Storm Proofing: Preparing Armies for a Future War
Andrew Sharpe, Andrew Stewart & Matthias Strohn (Editors)
Helion & Company, Warwick (UK), 2025
The cover of Storm Proofing connotes a 21st century battlefield with an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, or drone as we more commonly call them, menacing an armoured vehicle. The subtitle underscores the book’s intent well, with chapter titles including Artificial Intelligence (AI) among other technology impacts on modern conventional warfare. This book is a most thought-provoking collation of perspectives on how armies need to prepare for future wars given the advancing technology now to hand.
Western nations in particular, still reeling from the effects of COVID and the distraction from international discord this century, are in danger of not being prepared as their governments grapple with competing demands upon their national assets. This book provides perspectives on how this crucial posit – the use of armed force to protect the nation-state under such distractions – might be addressed before it is too late.
The authors are a group of Western military/academic professionals, centred on but not exclusive to the Brith Army. Storm Proofing is the product of the British Army’s Centre for Historical Analysis and Conflict Research (CHACR), an organisation whose mission statement is stated on the flyleaf. The editors include the Chair of CHACR, and all three present chapters. The credentials of the remaining contributors are provided at the front of the book. These make impressive reading, lending credibility to their contributor-ship. It is most helpful to refer to this section before each chapter.
After a first chapter on Storm Proofing and what that means in the Land Domain, one finds chapters which address different but complimentary topics. This is not a flowing work that builds on the previous chapter, rather a series of self-contained works that, when read in their entirety, contribute to the overall intent of the book. Chapters include historical analyses of generalship in past major wars, the level of formation that might be the best one at which command and decision making in the past might have, or might not have, best worked, across several European-based wars. This sets the context for how future armies might be led under the changed conditions of the 21st century.
Other chapters address how analysis of intelligence, planning and command in high headquarters worked in the past and how it might best work now in the future. The impact of known technological enhancements is also covered. The role humans will have at the front all the way through to the highest operational and strategic levels is well presented. So too is the human element – how does one train to be able to use such technology and the extent to which it might take over from humans. Since this book was written, it has been reported that an entire ground attack carried out only by machines unaccompanied by humans has been carried out in Ukraine. Could total automation actually become a reality given the pace of change? This book says no, but see what you think.
Increasing the phenomenon known as ‘combat power’ is also addressed. The seminal message in the book is not one so much of how to best prepare for large scale 21st century war. Rather the book encourages Western forces to do so given the clear signals unfolding from what is now happening, especially during the War in Ukraine and the 2026 Middle East conflict.
Varying writing styles and areas of expertise mean that some chapters are readily absorbed while others are more intense. This is the case for both the concepts covered and the readability level. Chapters on technology tend to be harder to digest if one does not have some background in those fields. Those dealing with history and the human element in war make for easier reading. The reader may find it productive to re-read some chapters.
Storm Proofing does not read like a novel or history book; indeed its sequence is not crucial to the book’s intent. Citing the 21st century experience with COVID and other international tensions they note Western nations’ governments understandable prioritisation of national assets – recovery through economic and political effort at the expense of defence needs. This contest has weakened, in their view, most if not all Western nations, more so than potential enemies which through their totalitarian nature have continued the development of mass and capability of their armed forces with a focus on total warfare. With most Western military effort this century being counter-insurgency operations in nature, this may have emasculated preparations for conventional war fighting. Hence the analogy of a ‘storm’ coming and the need to ‘proof’ bye well prepared for it.
Technology alone is not the answer. The human element of warfare will remain critical. However technology has made a fundamental difference and the West must integrate all elements in its preparations for future wars. To this end, the book presents a possibly unique collection of inputs into what is seen as a need for major change in impetus, and quickly at that. The presentation of these expert perspectives on the direction of warfighting preparations is balanced and informative. Footnotes and references are well presented.
This book seems to be primarily of greatest value to military planners and force developers, and also generalists with an interest in the impact of 21st century technology on warfare. The lay reader is less likely to find great benefit from Storm Proofing, but then again, it is not primarily aimed at a popular readership. I found some chapters hard to read but careful review makes for being much better informed. And in this manner, Storm Proofing serves us well. It is certainly different to what our generation considered during 20th century deployments.
Reviewer: LTCOL Russell Linwood, ASM (Retd)
