The Cyber Military Revolution and the Need for a New Framework of War
Abstract
The introduction of the cyber domain has fostered massive and profound changes in all aspects of society. Cyber technology has completely restructured the methods and manners of governance, economics, politics, social interaction, and has fundamentally altered the character and conduct of warfare. This thesis describes how these fundamental changes in society and warfare merit classifying the introduction of the cyber domain as a military revolution. Because of the cyber military revolution, warfare is no longer adequately defined as violent campaigns and battles sought among armed fighting forces occurring between periods of peace. War is now a continuous battle between diverse multi-faceted actors waged primarily in the virtual cyber domain, occasionally accompanied by violent clashes in the physical domain. When changes to warfare are this fundamental, it requires a new framework of war to guide strategy, doctrine development, and military operations at all levels of warfare. This thesis uses case studies and analysis to demonstrate why the current framework of war, based upon a theory of warfare described in Carl Von Clausewitz' classical work "On War," leaves a conceptual gap that does not fully address the challenges of warfare in the cyber age. To address this conceptual gap, the thesis recommends a revised framework of war that uses Colonel John Boyd's philosophy of war and his Observe-Orient-Decide-Act loop as the foundational core elements.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 16, 2012
- Accession Number
- ADA562392
Entities
People
- Mark L. Williamson
Organizations
- National Defense University