Deception: Past, Present, and Future Possibilities

Abstract

Deception, at some level, is a part of any conflict. The importance of deception in warfare has been formally expressed at least since the fourth century B.C. when Sun Tzu wrote about the merits of deception in warfare and suggested that deception can be used as a force multiplier. This paper addresses the successful use of deception in two past operations. The first operation, Barclay/Mincemeat, shows how deception can be used to even the odds when a force is inferior. The second operation, Desert Storm, shows how deception should be used if possible, even when a force is superior, in order to save lives and resources. The analysis includes a description of the operations and a comparison of why each operation was or was not successful. Using these conclusions, the paper develops several lessons learned and recommendations for future deception operations.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Feb 08, 1994
Accession Number
ADA279624

Entities

People

  • Diane H. Olson

Organizations

  • Naval War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Abstracts
  • Amphibious Operations
  • Case Studies
  • Communications Intelligence
  • Intelligence Collection
  • International Relations
  • Lessons Learned
  • Military History
  • Military Operations
  • Military Organizations
  • New York
  • Second World War
  • Security
  • Signals Intelligence
  • United States
  • War
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Military History / Militaries and War Studies