Armed Forces and Digital Transformation: Challenges and Prospects

Abstract

Changing conditions inevitably affect military structures and systems. Throughout history, military structures have constantly undergone changes due to doctrinal, organizational, strategic, and technological developments. This research aims to identify the problems experienced by armies in the digital transformation process and to discuss possible solutions to these problems. As a research method, a hybrid method has been used by applying systematic literature review and expert interviews. The unique value of this research is that it addresses practical and current problems faced by armies in the digital transformation process and offers concrete, realistic, and applicable solutions to these problems. This study has reached the conclusions that old systems had problems adapting to new technologies, digital transformation created cyber security vulnerabilities, there was a lack of infrastructure in data management, and personnel having ten years or more in education and training fields may be resistant to change. These findings will help practitioners and decision-makers in the armed forces to make predictions in situations such as transformations in the organizational structures of armies through changes in technologies during the digital transformation process, personnel employment, new skill and capacity requirements, military training systems, and decision-making processes.

Keywords

• army
• digitalization
• digital transformation
• defense industry
• technology