Future Military Intelligence: CONOPS and S&T Investment Roadmap 2035-2050 (The Cognitive War)

“Future Military Intelligence: CONOPS and S&T Investment Roadmap 2035-2050 (The Cognitive War)“

Speaker: Haugland, E. (US Army Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM))

Date: 4 April 2019

Speaker Session Preview

SMA hosted a speaker session presented by Mr. Edward Haugland (US Army Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM)) as a part of its SMA General Speaker Series. During this presentation, Mr. Haugland reviewed his ‘thought-piece’ entitled, “Future Military Intelligence CONOPS and S&T Investment Roadmap 2035-2050: THE COGNITIVE WAR.” Mr. Haugland highlighted four major findings: 1) the Intelligence Community (IC) and the Department of Defense (DOD) must change from a primarily reactive posture to a proactive one; 2) information and the democratization of technology has changed the character of warfare; 3) the defense community’s focus must change from a kinetic war approach to a cognitive war approach; and 4) immediate investments are needed to enable the success and effectiveness of future intelligence operations. He emphasized that it is important to acknowledge that technology is not the problem. Instead, technology is serving to shape and bring about the existing problem. Our biggest hurdles are cultural and structural, he explained. To conclude, Mr. Haugland suggested three ways to overcome these hurdles: 1) by overhauling the DOD and IC processes, 2) by refining the risk and reward systems, and 3) by revising the conscription system and talent management.