All Outputs (7)

We’ll never have a model of an AI major-general: Artificial Intelligence, command decisions, and kitsch visions of war (2023)
Journal Article
Hunter, C., & Bowen, B. E. (2024). We’ll never have a model of an AI major-general: Artificial Intelligence, command decisions, and kitsch visions of war. Journal of Strategic Studies, 47(1), 116-146. https://doi.org/10.1080/01402390.2023.2241648

Military AI optimists predict future AI assisting or making command decisions. We instead argue that, at a fundamental level, these predictions are dangerously wrong. The nature of war demands decisions based on abductive logic, whilst machine learni... Read More about We’ll never have a model of an AI major-general: Artificial Intelligence, command decisions, and kitsch visions of war.

Original Sin: Power, Technology and War in Outer Space (2023)
Book
Bowen, B. E. (2023). Original Sin: Power, Technology and War in Outer Space. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780197677315.001.0001

Space technology was developed to enhance the killing power of the state. The Moon landings and the launch of the Space Shuttle were mere sideshows, drawing public attention away from the real goal: military and economic control of space as a source... Read More about Original Sin: Power, Technology and War in Outer Space.

A Perfect Storm?: Coronavirus, Brexit, the Integrated Review, Scottish Separatism and the Future of Trident (2020)
Journal Article
Futter, A., & Bowen, B. E. (2020). A Perfect Storm?: Coronavirus, Brexit, the Integrated Review, Scottish Separatism and the Future of Trident. The RUSI Journal, 165(5-6), 92-99. https://doi.org/10.1080/03071847.2020.1830431

The coronavirus crisis has exacerbated the challenges posed by Brexit, the Integrated Review and a separatist Scotland, and shined new light on the UK nuclear weapons debate. This combination of issues has bolstered the argument that the resources al... Read More about A Perfect Storm?: Coronavirus, Brexit, the Integrated Review, Scottish Separatism and the Future of Trident.

War in Space: Strategy, Spacepower, Geopolitics (2020)
Book
Bowen, B. E. (2020). War in Space: Strategy, Spacepower, Geopolitics. Edinburgh University Press. https://doi.org/10.3366/edinburgh/9781474450485.001.0001

War in Space presents a theory of spacepower and considers the implications of space technology on strategy and international relations. The spectre of space warfare stalks the major powers as outer space increasingly defines geopolitical and militar... Read More about War in Space: Strategy, Spacepower, Geopolitics.

The RAF and Space Doctrine: A Second Century and a Second Space Age (2018)
Journal Article
Bowen, B. E. (2018). The RAF and Space Doctrine: A Second Century and a Second Space Age. The RUSI Journal, 163(3), 58-65. https://doi.org/10.1080/03071847.2018.1494349

This article assesses the latest edition of the Ministry of Defence’s (MoD) joint space doctrine, the second edition of which was published in December 2017, and considers its convergence with and divergence from US doctrine. The increasing maturatio... Read More about The RAF and Space Doctrine: A Second Century and a Second Space Age.

British strategy and outer space: A missing link? (2018)
Journal Article
Bowen, B. E. (2018). British strategy and outer space: A missing link?. British Journal of Politics and International Relations, 20(2), 323-340. https://doi.org/10.1177/1369148118758238

Britain sees itself as a significant power which upholds global norms and deploys expeditionary military force around the world. But no matter what role Britain wants for itself, it cannot do so without spacepower and considering its freedom of actio... Read More about British strategy and outer space: A missing link?.

From the sea to outer space: The command of space as the foundation of spacepower theory (2017)
Journal Article
Bowen, B. E. (2019). From the sea to outer space: The command of space as the foundation of spacepower theory. Journal of Strategic Studies, 42(3-4), 532-556. https://doi.org/10.1080/01402390.2017.1293531

Colin Gray once lamented the absence of a ‘Mahan for the final frontier’ and spacepower theory in strategic studies. This article proposes the command of space as the fundamental concept of spacepower theory, and that Mahan himself has much to offer... Read More about From the sea to outer space: The command of space as the foundation of spacepower theory.