On Adaptation in Military Operations

Abstract

A biological perspective has much to offer for a better understanding of military operations. Biological evolution and military operations feature perpetual novelty and conditions far from equilibrium featuring dynamics that demand continuous adaptation. The author suggests that comprehending military operations in an evolutionary framework requires a shift from mechanics and engineering to biology and adaptation. Thus the emphasis moves from statics to dynamics, from time–free to time–prone reality, from determinism to probability and chance, and from uniformity to variation and diversity, with all the consequences.