"In April 2014, the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics (USD(AT&L)) directed the Defense Science Board (DSB) to conduct an abbreviated study to 'consider what information about any potential adversary may not be sufficiently acted upon in the decades to come that will lead to regrets in 2024; and in broad terms what those actions and hedges against changing priorities might be.' The areas for consideration included: maturation of science and technology; development of new weapons and weapons concepts including weapons of mass destruction; emergence of new operational concepts and rules of engagement; different potential adversaries and different kinds of potential adversaries; changing alliances among potential adversaries and changing relationships between the United States and its allies; broad global trends such as demographic shifts, geopolitical changes, resource constraints, or climate change; evolving priorities for national security objectives; and foreign policy goals. To address this charge in a timely manner, the DSB called primarily on the expertise of members of the Board. The study met from June through August 2014 to explore potential changes for Department of Defense priorities as well as possible actions and hedges to strategic surprise and avoid potential regrets in 2024"--Page 1.