read by every American. -- Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR), author of Sacred Duty The Kill Chain is an exceptional--and an exceptionally stimulating--guide to thinking about the military and technological revolutions that will produce a fundamental change to the character of war. -- General David Petraeus (US Army, Ret.), former Commander of the Surge in Iraq, US Central Command, and Coalition Forces in Afghanistan, as well as former Director of the CIA The Kill Chain is a tour-de-force. Few people are as knowledgeable and experienced as Christian Brose in thinking about the intersection of emerging technology and national defense. He pulls it all together in this compelling, unsettling, and outstanding book. -- Eric Schmidt, former Chairman of Alphabet and CEO and Chairman of Google Provocative, jolting, superb, and on target!...If you read only one book to better understand the challenges facing the US military and the promise of emerging technologies, this should be it. -- Admiral James Stavridis, former Supreme Allied Commander at NATO and author of Sailing True North

Author Information

Christian Brose served as Staff Director for the Senate Armed Services Committee from 2014-2018 and was the youngest person to hold the position in the Committee's history. He served as Sen. John McCain's senior policy advisor from 2009-2014, advising on all issues related to national security, foreign policy, intelligence, and trade. Brose was senior editor at Foreign Policy from 2008-2009, and served as policy advisor and chief speechwriter to Sec. of State Condoleeza Rice. He began his career as speechwriter for Sec. of State Colin Powell in 2004. Brose graduated from Kenyon College with a degree in political science, then received his master's in international economics from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. He lives in Washington, DC with his wife and two sons.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available