Matrix Warfare: The New Face of Competition and Conflict in the 21st Century

Abstract

The exigencies of matrix warfare demand new approaches to security. The broad nature of the threat requires an equally broad response. Cooperation and coordination amongst all government agencies must be expanded and improved. Matrix warfare is here to stay and we must develop a coherent and sustainable response that ensures global security. Matrix warfare is not unassailable, it is a war that can be won, but in order to win, we must clearly recognize the nature of the threat confronting us. It is not a static, rigid, hierarchical nation-state as we have confronted in the past; but rather, it is a dynamic, distributed, de-centralized, global, and amorphous adversary - it is a matrix threat. Returning to the business metaphor with which we began, we must seriously re-think our "business model" in light of the matrix threat and be prepared to change not just our methods and modalities, but our institutional cultures as well.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Oct 01, 2001
Accession Number
ADA433767

Entities

People

  • J. N. Williams

Organizations

  • Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Counter WMD
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Engineered Resilient Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Commerce
  • Competition
  • Employment
  • Foreign Policy
  • Governments
  • Homeland Defense
  • Homeland Security
  • Military Personnel
  • National Security
  • Nuclear Warfare
  • Nuclear Weapons
  • Organizational Structure
  • Security
  • Terrorism
  • United States
  • Warfare

Readers

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