A close-up look at the near-total transformation taking place in the US military as we move into the 21st century.

Synopsis. War in the 21st century will be like nothing seen before. Gone are the 'Grand Illusions' of colonial gentlemen and kings. We are now far beyond the nuclear deterrence of a mutually assured destruction. It is a new day in the field of battle, a dark one. They call it "asymmetrical warfare" meaning threats from all directions--outside the range of conventional fighting. Dangers that are often difficult to respond to. Simply put, enemies in the future will be highly unpredictable and elusive. In response to such new threats, military technology is advancing at a highly accelerated pace, with some startling results.—Stuart A. Goldman