A Model of the Dynamics of the Third World War — An Exercise in Technology Transfer

The paper discusses two scenarios for a Third World War in Europe, and argues that it is often convenient to supplement a scenario by a formal model. The problems of creating such a model are examined, and a model is formulated for land, air, and sea combat in Europe and the Atlantic, using the System Dynamics approach, which has not hitherto been widely employed for military analysis.The model confirms the results of the two scenarios, and its use for the analysis of alternative force configurations is illustrated. Some implications in the interpretation of Soviet military literature are discussed, and the paper ends with speculations on the role and value of such models.