Data Science in War Against Russia?

Data is a weapon system in modern warfare. The never-ending flow of information that supports the functioning of our economy, military technology, and command and control is now an area that will progressively influence the outcome of present and future war, from computation to combat.

Former Deputy Secretary of Defense David Norquist writes in the introduction to the new Department of Defense (DoD) Data Strategy that it is the responsibility of all DoD leaders to "handle, safeguard, and exploit data for operational effect." The new Department of Defense data strategy aims to use data to gain a tactical advantage on the battlefield, improve DoD administration, and drive informed decisions at all levels.

Information domination is a new arms race in many aspects. And, while data may be the key to improving how the Army conducts business and winning future combat operations, it is not the data that will determine the mission's outcome. Who will win in the long run will be determined by how the data is used.

The US Army must transform its data into a weapon system in order to support the DoD Data Strategy priorities of joint warfighting, senior leader decision support, and data analytics. This weapon system must enable readiness, inform decision makers, enable dominance in the information and cyberspace domains, and expand the Army's ability to project power in multi-domain unified land operations (ULO).

Data analytics can be used to manage and improve the Army's business when it isn't being used on the battlefield. Data scientists assist leaders by identifying and reducing costs, increasing outcomes, streamlining people and materiel flow, and enhancing the Army workforce's efficiency in general.

The Army will need to develop and manage new tools and capabilities to recognize and mitigate vulnerabilities, as well as discover and exploit the vulnerabilities of our competitors and adversaries, as the information environment continues to evolve. The Army must constantly expand its information environment to handle the problem that data is arriving quicker than it can be calculated – or, more crucially, understood and strategized – in many cases. The requirement for appropriate analysis tools to have the ability to weaponize data based on real-time analytics remains a barrier for every organization in the US military. In reality, information saturation is at an all-time high, with the majority of that material coming from domestic sources, according to the Department of Defense.

That is why, now more than ever, the military's commitment to a comprehensive analytics system, which includes a thorough overhaul of our predictive modeling and response systems, is critical. The Department of Defense is currently prioritizing and resourcing these efforts by aligning its staffing, processes, and architecture to support the goal of using a variety of analytics and technologies to mitigate information overload and extract pertinent data in ways that Soldiers and leaders can understand.

The Army will reap significant benefits by embracing expansion in developing analytic capabilities. It will enable us to implement a clearer knowledge of preparedness that compliments the sustainment principles of integration, anticipation, responsiveness, economy, and improvisation. Due to the speed with which data turns into knowledge, it will also improve our general competency, common understanding, intent, and initiative. Our executives, who are in charge of creating objectives that enable enterprise-level analytics across mission areas and domains, will benefit from improved data analytics. Data and information may be exploited both strategically and tactically, resulting in a potent force that empowers our Soldiers and weapon systems.

One thing is certain, whether in the boardroom or on the battlefield. Data is only a collection of random information points if it isn't analyzed. Data analysis isn't the future...today it's if you want to become a worldwide force in business or conflict.