Shock And Awe: America's 21st Century Maginot Line
Abstract
This paper evaluates Shock and Awe through a futuristic lens. In 2011 China conducts asymmetric attacks against the United States and conventional war against Taiwan. Shortly after China occupies Taiwan the President of the United States commissions a working group to evaluate the concept of shock and awe. The working group out-brief report provides an orientation examination and evaluation of shock and awe. The report begins with a review of the 1996 National Defense University book Shock and Awe. Next the report examines and evaluates the historical examples used in the 1996 publication and identifies alternative historical lessons for shock and awe. Lastly the working group conducts a selective comparison between Shock and Awe and China's seminal 9and controversial) treatise, Unrestricted Warfare. Based on the analysis the working group determined that Shock and Awe maximized conventional warfare capabilities but failed to address the asymmetric and unconventional threats posed by China. Recommendations (1) Shock and awe needs to cast a wider conceptual net (2) The U.S. approach to operational art needs to be expanded and refined. (3) More integration and jointness between military and non-military centers of power is required for future war. (4) Warfighting needs to be treated as both an art and a science. (5) Ends ways and means need to be mutually suppolting; balancing fl%e human organisational and technical aspects of conflict are essential for success in future war.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 16, 2003
- Accession Number
- ADA419824
Entities
People
- Michael G. Dana
Organizations
- Naval War College