The French Ground Forces on the Frontlines of the Digital Revolution: Understanding the Technological Transformation of Command at the Intersection of Professional Identity, Organization, and Activity through the Case of Junior Infantry Officers.

The digitalization of combat activity represents a crucial transformation for Western armies since the 1990s, integrating digital technologies into military operations, particularly through operational information and communication systems (SIOC). These technologies facilitate localization, communication, and information sharing across various military hierarchies, promising a rationalization of combat practices. However, this digitization raises concerns about the autonomy of officers and an increased dependence on digital systems, which may limit their capacity for action in the event of a failure.

An analysis of junior infantry officers, based on interviews conducted between 2022 and 2023 at the École Militaire de Paris, reveals that the introduction of SIOC has reconfigured command practices and the organization of regiments (Professional Military Education, competencies management, etc.). Although these tools are intended to rationalize work, they encounter organizational constraints and the professional identity of officers, which relies on the embodiment of charismatic authority. This authority manifests through verbal communication, which is essential for establishing connections with subordinates, even in the presence of digital technologies.

Bruno Latour, in Science in Action, emphasizes that the effectiveness of a technology depends on its use and the actors' appropriation. Officers prioritize tools that encourage direct communication, such as radios, to morally influence their men and gather information on the ground. Thus, the NEB should not be viewed as a revolution disrupting military practices but rather as a complement to existing methods, illustrating how technical changes must navigate the constraints of activity, organization, and professional identity.

Our objective will be to demonstrate that the management of technological change is contingent upon organizational factors, professional identity, and the contingencies of activity, as evidenced by the case of the digitization of land forces.