New Assessment and Military Strategy: Retrospective and Prospective Essays

by Thomas G Mahnken

The Office of Net Assessment (ONA) was responsible for carrying out three programs in the Department of Defense from November 1973 until the collapse of the Soviet Union. Net assessments utilize a multidisciplinary approach to defense analysis to capture the dynamics of national or coalition military strengths and weaknesses for comparison with the capabilities of competitors and adversaries. They offer critical insights to senior leaders on the relative military power of the United States vis-à-vis potential adversaries over time. This book is an invaluable resource for scholars and students in international relations, political science, and conflict and security.

272 pages, Paperback

Published March 25, 2020

Reviews

[Ted Tyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

The net assessment is one of my favorite structured-analytic techniques. I used it a couple of times in graduate school to assess diagnostic issues in the political-military domain. The value of the net assessment is that it utilizes historical case studies, doctrine, strategy, cultural differences, perception issues, military balance, organizational systems, and decision-making flow charts. It's a very complex, nuanced process that can reveal unique, valuable insights. I enjoyed reading about the history of the process, it's relevance during the Cold War, and projections for how assessments can be made in the Twenty-first Century.