Maneuver Warfare Within a Contested Information Environment: The Marine Corps Next Fight
Abstract
Since September 11, 2001, the United States Marine Corps has grown increasingly dependent on assortments of technological advances aimed at capitalizing on the vast technology gap between its current and potential adversaries. Nation states such as China, North Korea, Russia, and Iran have capitalized on this opportunity by closing the technological gap with the United States, developing strategy and capabilities to contest the information environment. A generation of Marines learned how to fight with very little consideration for a contested information environment, resulting in a new critical vulnerability. Peer-competitor nation states have closed the technological gap by developing and adjusting their strategies and acquiring the means capable of exploiting the Marine Corps critical vulnerabilities. The Marine Corps finds itself ill-postured to fight an enemy without the asymmetric advantage on the battlefield provided by superior technology. To dominate the EMS, a peer-competitor would employ an integrated approach to target vulnerabilities integral to space-based capabilities, denying or degrading the Marine Corps ability to maneuver within the information environment. Marine leaders must learn to manage their electronic signature, operate as a far more dispersed force, and use new technologies to obfuscate enemy sensors.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 25, 2018
- Accession Number
- AD1177048
Entities
People
- Adam M. Harrington
Organizations
- Marine Corps University