Information Dominance: Can We Afford It

Abstract

Information superiority is one of the United States Air Force's (USAF) six core competencies. Although delineated as a USAF core competency, it is no less important to other Services. In fact, each Service strives to obtain information that will ensure its battlefield success. Their goal is to dominate all campaign areas such as air and fire superiority. This paper focuses on information warfare (IW) and its subset, information dominance (ID), and whether or not the United States or its military can afford it. This paper seeks to answer the following questions: What does the U.S. give up to obtain and maintain ID? What will it cost? Does the U.S. have the forces to meet the operational tempo as we trade personnel power for technology? Does the U.S. need information dominance, especially offensively, against second and third world countries, or should it put resources into active defense? Does the U.S. need defensive and offensive modes of information dominance; can we afford both? Are we headed for information 'overkill' to gain information supremacy of the battlefield? With all the attention given to information gathering following DESERT STORM, and subsequent mis-information regarding IW effectiveness (precision guided missiles, steel on target), the U.S. and its military are caught up in a Futurist whirlwind. Futurists, planners, strategists, and thinkers agree the next major threat is 10-20 years away and the U.S. must prepare itself for the 21st century and its dynamic battlefields. If true, don't the U.S. and its military services have the opportunity to take their time and approach information superiority with forethought? Many experts do not want to give up proven weaponry and capabilities to support what may prove to be only a fad. This paper examines many pragmatists' views on information warfare and information dominance.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 01, 1997
Accession Number
ADA397987

Entities

People

  • Johnny W. Bray

Organizations

  • Air Command and Staff College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • C4I
  • Cyber
  • Electronic Warfare
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Air Power
  • Combat Areas
  • Command And Control
  • Contingency Operations (Military)
  • Fluids
  • Information Operations
  • Information Systems
  • Information Warfare
  • Military Applications
  • Military Organizations
  • Military Strategy
  • National Security
  • Organizational Structure
  • United States
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Educational Psychology
  • Irregular Warfare and Special Operations Cyberspace Operations against Adversarial Threats.
  • Strategic Security Studies