Zhang examines the latest weapons technologies as they were used in December 1998 against Iraq and in the Gulf War. The greatest threat comes now from the air. Zhang discusses fire and forget missiles, laser weapons, stealth weaponry, and the recent revival from the ashes of the old Star Wars plan. India and Pakistan. Peace and stability look to be the main trends in the early 21st century, so a major war is unlikely and many of the big countries continue to reduce their armaments and military budgets, but some military confrontations are quite possible.
Continued reform is essential to building China s strength.
U.S. DoD final report on the Gulf War gives excellent insights into U.S. military thinking and strategy. The increasing stress on high technology weaponry is clear. The U.S is building the informatized military of the 21st Century and using reorganization to boost effectiveness. China should move from concentrating on quantity to concentrating on quality of weaponry. Government decisionmakers and technical advisory departments should be kept distinct in order to avoid conflicts of interest.