[thruway516]

You might be right. But a major 21st century conflict is likely going to be very different from past conflicts and we still don't know what that will look like. We're getting a few glimpses from the Ukraine conflict - drones, social media - but who knows what else. Having a numerical advantage in conventional arms might be the equivalent of having superior cavalry at the onset of WWI

[bigthymer]

> We're getting a few glimpses from the Ukraine conflict - drones, social media - but who knows what else

Actually, from the assessments that I have read, while new technology and drones have made a meaningful splash, it seems like manpower and the ability to produce large quantities of artillery shells have been the true determiner of the tides. The lesson learned thus far is that considerations from the past still matter.

[thruway516]

Well I did say a glimpse. Manpower, food, supply chains and all the basics will never not matter. It's a question of what could be a deciding advantage that did not exist before, like mechanized divisions in WWI and air power subsequently. Russia-Ukraine is still a very conventional land war but it won't surprise me if a future China-US conflict was fought (and maybe even won or lost) virtually as well as conventionally.