College

College of Liberal Arts

Department/Unit

International Studies

Document Type

Article

Source Title

Military and Strategic Affairs

Volume

6

Issue

3

First Page

43

Last Page

58

Publication Date

2014

Abstract

The current Revolution in Military Affairs (RMA) theory has been the focus of academics and military analysts, trying to define the role of technology in transforming military affairs during the past three decades. However, despite the vast literature on the subject, only a limited number of studies look into the implications of RMA on small states. The emphasis on great powers, as some scholars suggest, is a reflection of the fact that the broader strategic studies literature does not necessarily consider small states, as their capabilities significantly limited compared to their great power counterparts. In this context, the article argues that the relevance of the current RMA theory is dependent on the strategy employed by small states. For the purposes of this article, a small state is defined as a state that has “limited capacity to influence the security interests of, or directly threaten, a great power and defend itself against an attack by an equally motivated great power.”The article is divided into three parts. The first part discusses the characteristics of the current RMA. The second part surveys the strategies that small states in employ to survive in the international system. The third part assesses the current RMA theory’s relevance to the strategies of small states.

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Disciplines

International and Area Studies

Keywords

Armed Forces; States, Small; International relations

Shelf Location

Archives, The Learning Commons, 12F, Henry Sy Sr. Hall

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