Recent Release | 07 Sep 2023

The Race for Data Supremacy: Achieving decision advantage to deter future conflicts

Thought Leadership Team

Oxford Economics

Victory in future wars will increasingly depend on which side most swiftly gathers strategic insights from data and is able to deploy them, from headquarters and the tactical edge and throughout the battlespace in real-time combat conditions. Without an urgent transformation in the military’s ability to synthesize and distribute information through a secure data architecture, the US and its allies could lose their ability to deter or win potential conflicts as rival nations develop their own capabilities.

Drawing from our interviews with key government and military officials, Oxford Economics and IBM identified crucial steps in leveraging data to become a more united, interoperable force, as well as creating an advantage over unpredictable rivals. We found there is a need to develop common standards across the services that align the US military with its allies in NATO and Five Eyes. Technological solutions to resolve issues should not be service-specific, but rather applied across forces if the US and its allies want to be successful in deterring future conflicts.

Edward Cone

Editorial Director, Thought Leadership

Kayla Luparello

Research Manager, Thought Leadership

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