Information Warfare, Organizing for Action.

Abstract

The armed forces of the United States have recognized the potential importance of Information Warfare (IW) and have defined it as it will apply to military operations. It now remains for them to identify and implement an optimum organizational structure at the regional unified command level to develop, plan, synchronize and employ it effectively. Official publications recommend an 'IW cell' made up members from the J3, J6 and J2 directorates of the CINCs staff. Any such organization needs unity of command, unity of effort and uniformity between the commands to succeed. Alternative organizational structures include a separate staff element, a single DoD Agency or service in charge, or a new functional unified combatant command--USINFOCOM. Although none of the organizations offers a solution that is totally acceptable, USINFOCOM may be the best alternative. That solution can only be implemented, however, after careful consideration of the way in which IW is to be viewed--as a force multiplier or as a form of warfare, and then only after today's warriors become acculturated to the phenomenon of IW.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 14, 1996
Accession Number
ADA312020

Entities

People

  • Benjamin F. Crew

Organizations

  • Naval War College

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Information Warfare
  • Military Operations
  • Military Organizations
  • Organizational Structure
  • Unified Combatant Commands
  • United States
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Irregular Warfare and Special Operations Cyberspace Operations against Adversarial Threats.
  • Joint Military Operations and Doctrine.