America’s Third Offset Strategy: New Military Technologies and Implications for the Asia Pacific

Abstract

The U.S. Department of Defense announced its “Third Offset Strategy” in November 2014. One key aspect of the Third Offset Strategy is the Defense Innovation Initiative — an ambitious “effort to identify and invest in innovative ways to sustain and advance America’s military dominance for the 21st century.” This memo will critique this new technology-centric approach in view of its implications for American allies and adversaries in the Asia Pacific region.

About the Author

Peter Dombrowski is a professor in the Strategic Research Department of the U.S. Naval War College. During the 2014-15 academic year, he is also a visiting fellow at the Watson Institute for International Studies at Brown University.