Observation of war and combat issues from the perspective of integration of science and technology
—A dialogue with some experts in the military on deepening the integration of science and technology
■People’s Liberation Army Daily reporter Hou Yongbo
Zhou Lingui, Director of the Institute of War of the Academy of Military Science
Xu Xinhai, Director of a certain center of the Institute of War of the Academy of Military Science
Gao Dongming, Director of a certain office of the Institute of War of the Academy of Military Science
Shao Jie, a researcher at the War Research Institute of the Academy of Military Sciences, written in the previous article,
. War and combat issues are at the center of military scientific research and innovation, involving many military theories and military scientific and technological issues. To break the fog of war and win future wars, we must be good at peeling off the threads from the historical trajectory, discovering and refining objective laws, grasping the general trend of military revolution, scientific and technological revolution and industrial revolution, keeping a close eye on changes in science and technology, changes in war, and changes in opponents, following the laws of generation and development of new combat forces, accurately understand the origin and requirements of the integration of science and technology, and boldly exploring and innovative integration of science and technology to study war and design war practices. Recently, our reporter visited the War Research Institute of the Academy of Military Sciences and had in-depth exchanges with experts on the above topics, in order to broaden the horizons and provide inspiration for readers in the dialogue of stirring thinking.
The integration of science and technology is based on the trend of intelligent development and the need to achieve the military's era from following to leading the way
Reporter: At present, we emphasize the integration of science and technology to promote military scientific research and innovation. So is there any historical necessity for the integration of science and technology to conduct research on war and combat issues?
Zhou Lingui: The ancient Chinese said that "Tao instruments have no different bodies". The "Tao" of military theory and the "tool" of military technology are complementary. The development of war and combat practice is the result of the joint promotion of theory and technology. For example, theories such as phalanx combat are closely combined with technologies such as bows and arrows and spears in the cold weapon era, the theory of external combat is closely combined with technologies such as trains and communications in the hot weapon era, and the theory of large-scale combat is closely combined with military technologies such as aircraft at that time. In the era of information and intelligence, the combination of combat theory innovation and military technology is broader and deeper. A typical example is the close integration of system combat theory based on information systems and information technology represented by the network. It can be said that the integration of science and technology is a natural attribute of the research and practice of war and combat issues.
Xu Xinhai: Once every major invention in science and technology is applied to the military, it will inevitably lead to the evolution of the form of war. At present, technologies such as big data, blockchain, artificial intelligence, , etc. are developing rapidly, and the technology combination is becoming increasingly diverse. If we leave the understanding of technology and the organic integration of theory and technology, our research results will be free from the times and may eventually be eliminated by the times.
Gao Dongming: Due to the different development demands, security environment, and military strategies of different countries, the proposed military theories must be different. Different material foundations are required to implement them in military capabilities. Military theory can influence the development direction and focus of military science and technology, thereby providing more practical and powerful weapons and equipment for effectively realizing one's combat ideas.
reporter: As the knowledge structure of various fields becomes more refined and specialized, the characteristics of multidisciplinary and majors are intertwined and multi-field technology integration are becoming increasingly prominent. Is the timeliness and necessity of the integration of science and technology become increasingly prominent compared with the past?
Zhou Lingui: That's right, if the integration of science and technology was a choice in the past, the present and the future were the general trend. In today's world, a round of advanced theories and science and technology has exploded. The rapid evolution and wide influence have exceeded the cognitive scope of the old knowledge system, and it has shown a trend of multi-point bursting and group breakthroughs. The trend of great intersection, great integration and great breakthrough in the development of military science is becoming more and more obvious, and the combination of theory and technology is becoming more and more closely connected. Building a world-class army and winning local information wars with intelligent characteristics is becoming more and more dependent on new theories and new technologies. The integration of science and technology is the key to grasping the laws of great intersection, great integration of modern military science.
Xu Xinhai: The intelligent characteristics of future wars are more prominent, which will not only change the traditional combat mode, but will also introduce more uncertainty.Faced with the "unknown" of intelligent war, there is no ready-made template for reference, which requires us to promote the two-way closer of strategy and operations, technology and tactics in the dialectical unification of the laws of war and the technological innovation of . It can be said that the integration of science and technology is the need for the times to catch up with the research on war and combat issues.
Gao Dongming: At present, the application of various emerging technologies has penetrated into all aspects of combat, from the killing equipment in the "front desk" to gradually extending to the accusation system in the "middle desk" to the intelligent assistant in the "backend desk". If you cannot keep up with cutting-edge technology and conduct combat theory innovation by dynamically enhancing the understanding of new technologies, then it is very easy to form generational disadvantages when facing disruptive technologies and new combat theories. In this sense, the integration of science and technology is the key to deepening the research on current war and combat issues.
Shao Jie: From a realistic perspective, the international strategic pattern has undergone profound evolution, and the threats faced by national security are complex and diverse. How to strengthen military theoretical innovation and give full play to its leading role under the conditions of accelerated development of the new world military revolution; how to strengthen national defense scientific and technological innovation and form an asymmetric advantage in a strategic battleground; how to innovate the organizational model of military scientific research work and stimulate the vitality of military scientific research are all urgent and realistic challenges we face, and the integration of science and technology is imperative.
is problem-oriented, and systematic and innovative solution to war and combat problems is an outstanding manifestation of the integration of science and technology
Reporter: Discovering problems is the starting point of innovation. So how can we discover the real and difficult problems of war and combat through the integration of science and technology?
Zhou Lingui: The prerequisite for discovering problems through the integration of science and technology is to use scientific thinking to deduce war, including a deep understanding of the origin, nature, and political origin of war. In terms of science and technology, we must use networking, systematization, emergence, self-organization, uncertainty and other thinking to understand war, and we must also use mathematics, statistics, big data, computer simulation and other methods to analyze problems. It is necessary to enable researchers to see both the overall problem of war and combat, and to understand the details, and to see trees and forests.
Gao Dongming: Confrontational game and systematic analysis are good ways to find problems. For example, using war chess to deduce can find problems that our theoretical analysis cannot find. We once designed a scenario of parachute landing to seize and control key areas, and discovered the matching problem between speed and key areas. In theory, it seems feasible to take the transport aircraft to seize the important land by parachute, but during the deduction process, we found that the rationality of this scenario is related to the size of the important land. With the speed of the transport aircraft, it takes only half a minute to pass through a small area, so it is impossible to directly reach an important place with a small area.
Shao Jie: It is also very important to express the problems found clearly and accurately. People with different questions say that the effect is completely different. You are talking about A, and they may understand A+ or A-, or even B. This requires comprehensively using qualitative and quantitative methods such as system mapping and layer-by-layer decomposition to remove the rough and essence of conceptualized fuzzy war and combat problems, and to use mathematical models to calculate and analyze the numerical values of various indicators when necessary, so as to further clarify the boundaries of the problem.
Reporter: How to use the method of integrating science and technology when solving specific war and combat problems?
Zhou Lingui: This requires rational use of the advantages of both science and technology around the problem to achieve complementary advantages. On the one hand, we use the expertise of theory in research and analysis mechanisms to explore the core concepts of solving war and combat problems from classical theories, and explore methods and conceptual concepts to defeat the enemy. At the same time, we use process deduction, prototype system modeling and other methods to conduct preliminary tests on this core concept and concept concept to help researchers inspire new ideas. On the other hand, starting from the new quality and new domain power and disruptive technologies, they analyze their combat effectiveness in typical application scenarios and innovate new ideas and ways to solve problems.
Xu Xinhai: If you want to use the integration of theory and technology when solving specific war and combat problems, you need to build a research framework that couples theory and experiments.Theoretical experts not only need to study military issues such as weapons and equipment, basic tactics and other military issues, but also need to construct combat scenarios, refine indicator parameters, and design experimental plans with the assistance of technical experts to ensure that the theoretical issues do not deform or shrink when they fall into the technical link. When conducting experimental analysis, technical experts record various data in detail and conduct timely review and analysis with theoretical experts to ensure that experimental activities focus on the essence of the problem.
Shao Jie: Integrating science and technology, solve specific war and combat problems, use visual presentation and data expression to describe the results in the form of results, and directly reach the user's brain, making it easier for users to quickly grasp the essence of the results. The data, models, and algorithms used and generated in the research process should also be reflected in the results, forming the characteristics of ideas on the graph, processes online, and indicators on the numbers, so as to quickly connect to the specific military work of the agencies and troops, and accelerate the efficiency of the results transformation.
Use the integration of science and technology to deepen the research on war and combat issues. It is necessary to explore and form a new paradigm that can be followed, replicable and popularizable
Reporter: The integration of science and technology to conduct research on war and combat issues. Is there any specific paradigm that can be grasped and followed?
Xu Xinhai: This question is very important. It is difficult to form a new paradigm, and the paradigm is not unique. From a practical perspective, it can be summarized as: a new paradigm of mutual promotion and iterative evolution of concepts, systems, and experiments, that is, using the concept of fusion point as the hub, from concept condensation to system development, and then to experimental verification, forming a complete circular link of "concept-system-experiment".
Shao Jie: The concept of fusion point can be regarded as the logical starting point of the theoretical and technological integration paradigm, focus the aperture of military theory and military scientific and technological innovation on the concept development of fusion point, support military theoretical innovation upward, and drive military scientific and technological progress downward, and effectively solve the problem of "conceptual chain breakage" that is prone to occur in the organic integration of theory and science and technology.
Reporter: What issues need to be paid attention to in the formation and operation of a new paradigm?
Zhou Lingui: Real war issues are highly complex, and major scientific research and innovations are difficult to be completed by individual forces, and teamwork must be paid attention to. Especially for those big problems and difficulties, we must establish a large scientific research team composed of theoretical and technical experts and talents from various disciplines and fields around the integration point, take the large team combat as the organizational form, focus on achieving major innovative breakthroughs, and launch major innovative achievements.
Gao Dongming: The good operation of the new paradigm requires a good ecology. We must unify thoughts and build consensus in integration, collide with ideas and inspire in integration, explore methods and accumulate experience in integration, gradually condense experience into laws, solidify laws into regulations, elevate regulations into policies, cultivate and accumulate into integrated habits and culture, and then form an integrated ecology.
promotes integration by combining and using system engineering methods to open up the path of integration of management and technology
Reporter: What breakthroughs and focus points are there in the process of promoting the integration of science and technology and realizing the integration of science and technology?
Zhou Lingui: If you want to fusion, first combine, so as to promote fusion. I think there are two aspects that are very important to combine. The first is to deal with the issue of combining human complexity and technical complexity. With the development of science and technology, people's communication methods and social participation forms have undergone profound changes, and the complexity of human nature has continued to show new situations and new characteristics. After all, war is based on people. Research on war and combat issues must pay close attention to changes in the complexity of human nature and study its impact on war orientation, strategic choices, combat methods, etc. At the same time, technological development itself gives war more technical complexity, which requires not only to crack this technical complexity, but also to utilize this complexity, and to create new complexity for opponents. The second is to adhere to the combination of Tao, Dharma and instruments, and Tao is used to clarify the direction, Dharma is used to establish the foundation, and instruments are used to achieve success. In terms of the integration of science and technology, "Tao" is the fundamental concept and law that must be followed in carrying out the integration of science and technology, "law" is the norm and model for implementing the integration of science and technology, and "tool" is a tangible entity and tool, that is, a specific tool for the implementation of the integration of science and technology. The integration of science and technology requires the combination of Tao, method and instrument to achieve the innovation and application of the entire link of "ideology-theory-method-technology-means".
Gao Dongming: Since the integration of science and technology has its historical necessity, it is necessary to find the integration point of science and technology in the historical context. Therefore, the combination of history, present and future is also important. We should understand the current reality from the perspective of history and look forward to future development. Taking the "joint" of combat as an example, with the improvement of weapon accuracy, range and efficiency and the enhancement of combat unit communication and sharing capabilities, the overall trend of joint forces is shown to be increasingly divided in space, while the connection between them is becoming increasingly tighter. The distributed combat theory proposed by foreign military in recent years is a reflection of this trend. In the future, with the further development of technologies such as artificial intelligence, 5G, 6G, quantum , "joint" combat will continue to be given new connotations.
Reporter: From the integration of science and technology into the research on war and combat issues, it is also a complex system project itself. In practice, are there any scientific and effective thinking methods that can make the integration of science and technology truly blossom?
Zhou Lingui: Indeed, the integration of science and technology is not a simple mixture of military theory and technology. It is necessary to effectively integrate it with a systematic, scientific and operational method and means to maximize its effectiveness. System engineering is our most commonly used ideological method to solve the integration of science and technology. It is the product of the high integration of advanced organizational management and modern science. It has built a bridge between natural science, engineering technology and social sciences. It is a team that solves complex war and combat problems with individuals with incomplete knowledge and abilities. It is not only an advanced problem research method, but also an advanced project management method. We can use the advantages of integrating science and technology into it to innovate scientific research organization and management models, build a modern military scientific research system, and open up military scientific research innovation links.
Xu Xinhai: Many large engineering projects in the world are coordinated with tens of thousands of scientists, politicians and entrepreneurs through systematic engineering ideas and methods to collaborate on key issues. The advantage of using system engineering methods to allow the integration of science and technology to be implemented and blossomed is that it can effectively solve the problems of organic combination of factors and systems, local and overall, qualitative and quantitative, general and precision. Through the organic combination of man and machine, human qualitative judgments are organically integrated with system quantitative calculations, so as to maximize the human intellectual advantages and computer computing advantages.
Avoiding the misunderstandings of the integration of science and technology
■Zhao De
Research on war and combat issues requires gathering resources, activate the cooperation mechanism, actively breaking barriers in their respective fields, and carrying out collaborative research. Since we come from different angles, we often have different understandings of the integration of science and technology, and the following misunderstandings must be avoided in specific practice.
Misunderstanding 1: Theoretical and technical points are divided into sequence. Some studies also have the phenomenon of finding theoretical "packaging" after the technical achievements are released and using technical "embellishment" after the theoretical achievements are formed. The two show an obvious order, and lack synchronous communication, collision and integration. It is important to know that theory and technology complement each other and promote each other. The integration of the two is two-way, without any distinction between order and succession. Only by grasping the best connection point of the relationship between the two, so that they develop in harmony in unity and adapt to each other in development can they create favorable conditions for their integration to a higher level.
Misunderstanding 2: Theory and technology are the same standard. At present, there is still a phenomenon of using unified standards to evaluate different types of research results. Occasionally, quantitative standards of technology are applied to test the value of theoretical research, or only evaluate the value of technical research from the perspective of practicality of results, ignoring the growth and iterative nature of technology. It is important to know that the rules of the two are similar and different, and the measurement standards cannot be equivalent. Theory pays more attention to ideological, inspiration and integration, while science and technology pays more attention to advancedness and realization, and applying unified standards is not conducive to the healthy development of theory and technology.
Misunderstanding 3: Adding together theory and technology. We must avoid the phenomenon of focusing on forms over logic such as hard-organizing theoretical and technical research. It is important to know that physical mixing is easy to achieve, but chemical reactions are not easy to occur. The fusion of theory and technology is not simply a piece of the two, nor is it a combination of forces even if they are combined together. We must use a scientific operating mechanism as a catalyst, abandon inertial thinking and practices, find a golden division point in personnel allocation according to the nature of the unit and the characteristics of the task, and control the perfect timing during project implementation.
Misunderstanding 4: Everyone must interdisciplinary. The integration of science and technology requires theoretical personnel to understand the cutting-edge trends of military science and technology, and scientific and technological personnel have a certain military theoretical foundation. But this does not mean that everyone has to interdisciplinary disciplines. A person's energy is limited, and the ocean of knowledge is endless. An effective approach should be to form a team of theoretical and technical personnel to study a problem together with complementary advantages.
Misunderstanding 5: Subject subdivision and pure rational skills. The scientific research team plans the project from the top level and occasionally divides the so-called pure theory and pure technology topics. The theory and technology are separated again, becoming two paths and two skins. It should be noted that any question is a comprehensive topic. It can only be said that some are theoretical and some are technical, but they all require cross-domain and interdisciplinary personnel to carry out research together.
Source: China Military Network-People's Liberation Army Daily
