The Armed Forces in the 21st Century

On March 23rd, 2015, INCIPE organized a breakfast conference on the topic The Armed Forces in the 21st Century at which Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces Admiral General Fernando García Sánchez spoke about the challenges of running an effective armed force in the modern day.

Admiral General Fernando García Sánchez opened his speech by stating that we are living in an era of great change and transformation. In order to keep up in this era, the Armed Forces must adapt, but not in simple terms. The adaptation must be in the form of cutting edge innovation and the widespread development of new skills and capabilities that allow for prevention and preparation for threats that lie ahead.

Terrorism, nuclear projects, disease, wars and the economy continue to be threats in the 21st century, but they exist in a new capacity. Globalization and internationalization have increased the rate of change in the world, and the Armed Forces must have the strategic framework and skills to respond to these changes at an equally rapid pace.

The ease of communication fostered by technology and globalization has created new perspectives regarding war and the role of the national Armed Forces within war. Social media has created a 24/7 space for communication, making it so war never sleeps and thus forcing Spain to adapt new strategies. The complexities of modern war are difficult to manage and navigate. For this reason, the Spanish Armed Forces have altered their perspectives regarding the goals of war in the modern era. Success can no longer be measured in the amount of control a certain country has, and instead should be measured in their global influence. In order to be influential, Spain has adapted and interdisciplinary approach, in which it combines the skills and capacities of different sectors of the Armed Forces and government to garner success.

Spain’s strategic framework focuses on prevention, assessment and action. This is a 24/7 task. Spain has increased their information capacity in order to prevent and assess potential threats, allowing the Armed Forces to more quickly respond to crises and maintain stability in targeted regions. In order to be successful in the modern world, Spain must maintain its long established military values; discipline, workability, flexibility and responsibility.

In the discussion that followed Admiral General Fernando García Sánchez’s speech, many pressing issues were discussed. The debate began with a conversation relating to the relationship between Spain and NATO, which lead into a discussion about Spanish international alliances and their essential geostrategic position in the current theatre. Spain’s economic state and its impact on the military budget was also an important topic of conversation. It was decided that the quantity of money in Spain’s military budget is far less important than the quality of service Spanish Armed Forces can provide with that money. Globalization its impact on the accessibility of dangerous technologies was also thoroughly discussed.

Madison Ordway
INCIPE