Russian Military Thought: Concepts and Elements
Abstract
There are many issues that have motivated the development of this report. However, two primary ones are a need to inform Western analysts of Russias military thought process, which differs from that in the West; and the need to demonstrate that Western mirror-imaging of its concepts onto Russian thinking doesnt always work, whether it be hybrid warfare concepts, anti-access area denial (A2AD) thinking, or grey zone concepts. Russia doesnt utilize many of the concepts that the West does, and those that it does use may be interpreted in different ways or have other issues attached to them. There are also many assumptions about Russian military thought that are based on false premises. Initially, the report examines several specific thought processes of the Russian military, to include some that are seldom if ever discussed in the West. These concepts include disorganizing an opposing force, reflexively controlling them, examining numerous forms and methods of applying force by branch of service, and finding innovative ways to employ military art, among other issues. There are other concepts, such as indirect and asymmetric operations, that numerous countries examine but implement them in various ways according to national values and traditions. Russia is no exception to this process, as several authors have written on indirect and asymmetric operations. Even the definition and concept of war is being reconsidered by Russia. In 2017, there was a long discussion among military specialists in Russia about the topic of war. These articles examined whether nonmilitary issues, to include the civilian use of cyber capabilities, had changed wars character.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 2019
- Accession Number
- AD1108214
Entities
People
- Timothy L. Thomas
Organizations
- MITRE Corporation