Military Innovation in the Third Age of U.S. Unmanned Aviation, 1991–2015
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Authors
Grant, Robert L., Jr.
Subjects
innovation
adaptation
unmanned aerial vehicles
UAVs
technology
organizational change
U.S. military
drones
institutional politics
organizational culture
technology adoption
defense organizations
adaptation
unmanned aerial vehicles
UAVs
technology
organizational change
U.S. military
drones
institutional politics
organizational culture
technology adoption
defense organizations
Advisors
Darnton, Christopher N.
Date of Issue
2020-06
Date
June 2020
Publisher
Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School
Language
Abstract
Military innovation studies have largely relied on monocausal accounts—rationalism, institutionalism,
or culture—to explain technologically innovative and adaptive outcomes in defense organizations. None of
these perspectives alone provided a compelling explanation for the adoption outcomes of unmanned aerial
vehicles (UAVs) in the U.S. military from 1991 to 2015. Two questions motivated this research: Why,
despite abundant material resources, mature technology, and operational need, are the most-capable UAVs
not in the inventory across the services? What accounts for variations and patterns in UAV innovation
adoption? The study selected ten UAV program episodes from the Air Force and Navy, categorized as high-,
medium-, and low-end cases, for within-case and cross-case analysis. Primary and secondary sources, plus
interviews, enabled process tracing across episodes. The results showed a pattern of adoption or rejection
based on a logic-of-utility effectiveness and consistent resource availability: a military problem to solve, and
a capability gap in threats or tasks and consistent monetary capacity; furthermore, ideational factors
strengthened or weakened adoption. In conclusion, the study undermines single-perspective arguments as
sole determinants of innovation, reveals that military culture is not monolithic in determining outcomes, and
demonstrates that civil-military relationships no longer operate where civilian leaders hold inordinate sway
over military institutions.
Type
Dissertation
Description
Series/Report No
Department
National Security Affairs (NSA)
Organization
Identifiers
NPS Report Number
Sponsors
Funder
Format
Citation
Distribution Statement
Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
Rights
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.