21st Century Warfare Concepts and Considerations

Asymmetric Warfare (AW), 4th Generation Warfare (4GW) and Maneuver Warfare (MW). Some of the concepts are controversial, but shared with others so they can do their own research. 21st Century Warfare Concepts and Considerations by SWOT HUNTER Asymmetric Warfare (AW), 4th Generation Warfare (4GW) and Maneuver Warfare (MW). Some of the concepts are controversial, but shared with others so they can do their own research. These are note taking slides regarding 21st century concepts of warfare. Notes may serve as a catalyst for further research. Asymmetric Warfare (AW), 4th Generation Warfare (4GW) and Maneuver Warfare (MW) March 2019 Purpose These are note taking slides regarding 21st century concepts of warfare. Notes may serve as a catalyst for further research Asymmetric Warfare (AW) Does Not Exist - AW is a powerful nation’s excuse for failing to adapt to threats, particularly low-tech, cost-efficient, threats “Labeling wars as asymmetric is to me something of a euphemism to avoid acknowledging that my opponent is not playing to my strengths and I am not winning”. General Rupert Smith Bottom line: If you are not exploiting your competitor’s weaknesses to achieve asymmetry, you are losing. A formidable threat is going to pit their strengths against your weaknesses. 4th Generation Warfare (4GW) Lines between military and civilian may not exist; all may be participating actors or victims “Distinction between war and peace will be blurred to the vanishing point.” “Definable battlefields” may not exist and/or be nonlinear/noncontiguous Conflict will go beyond the physical realm and into the psychological and morale realms The nation state no longer maintains a monopoly on waging war. War can be conducted by state actors (China/Russia), non-state actors (al Qaida) or lone wolves (computer hackers) High-tech may not give the US an advantage The 4GW concept was a prescient and bold attempt made by some forward-thinking military leaders in 1989. The concept of 4GW characterized what the US military recognized decades later as the concepts of Gray Zones and Hybrid Warfare. These concepts are similar for they all recognize the Westphalian construct of state order is challenged. The primary difference in the concepts lies in the evolution in terms of time. 4GW is an evolutionary term of warfare from muskets, to infiltration tactics, etc Hybrid Warfare and Gray Zone identify and characterize how adversaries will adapt and circumvent peer or above-peer competitor strengths, as well as the general operating environment. 4GW – led to the Concept of Hybrid Warfare Frank Hoffman defines hybrid warfare as: "Any adversary that simultaneously and adaptively employs a fused mix of conventional weapons, irregular tactics, terrorism and criminal behavior in the battle space to obtain their political objectives.“ - Ridderhof 4GW led to the Concept of Gray Zone “In SOCOM’s view, the future of conflict revolves around what it dubs “the gray zone,” which consists of “competitive interactions among and within state and nonstate actors that fall between the traditional war and peace duality. They are characterized by ambiguity about the nature of the conflict, opacity of the parties involved, or uncertainty about the relevant policy and legal frameworks…Overall, gray zone challenges rise above normal, everyday peacetime geopolitical competition and are aggressive, perspective-dependent and ambiguous.” Thinking Dangerously By David C. Ellis, Charles N. Black, and Mary Ann Nobles PRISM, Volume 6, No 3 https://cco.ndu.edu/News/Article/1020224/thinking-dangerously; accessed 24Dec18 “What makes the gray zone so complex from a SOCOM perspective is the multiplicity of national, sub-national, and nonstate actors operating within the international system, each with different interests, techniques, strategies, and capacities to subvert or operate on the margins of international law and institutions. The binding element for most of the main U.S. competitors is the desire to challenge the established Western-dominated international order or replace it altogether with new ordering values.” Thinking Dangerously By David C. Ellis, Charles N. Black, and Mary Ann Nobles PRISM, Volume 6, No 3 https://cco.ndu.edu/News/Article/1020224/thinking-dangerously; accessed 24Dec18 Maneuver Warfare (MW) "… a warfighting philosophy that seeks to shatter the enemy’s cohesion through a variety of rapid, focused, and unexpected actions which create a turbulent and rapidly deteriorating situation with which the enemy cannot cope." Marine Corps Doctrinal Publication 1 (MCDP 1) In other words; identify/create asymmetries leading to identifying/creating weaknesses within the opponent. Then, target and exploit those weaknesses so the opposition’s system no longer operates as a functional whole. Physical destruction is not required. Total destruction is not required; the threat’s will and ability to compete is destroyed. References Brown, Ian T. 2018. A New Conception of War. https://www.usmcu.edu/Portals/218/ANe... ; accessed 9Mar19 Kapusta, Philip. 2015. The Gray Zone; https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SSzB... Marine Corps Gazette. October 1989. Changing Face of War: Into the Fourth Generation. https://globalguerrillas.typepad.com/... ; Pages 22-26 accessed 9Mar19 Ridderhof, R. 27Jul17. From Classic Wars to Hybrid Warfare https://www.peacepalacelibrary.nl/201... ; accessed 24Dec18 Smith, General Rupert. 2007. The Utility of Force. https://amzn.to/2RhQGua United States Marine Corps. 1997. Warfighting. https://www.usmcu.edu/Portals/218/ANe... ; accessed 9Mar19 USSOCOM. 2016. White Paper - Perceiving Gray Zone Indications . https://drive.google.com/file/d/1I9-9... Wikipedia. Hybrid Warfare. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hybrid_... Help center • Report spam ©2019 YouTube, LLC 901 Cherry Ave, San Bruno, CA 94066, USA