All information is from open sources.
Weather has always played a role in human behaviour; warfare is no different. Climate change is bringing new challenges. Increased atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations are trapping long wavelength radiation. This enhances global warming & brings associated impacts. This development has repercussions for all aspects of life. More attention is needed in the military sphere on how climate change will impact combat from the micro to macro scale. This report is not about how climate change impacts can be a causa belli but rather how fighting will change. Geography will always be intertwined with how humans exist. Current major militaries, even the USA, are currently not fully prepared to deal with these changes at this current stage.
Know the ground, know the weather; your victory will then be total, Sun Tzu
Numerous wars have a so-called ‘fighting season’ due to weather. The war in Afghanistan was well known for this. Coalition casualties were much higher April to October due to increased attack frequencies. Social factors had a role to play such as education however key was the weather. The Afgan winter is tough. Extremely cold in the mountainous regions. Poverty is rife; often villages lack adequate amounts of shelter & heating. Snowfall blocks crucial logistical routes such as the Salang Pass. The Salang pass was the site of a deadly avalanche in 2010. Without logistics you have no fighting potential. This pass is specially important since a large number of militants & supplies would come from aboard via this route. Moreover, the Afghan fighting season would coincide with agricultural harvest & planting times, something which again is weather related. The spring would bring the annual offensive.
Similarly in the Russo-Ukrainian war there is a decrease in mechanised offensives performed in late Autumn & early Spring. This is due to extremely muddy weather. A combination of heavy rainfall/melting snow & above zero temperatures contributes to essentially slush on the unpaved roads & fields. It is incredibly hard to drive vehicles in these treacherous conditions. Videos from both sides show tracked & wheeled vehicles struggling. Only the Soviet Mt Lb was virtually always reliable.
The mud also makes it difficult for artillery crews to emplace their towed guns properly. When firing they would move more & kick up mud; this impacts accuracy & would throw dirt over the shells. Moreover, if weathers dropped overnight the mud would freeze. This meant some towed guns would not be able to be emplaced at all & they would essentially slide a small distance when fired. Sometimes artillery pieces would freeze in place. One particular M777 was stuck for 3 days. Fortunately it was not seen or hit by a drone. Ukrainian artillery crews had to adapt with new equipment such as chainsaws & pick akes. The only tactic that got the aforementioned M777 out of place was lighting the ground on fire to melt the mud.
King Charles XII of Sweden, Napoleon & Hiter all failed to account for the so-called ‘General Winter’ during their respective invasions of the Russian Empire/Soviet Union. Global warming induced climate change is impacting seasons & temperatures. This will alter the timings of military operations. Weather is central to military planning. Militaries have specialist geography & weather units. For the UK there is the RAF’s Mobile Met Unit (MMU), Royal Navy’s Hydrographic & Metrology specialists & the British Army’s 42 Engineering Reg (Geographic). Famously D-Day was delayed twice due to weather conditions. Climate change will bring increasingly unpredictable weather. There will be more uncertainty in planning. Delaying military operations brings issues such as the risk of favourable dynamic factors changing or the leakage of information. Exploiting weaknesses need to happen within hours. As military technology & doctrine develops the window of opportunity to exploit when a vulnerability is detected decreases. This is due to improved unit communication, initiative based junior level command & the enhanced usage of rapidly relocatable assets such as drones.
Extreme weather events can cause military actions to halt. Climate change is predicted to increase the frequency & intensity of these freak events. It should be recommended to increase the size & scope of military geography units. Recruitment of specialists may be a difficulty for some militaries facing low enlistment. Weather & climate change education should be provided to officers & soldiers as part of their training. Proactive rather than reactive action is needed.
Certain types of Military equipment today are not suited for adverse weather. Compared to the previous generation of military vehicles the current generation tends to be bigger & heavier. Increased armour & armament does have its benefits but also drawbacks. The MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) category of vehicles, albeit effective at stopping shell shrapnel & small arms fire, performs poorly in heavy mud. These vehicles were designed for counter insurgency missions in the Middle East. Their height & weight are the main issues. Power units are commonly targeted in vehicle design cost cutting & this impacts power to weight ratios.
More development needs to be dedicated to combating adverse terrain & conditions. From a vehicle’s initial design to terrain add on equipment such as winter tyres & chains. Ukrainian artillery units have to suspend Pzh 2000 artillery fire missions during the mud season for fear of getting them stuck. Vehicles stuck are at high risk of drone corrected indirect fire and/or kamikaze drones. Recovery in today's battlefield can be difficult as spoken about in the tank article. The German Pzh 2000 is ranked as one of the best systems in the world. No matter how powerful a vehicle is, if it cannot operate in the given environment it's fruitless.
Armoured air cushioned landing craft (hovercraft) could be explored for future land operations. Currently, with scale, they have only been used for amphibious, littoral & coastal operations. Generally their role is to transport vehicles & troops from amphibious warfare ships to the shore. They are often used by civilian SAR teams on muddy, sandy & swampy terrains. Usage of these on land would give a unique capability to mechanised forces due to their great ability to traverse terrain. They are fast & agile however the cushion strength is a weakness. Different materials & armour layouts will need to be tested. Payload is limited, compared to a truck, however as a scout vehicle or ferrying supplies the last mile they do have a niche. In the correct environment with the correct opportunity they have a role. A vehicle is only effective if used in the correct manner. During the Ukrainian 2023 summer offensive the Bradley & Leopard 2 did not perform as expected. However, they were used by inexperienced & poorly led units in heavily mined areas to assault fully fortified & forewarned positions. Hovercrafts would not become a dominant vehicle but another tool at a commander’s disposal. Russians have been using bikes & buggies for similar purposes (scouting & ferrying supplies). Developmental costs may be high which most militaries will not be able to afford. Since the end of the Cold War defence spending has been massively across western forces even the USA. A number of very interesting cold war projects were scrapped.
Wheeled vehicles have had a recent resurgence in popularity as APCs & fire support vehicles. The Belgian armed forces recently have gone all wheeled; disposing of all tracked equipment entirely (apart from bridge layers & THeMIS UGV. Wheeled vehicles are generally cheaper, have less maintenance & can be used on roads. However, tracked vehicles have better cross country & obstacle clearing capabilities. Not having any wheeled vehicles will decrease a country’s expeditionary capabilities & their ability to project power in the future. Specialist training needs to be set up to teach drivers how to deal with dreadful conditions. Climate change induced topography changes will reduce the area of which wheeled military vehicles are suitable.
The American experience in Vietnam should have been a wake up call to militarties on the need for increased logistical mobility in unfavourable conditions. Most countries only have wheeled logistical vehicles. This is concerning as ‘an army marches on its stomach’ & tanks roll with fuel. You cannot fight without logistics. There should be both wheeled & tracked logistical vehicles. The UK’s Royal Logistic Corps (RLC) workhorse is the Logistical Support Vehicle (LSV) which is a wheeled Man Truck SV (Hx series). The RLC has no tracked or amphibious vehicles. During the Cold War the British Army operated the very mobile & amphibious yet wheeled Stalwart. If there was an operating area not suitable for wheeled vehicles the RLC would face a challenge. Either Warrior/Ajax or Bulldog vehicles would have to be pulled from other roles to fill in this supply capability. Alternatively Royal Marine Viking vehicles could be used. The lack of an all weather logistical vehicle is a major concern. Being ill-prepared in logistical support has dire consequences as demonstrated by the Russians in their initial stages of the invasion of Ukraine. The US Army operates Small Unit Support Vehicles based on the BvS10 (known in British Service as Viking) to fill this role. Climate change will make logistical conditions worse. Road conditions will degrade, flooding & adverse weather will become more likely.
Traditionally in poor conditions commanders could deploy cargo helicopters (such as RAF CH-47s) or air drop supplies (RAF A400M/C-17s) however if you are facing a near peer enemy with long range air defence this is not possible. Both Ukraine & Russia have suffered losses with support aircraft even when they were flying at extremely low altitude to avoid radar coverage. Moreover, the RAF disposed of its C-130J Hercules fleet, reducing strategic airlift capabilities.
Fog & cloud cover are a hindrance to targeting & surveillance. Climate change is impacting these weather types. Changes in fog & cloud cover can swing in either the defenders or attackers favour. More fog & cloud cover will favour the combatant being targeted. Poor weather can obscure satellite imagery impeding target acquisition or damage assessment reports. Laser & radar signatures are both impacted by weather. AWACS aircraft are a type particularly impacted by poor weather.
Drones of all sizes are vulnerable to weather. Drones cannot operate in temperatures too cold, hot, rainy, icy or windy. COTS models, such as the Mavic series or FPV racer drones, are more at risk than specially designed military models. More rugged designs are needed. The Times reported the British Army’s Watchkeeper drone (which has suffered from numerous crashes) is restricted in poor weather. Climate change will increase adverse weather frequency. Drones & AWACS are crucial assets for ISTAR; poor weather hindering their performance will have tangible battlefield consequences. As drones become more prevalent on the battlefield their resistance to the elements will need to be increased.
Climate change poses more threats which may not be thought about initially such as turbulence. Latest academic reports indicate an increase in both frequency & intensity of turbulence. Turbulence can impact aerial operations ,where precision is needed, such as during aerial refuelling. A snapped fuel probe would mean the end of that aircrafts mission.
Illness:
Climate change will add additional strain to the medical services of armed forces. Changing temperatures & weather patterns (especially rain) are affecting the distribution of vector borne diseases (VBD). The introduction of pathogens (malaria, dengue, zika etc) to new areas is increasing. Warming temperatures are supportive of disease vectors such as mosquitoes & ticks. What were once only tropical diseases are now spreading away towards the poles. The EU is seeing record numbers of locally acquired dengue fever. Numbers are very low but the existence of locally acquired cases is what is key. The World Bank predicts that by 2050 China, South America & sub-Saharan Africa will have Malaria. From 2010 to 2020 eradication & treatment programs did bring down mortality by 36% according to the CDC which is good. However, as climate change continues to tighten its grip we are likely at a crucial point. Vaccines for VBDs are being developed however their potential impact is unknown. Additionally, in war torn areas vector control methods cannot be done properly.
More areas are facing VBDs therefore the chance a military unit gets deployed to an endemic area increases. There will be military impacts. Firstly, non-combat casualties due to VBD will decrease unit readiness & operational capabilities. A fit soldier has a good probability of surviving however they will be combat unfit & require medical attention. This means they are withdrawn from the line. If they are senior NCOs or junior officers these will have a large impact for small units. It increases the necessity that soldiers are able to perform the task of the person one rank above them. Moreover, providing medical support to front line troops is a logistical load especially in remote or inhospitable areas. Militaries will need to invest in more preventive measures which will be costly.
Many western armies have suffered from less power in recent years. The British Army has in recent decades suffered from major shrinkage with the idea that precision & lethality can compensate for reduced numbers. In 2010 there were over 100,000 full time regulars. Now it is 25% less. This increases the importance of the individual in a unit. However, climate change is predicted to increase non-combat injuries. Each casualty will have a greater impact on fighting potential. Reserves will have to be committed more. During offensive actions you always aim to have a much larger ratio of attackers to defenders. This will become increasingly more difficult with a rise in non-combat losses. Front line infantry is where troop number superiority is needed & where climate change will hit hardest. A nation with a small military will have a reduced ability to project power far from home and would become more reliant on the assistance of allies.
Relocation of resources:
Armed forces are there to protect the country & its people from threats. Not all of these are hostile forces. Often soldiers have to deal with natural disasters. Climate change is predicted to increase the frequency & intensity of some of these events. As a result, armed forces will be called away from their main role as a fighting force more often. It is not only troop numbers but also the deployment of key assets such as helicopters, ground vehicles & drones. Tough decisions will need to be made on allocation even more so if a country happens to be at war.
Russia would often deploy its armed forces (mainly conscripts) to fight forest fires. Annually these fires occur in many Oblasts especially in the Siberian region. Climate change is increasing their intensity. Paired with this is the issue regarding troops being tied up in Ukraine. The result is not enough fire fighters. Specialist EMERCON (state emergency services) equipment such as drones (SuperCam S350s) are being used in the war effort instead. These factors combined are causing high levels of destruction. The 2024 season is already bigger than 2022 & 2023 combined. Villages are being destroyed. Local residents & state officials paint different pictures. Lives are sadly lost. However, due to the lack of political significance of the areas facing major fires the Kremlin does not need to worry so much. Power in Russia is heavily centralised & held together via lucrative connections between political, resource & financial elites. Moscow is the primary core of this power dynamic with St Petersburg filling a secondary core role. Major fires in Siberia do impact the economy (destruction of infrastructure, loss in the logging industry) however political stability remains. However, this is not the same for other countries.
This year both Argentina & Australia deployed their respective militaries to deal with flooding. These countries being democracies means the government holds a much stronger responsibility for relief efforts. A failure to deal with a disaster properly can be the end of an elected government. Even if both countries are at war the populace would expect prompt assistance. We are already seeing the propaganda impacts of this dilemma. During the 2023 Hawaii wildfires false narratives were spread on how Ukrainian aid negatively impacted Hawaii & how the federal government neglected them. The overall idea of this Russian psyOps was to sway public opinion against further aid to Ukraine. Neither of the claimed points were true (discussed in details in the US aid article). If a democracy is at war & the military cannot help out in a disaster public support for said war may decrease. It is much easier to convince someone to be isolationist than an interventionist. Nationalist & isolationist policies around the world are on a rise. Additionally, climate change will increase the number of humanitarian disasters happening. Often these require international assistance which involves militaries. Military training, education & awareness on civilian missions will need to be increased.
Dust & sand:
It is a nuisance for households & militaries alike but for different reasons. Deforestation & desertification paired with climate change induced atmospheric changes will increase dust. This has consequences for soldiers & equipment alike.
Firstly, these fine particles are an irritant to the eyes & respiratory system especially during a sandstorm. Usual military activity such as driving vehicles, building positions & causing explosions (artillery, demolition, firing guns etc) kicks up more. Provision for goggles & masks will be needed more often. Different types of PPE can impact situational awareness and/or communication.
The US VA & medical studies confirm that dust & sand have resulted in service related injuries to troops deployed to Afghanistan & Iraq. Respiratory illness was the main concern. Again, proactive responses are needed to limit non-combat casualties.
With increased dust & sand, visibility will be reduced. The vital task of seeing the enemy will become harder. Actually seeing the enemy & being able to indicate them can be a major challenge in all wars from Afghanistan to Vietnam. Optics, especially thermals, will become more necessary. During Operation Desert Storm Bradley & Abrams crews praised their thermal imagers when interviewed & surveyed afterwards. The superior situational awareness of coalition forces was crucial in their famous victory at the Battle of 73 Easting. However, thermal imagery is needed for all members of the crew, not just the gunner. Driver situational awareness is often left out of the picture when it is just as important. Drivers need to be able to go around obstacles, stick to cleared paths, avoid other vehicles & much more. There have been numerous videos from the Ukrainian battlefield showing tankers diving into obviously placed mines & obstacles or not sticking to paths made by engineers. Driving in sand does present its own challenges. Road traffic accidents are a common cause of non-combat related death. Equipping all drivers with more cameras & systems will be necessary if deforestation & desertification increases.
Dust & sand is also an issue with equipment maintenance. Dust & sand is a hazard especially to sensitive pieces such as electronics. Vehicles during Operation Desert Storm reported more issues. Spare parts were difficult to source in numbers due to logistical issues. Sand is highly abrasive; it would enhance wear & tear. Engine filters for Abrams suffered damage due to the sand. Logistical & repair support is vital for keeping forces on the move. Guns would be jammed due to the sand; the infamous SA80 A1 was prone to this. Increased cleaning of all equipment was necessary. Crews need to be skilled in maintenance. The more professional armies are able to do field repairs which used to only be possible in rear workshops or factories.
Deforestation cycle:
Plants are a source of major carbon fixation. Deforestation is a contributor to global warming. Removing trees prevents further atmospheric carbon from being sequestered & typically trees are burnt after being felled. This is a driving factor in climate change. Climate change causes deforestation via forest fires & the spread of forest diseases. It is a vicious cycle reducing the earth’s tree count.
Trees provide an assortment of benefits to militaries. Trees are key for concealment. They provide natural cover & camouflage. The foliage can be used to obscure troop movements, being ideal for manoeuvres & ambushes. Vehicles & storage sites can be hidden as well. Russian & Ukrainian rocket & tube artillery systems are nearly always located on the edge of a treeline. When Russia started the war there would be full gun batteries in the open. Sometimes as large as 12 guns in 1 line. However, when Ukrainian forces got better at counter battery, tactics were forced to be changed. Now it's common for 1 system to be in the woods by itself. When kamikaze drones target these systems the trees sometimes protect them by being hit instead & absorbing the damage. There is a small chance that when artillery shells or rockets are fired into forests they lodge into trees instead of detonating. The tree canopies provide some protection from drone drops & FPV drones. It is possible for highly skilled FPV pilots to attack through a forest but it takes experience. The highly regarded Omega Group is only successful 15% of the time with FPV drones. This is due to obstacles, poor signal, EW (friendly or enemy) & warheads which fail to detonate.
Mortar positions pits are dug in forests. Well built positions have moveable roofs made off trees & branches on pulleys or slides. The mortar pit is connected to a small trench layout containing ammunition & a fire control team. From an aerial view with the roof closed you cannot identify the mortar. To identify these positions counter battery radars are needed. These expensive systems are often not in adequate numbers. The Ukrainian frontline is too long to have constant coverage. Moreover, prioritisation is a military necessity. Targeting of long range tube & rocket artillery is more important than mortars.
In Ukraine treelines are what infantry platoons fight over constantly. Trenches are located at these positions. The trees provide cover & protection. Wood is the most used resource in fortification building for Ukraine & Russia. It is simple to collect, easy to work with (only requiring basic tools such as chainsaws, rope & nails) & at the correct thickness it provides reasonable protection. Wood & sandbags are the only protection most zero-line trenches have. These materials do not require engineering units; these tasks can be performed by infantry.
With deforestation the chances of enough wood being nearby decreases. This would require logistical units to transport wood over longer distances. Logistics in war are nearly always stained. Alternatives such as concrete or metal costs more, takes more time to prepare or requires plant machines. Moreover, types of foliage vary with geographical area. So transporting one species of plant to a different area will reduce camouflage effectiveness. This is the reason why snipers & scouts always use the local environment in their ghillie suits & helmets.
The prepared positions Ukraine has on the Belarusian border are concrete bunkers, underground dugouts with metal roofs, Hesco bastions etc. On the Donetsk front line it is wood & sand bags. These are different situations with different time & safety constraints. Wood is still crucial to the modern day military.
Russian soldiers do put wood on their trucks for protection; the futility is dubious. The Filipine army did the same with their V-150s IMV to increase survivability against terrorist RPGs. One success is putting wood around fuel trucks, to hide their payload, as deception since a fuel truck is a more important target.
Flooding & sea level:
Forests provide natural protection from flooding. Trees soak up large volumes of water & reduce soil erosion (due to soil anchoring from their root networks). Run off is reduced. Climate change itself increases flooding by causing rising sea levels, snow melting & more rainfall due to hotter temperatures. Climate change impacts weather systems such as the ENSO phenomenon. ENSO or El Nino southern oscillation is a weather system caused by pacific trade winds (westward/east to west). They either get stronger in La Nina (more warm air to Asia) or weaker/reverse in El Nino (more warm air to Central/South America). ENSO dictates weather (including drought & flooding) in countries around the pacific but also around the world to varying extents. It is not conclusive yet to what extent climate change will change ENSO & other weather systems
Flooding is detrimental to military operations. Intentional flooding can be performed by defenders to stall attackers. Ukrainian forces destroyed a dam on the Irpen river during the opening stages of the 2022 invasion to stall the Kyiv offensive. It is not coincidental that the Russians destroyed the Kakhovka dam on the Dnipro river when the summer 2023 offensive was starting. Most military vehicles, especially tanks, are not amphibious. Dismounted infantry struggle in these wet marshy conditions. Combating flooding requires large scale pumping, barriers & diversions which is dangerous to do under enemy fire. Field positions such as tents & temporary command posts are not flood resistant. Due to modern day accurate indirect fire & glide bombs both Russian & Ukrainian soldiers are digging deeper with their shelters. Underground positions become dangerous during floods. Videos have shown numerous positions in Ukraine filled with water. The IDF in Gaza pumped seawater as a means to flush Hamas fighters out of their well dug tunnel systems.
On the offensive armies either wait or have to find another route around the flooded area. This funnels the enemy into known routes of advance. Defenders can set up defences (mine fields, obstacles), kill zones & transfer reserves to these predicted areas. The total area the defender has to protect is then reduced. If an enemy wants to advance through the flooded area this would require engineering units to set up bridges, ferries & pontoons. The scale of specialist equipment depends on the size & depth of the flooded area. If the flooded area is very large a vanguard force would need to land initially to set up a bridgehead. Securing a bridgehead is difficult. When Ukrainian troops landed in Krynsky on the left bank of the Dnipro river, very fierce battles commenced. Floods also bring about their own disease risks.
Sea levels are rising due to glacial & sheet ice melt alongside the expansion of water due thermal expansion. This increase in water volume is eroding the coastal landscape. Numerous military installations are by the coast. They are at risk. They need to be fortified & prepared to deal with the consequences such as storm surges & hurricanes. Climate change will give more energy to hurricanes which are dependent on warm water. Assets, such as ships & aircraft, are at risk alongside infrastructure. This will increase defence budget expenditure. The US military now has new stipulations on building design & location to combat this. Storms damaged numerous helicopters at Naval Air Station Whiting Field located near the Florida coast earlier this year. Most militaries with vastly smaller fleets would not be able to sustain comparative levels of damage. Airfields away from the coast are also at risk. This summer a helicopter base in Colorado was hit by a storm damaging & rolling over aircraft. Ground crews were warned but they did not act in time. This shows a level of unpreparedness.
Additionally, islands are very important to the military. The American island hopping campaign, during the Pacific theatre of WWII, was instrumental in pushing back the Japanese. These islands can function as permanent outposts to project power & sovereignty. Numerous countries in the pacific hold different island chains to boost their EEZ claim. Island can host air bases, air defence sites, intelligence equipment & docks depending on their size. The Diego Garcia base (part of the British Indian Ocean Territory) is a well known example. It hosts both British & American troops. Its location is vitally important as it is in the middle of the Indian ocean. It is a key part of the British re-think regarding their position east of the Suez. Islands are prone to erosion & sea level rises. It is predicted that certain island groups such as the Maldives & Kiribati will become inhospitable in the future. If islands do start to disappear, militaries will need to rethink naval & aerial operations. Aircraft carriers will become more important; they are in essence floating military islands.
Water:
At a minimum troops need 2 litres a day. During the July 2024 heat wave in Ukraine soldiers were needing 8 litres. Temperatures are getting hotter around the world. Heat waves are becoming more frequent & intense. Dehydration is a concern due to the physical activity soldiers do & the heavy gear they carry. Again, dehydration will result in non-combat casualties. Prompt identification, treatment & recovery is required. Coalition troops in Afghanistan would carry Camelbak hydration kits on their back.
Transporting large amounts of water to the front is difficult. In hot weather more trucks & supply runs will be needed. In today’s battlefield last mile logistics is treacherous due to accurate mortars, mines, drones & FPVs. Therefore in Ukraine it either needs to be carried on foot or via the usage of motorcycles, buggies & quad bikes. Soldiers today are already overburdened with gear so carrying more water especially for an extended period of time will be difficult. During the most intense fighting such as in Soledar COTS drones were used by Ukraine to drop water & tea to troops. Armies around the world are starting to use or trial cargo drones in supply missions. Royal Marines, the US military & Ukraine use the British Malloy Aeronautics TRV series. The T150 can carry 68kg of gear. Couple years ago the US military tested out essentially robotic mules which could carry around 200 kg of gear. The results were mixed.
In Afghanistan a sizable proportion of helicopter resupply missions were for water to remote positions. Due to the enemy’s lack of air defence this was possible. In a conventional war it will not be possible. At the British Camp Bastion the UK MoD ran its own bottling plant with a capacity of 48k litres per day. Large armies have a bore drilling capability to tap into groundwater. Some of these drills can go further than 100m below ground.
If an army is running low on water they can treat river water or any suitable water source. This can be accomplished either via water purification tablets (for front lines usage) or engineering troops can use truck mounted indsutrial filters. However, climate change is increasing drought & altering river flow. As the population increases, water demand for agriculture & cattle will increase. These factors combined will mean it may be harder for troops to find water on the move. Russian troops when they want to complain they often film short videos directed at high command & Putin. These are then posted to telegram channels. A common theme is being forced to drink from puddles. This is one of the many reasons for poor morale amongst Russian combatants. Water will need to be factored into account when offensive actions are being planned.
Water issues are one factor impacting agriculture (alongside pests, soil quality reduction, floods & temperature/weather changes) this will drive up food prices. Militaries will need to spend more money on rations & food at home therefore eating in precious funds for new equipment & development.
Water pairs with the deforestation mentioned above. Trees & shrubbery provide shade; protection from heat & UV rays. If this natural sun shelter is lost then artificial sun shelter will be needed & more water. Artificial shelters will need to be concealed & suited to the local environment. Republic of Korea (South Korea) tanks are often equipped with a fabric sunroof to protect the commander from the sun when their hatch is open.
Like dust & sand heat is always an issue with machinery. It can cause overheating & damage. Repairs & maintenance increases. American troops during Operation Desert storm reported their radios had very poor reliability. Soldiers would wrap cold towels around them in an attempt to prevent overheating. Losing radio coverage in today’s battlefield is a major negative force multiplier. Command & control is vital; it must be maintained at all times. Troops stated that inter-unit cooperation was a lot harder.
Conclusions:
Weather has always played its role in the outcomes of battles. Climate change is adding a new layer to this dynamic. The full consequences are not known however the impacts are already being felt. Increased research & cooperation with allies is needed in this realm. Being able to predict the weather & adapt accordingly is a very effective force multiplier.
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