Information Should be an Operational Factor of War in the Information Age.
Abstract
Over the past five years, numerous articles have been published prophetically evaluating the future battlespace, and what forces will be used to fight in that space. Although there has been no firm direction yet drawn on where this Revolution in Military Affairs (RMA) will lead us, it will surely change military practices, doctrines, and basic precepts. Historically, time, space, and forces have been considered the operational factors of war. While their importance is due to the freedom of action they provide when used in the correct balance, information has always played a pivotal role in effectively achieving the correct balance. Further, all Joint Warfighting Publications recognize information domination or superiority as a basic tenet of the future of warfare. This paper proposes that with the military poised on the brink of the information explosion and RMA, information should takes its rightful place as the fourth operational factor of war. This concept is examined from the perspective of collection, management, utilization, exploitation, and security.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 07, 1997
- Accession Number
- ADA325033
Entities
People
- Kevin D. Bohnstedt
Organizations
- Naval War College