An Cosantóir

www.military 4 | An Cosantóir March / April 2025 www.military.ie/magazine TECHCRAFT: THE MARRIAGE OF FIELDCRAFT AND TECHNOLOGY D onald Rumsfeld once reflected, "You go to war with the army you have, not the army you might or wish to have at a later time. "The integration of technology into modern warfare has indeed revolutionised the battlefield, making techcraft a vital set of skills for today's soldiers operating in technology-infused battlefield. Concealment, masking and deception, once the hallmarks of traditional fieldcraft, now require a deep understanding and proficiency in technology. The concept was introduced by the US Army Futures Command and embraced by General Walker of the British Army who underscores the necessity for modern soldiers to be both tacticians and technicians. Today's commanders must be proficient systems integrators blending fieldcraft with technology to adapt to the evolving nature of warfare. The transparency brought about by technological advancements demands a new level of adaptability and expertise from soldiers. This paradigm shift reflects the fact there is no longer a templated tactical solution to the battlefield, and reinforces Von Clausewitz's theory that "war is more than a true chameleon that slightly adapts its characteristics to the given case" is evolving rapidly through infusion of technology in current and future conflicts by enhancing the human machine integration or what the British Army identifies as the human machine team. The Army is now deployed in regions, which are technology infused, and is not exempt the tactical or strategic effect of that technology. The Army deploys from fixed bases, the last time it operated as an expeditionary type force was in Chad (2007-2009), these fixed positions allow our positions to be easily targeted. Survivability on the modern battlefield has changed little over time, with the maxim to be detected is to be targeted, and to be targeted is to be engaged, therefore we must return to our roots of fieldcraft employing concealment, masking and deception in the electrometric space along with the physical space. Our navigation and signals equipment may be subject to targeting or spoofing (the capability of confusing electronic systems). Misinformation and disinformation are very prevalent, and can travel quicker than a speeding bullet and can have a deadly effect. The following three short case studies demonstrate the impact technology has had in recent and current conflicts. On September 23, 2020, Azerbaijan launched a full-scale invasion of Artsakh, heralding the commencement of the six-week-long second Nagorno- Karabakh War. This initiated a war between Armenia and Azerbaijan. It is considered by many to be a milestone in military affairs, as it was the first conflict in which unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) won a war by overwhelming a conventional force. Initially grinding it down to the point of impotency and paving the way for the Azeri ground forces to roll in. Azerbaijan's UAVs obliterated Armenia's formidable array of ground based air defences, after which they systematically decimated Armenia's ground force materiel, including tanks, artillery pieces, and supply trucks. More recently in Gaza and Lebanon, the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) employed AI to identify and target enemy forces. As of 01 Jan 25 the IDF have established an AI and Autonomy Administration with the mission to achieve global leadership in military AI and autonomy. The intent of the new organisation is to build on years of successful research, development and collaboration between industry and the IDF in order to increase the operational tempo and reduce casualties. The ability of being able to digitally map the human and logistical network has proved to be a game changer in speeding up and increasing the quantity of potential targets in their targeting process system. The enhancement of human machine integration has led to an increased operational output. Both the Russian and Ukraine Armed Forces have integrated technology into their respective Armies. As identified by General ARTICLE BY SGT MAJ DAVID O'REILLY PHOTOS PROVIDED BY SGT MAJ DAVID O'REILLY Mowags under cover

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