Foreign Denial and Deception: Minimizing the Impact to Operational Intelligence
Abstract
Foreign Denial and Deception (D&D) is as old as warfare itself and is still practiced across the globe today. Both countries and non-state actors use D&D as a means to gain comparative advantage over their opponents. Indeed, the weaker one is in relation to their adversary, the greater the appeal to use D&D. Since foreign practitioners have frequently employed denial and deception against the United States, it is incumbent upon both joint force commanders (JFCs) and their intelligence staffs (J-2) to increase their knowledge of this asymmetric challenge. Countering the foreign D&D threat will not be easy. Since we will never be able to completely eliminate D&D, one must take steps to lessen its impact upon operational art. By defining D&D, examining denial and deception means & techniques, and looking at various foreign models, JFCs and their J-2s begin an important step in understanding the adversary. Perhaps the best methodology to knowledge advantage over an enemy remains centered on the human dimension. Increasing D&D awareness, emphasizing a multi-collection/analytical approach, and incorporating D&D concepts into our joint doctrine, will allow both the operational commander and his J-2 to not just mitigate foreign D&D, but also to exploit an opponent's biases and perceptions. Currently, Network-Centric Warfare (NCW) has the potential to leave us vulnerable to foreign denial and deception. While most of the news on this Information Technology Revolution in Military Affairs (IT RMA) centers around technological development, the importance of NCW's organizational, doctrinal, and operational concepts should not be lost. Focusing on the human factor side of NCW promises to offer significant rewards. In the end, it is the education and training of our JFCs and their J-2s that holds the key to minimizing the impact of foreign D&D to operational intelligence.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 04, 2002
- Accession Number
- ADA401503
Entities
People
- Brian P. Cyr
Organizations
- Naval War College