Science, Strategy and War

John Boyd is often known exclusively for the so-called OODA loop model he developed. This model refers to a decision-making process and to the idea that military victory goes to the side that can complete the cycle from observation to action the fastest. This book aims to redress this state of affairs and re-examines John Boyds original contribution to strategic theory. By highlighting diverse sources that shaped Boyds thinking, and by offering a comprehensive overview of Boyds work, this volume demonstrates that the common interpretation of the meaning of Boyds OODA loop concept is incomplete. It also shows that Boyds work is much more comprehensive, richer and deeper than is generally thought. With his ideas featuring in the literature on Network Centric Warfare, a key element of the US and NATOs so-called military transformation programmes, as well as in the debate on Fourth Generation Warfare, Boyd continues to exert a strong influence on Western military thinking. Dr Osinga demonstrates how Boyds work can helps us to understand the new strategic threats in the post- 9/11 world, and establishes why John Boyd should be regarded as one of the most important (post)modern strategic theorists.