Operational Deception and the Principles of War

Abstract

Deception has proved its significance repeatedly throughout military history. Its utility as a force multiplier is universally accepted among military practitioners. Considering the recent force reductions caused by Post Cold War economic realities and an expanding national aversion to combat casualties, increased focus on operational deception (OPDEC) is warranted. This paper focuses on contemporary OPDEC planning considerations and examines their relevance from a historical perspective. Additionally, it will assess OPDEC's contribution to selected principles of war from a theoretical viewpoint. Finally, conclusions will be drawn as to the future value of OPDEC to the operational commander.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Feb 08, 1994
Accession Number
ADA279632

Entities

People

  • George G. Womack

Organizations

  • Naval War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Human Systems
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Abstracts
  • Battles
  • Camouflage
  • Casualties
  • Cold War
  • Deception
  • Detection
  • History
  • Military History
  • New York
  • Psychological Operations
  • Second World War
  • Security
  • United States
  • War
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Military History / Militaries and War Studies