War on the Cheap. Using Information Warfare to Lengthen the Decision Cycle.
Abstract
This paper investigates how an adversary of the United States might indirectly attack a center of gravity of a United States military operation by disrupting operational tempo using information warfare. Current military doctrine mandates quick and decisive victories whenever United States Forces are called to combat. A key element of this doctrine is the creation of an operational tempo that an enemy cannot match and so defeating him quickly with as few casualties as possible. The doctrine reflects a political reality that the American public will not support protracted and indecisive conflicts with large numbers of casualties. It is also a fact that most future United States military operations will project forward from the continental United States to immature theaters of operations. The combination of the requirements for high operational tempo and power projection from the United States will demand much from our information technology. Automated support systems for administration and logistics will be key to any future successful operation. This paper will not discuss how information resources are used by the United States but rather how a potential adversary might be able to manipulate these resources to disrupt operational tempo. This paper will show how a financially limited country could effectively fight the United States military, not by buying expensive exotic weapons systems, but by paying talented computer hackers and others familiar with United States support networks to disturb these systems. A good information warfare capability such as this would be a great combat multiplier for any foe and is not a capability realized sufficiently by United States military joint planners.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 12, 1996
- Accession Number
- ADA307767
Entities
People
- Thomas H. Carr Jr
Organizations
- Naval War College