The Modernized Principles Of

Brigadier General Charles J. Dunlap, Jr., U.S. Air Force O UNIVERSAL TRUTHS about war exist? short, the aim is not wholesale replacement of the DWhen does the immutable become, well, traditional principles, per se, but rather a renovation mutable? Rethinking warfighting fundamentals that is conscious of the lasting value of the old. like the principles of war raises such questions. Perceived worthiness. Why men fight and why Sadly, what is enduring about war is its relentless, they stop fighting are the classic inquiries of military tragic horror. thinkers. Ultimately, the answer is about worthiness. Other aspects of the human dimension also What makes it worthwhile for people to risk their remain unchanged. The apprehension and determi- lives in armed combat? What persuades them to nation a young Marine feels on the battlefield today make the enormous sacrifices war can require? For are the same as the young Athenian felt on the Plain some, it is high-minded purposes such as achiev- of Marathon in 490 B.C. Yet it is equally true that ing or preserving freedom. For others, it concerns social, economic, political, and technological fac- personal honor, comradeship, or simply survival. tors evolve war’s practice if not its essence. Worthiness goes to the fundamental mindset of The traditional principles of war describe, as one people both individually and collectively. document puts it, “those aspects of warfare that are Assuming that worthiness necessarily equates to universally true and relevant.”1 Today they typically moral good is a mistake, however. Various groups include unity of command, objective, offensive, might conclude that ethnic hatred, Lebensraum mass, maneuver, economy of force, security, sur- (living space), or any number of malevolent ration- prise, and simplicity.2 Over the ages the list has ales add up to acceptable motivators for violence. varied somewhat because what is common in one Worthiness is a matter of subjective perspective, not era might be rare or absent altogether in another. The objective merit. What is important is what a bellig- necessity for recalibrations from time to time simply erent believes warrants war. Hence, this principle reflects the humanness (if not humanity) of war. appends “perceived” to the idea of worthiness. Thoughtful theorists suggest that the related The Modernized Principles concept of will should become a principle of war of War because overcoming an opponent’s resolve is the Modernizing the traditional principles of war for central task of war.3 In key respects, it is always a 21st-century conflicts does not render older versions center of gravity. Although will has ready touch- irrelevant. To the contrary, the intent of modern- stones in military literature, perceived worthiness izing the principles of war is to capture the spirit peels it back to address its underpinnings. For the of existing ones. For example, informed insight, warfighter, it literally asks the right question, the when properly understood, incorporates elements “why” of an antagonist’s hostility. Opportunity lies of security and surprise. Likewise, the modernized in the answer. Sufficiently erode the perception of principles of war such as perceived worthiness, worthiness among decisive elements of an adver- informed insight, strategic anchoring, engage- sary’s combat power, and the effort disintegrates, ment dominance, unity of effect, adaptability, and even if the physical capability to continue remains culminating power strive to capture the essential intact. Conversely, when it collapses among friendly objective, among other traditional principles. In forces, defeat likely follows. 42 March-April 2006 MILITARY REVIEW NEO-STRATEGICON Most opponents of the United States no longer pursue traditional military victory, per PRINCIPLES OF WAR se. Instead, they try to get us to perceive that Traditional Modernized the goal no longer justifies the anticipated sac- Unity of Command Perceived Worthiness rifice of American blood and treasure. This is why managing perceptions among friend and Objective Informed Insight foe is so important to 21st-century conflicts. Offensive Strategic Anchoring To create the right perceptions, leaders need Mass Durability informed insight. Informed insight. Informed insight seeks Maneuver Engagement Dominance to make sense of the cacophony that swirls Economy of Force Unity of Effect around concepts like information superiority and dominance. Suffused with the notion that Security Adaptability more is always better, investments pour into Surprise Culminating Power various collection capabilities in an insatiable Simplicity drive to accumulate information. While it is necessary to cast a wide net to ensure one is fully informed, warfighters need more than verifies the legitimacy of information will have a raw data, however voluminous. significant edge. A new-style fog of war will mark Fusing information is the real challenge. It is not modern conflicts as vast quantities of cleverly mis- just gleaning relevant data from the mass; it is appre- leading data and outright disinformation flood deci- ciating the human factors of information convey- sion centers and threaten to bury genuine facts. ance. How much can a commander usefully absorb The true asymmetric advantage does not come and at what rate? Unless information is digested, it is from information accumulation, but from the cog- as if it does not exist. That said, even comprehensive nitive component of the warfighter. The insights and well-fused reports will not, alone, produce the drawn from information make the real difference. winning information differential. Data, no matter how all-encompassing, well-fused, The reasons are several. Digitization of data of all or timely, cannot provide insight, which is not just kinds makes plenty of militarily useful information knowing what the enemy is thinking and saying, freely available on the Web. In the future if anything but intuiting what he will think and do even before exists in an electrical form, we must assume it is he knows. Thus, informed insight can capture a in the hands of the adversary. Moreover, technol- conventional principle like surprise and employ it ogy such as Web crawlers, intelligent robots, and offensively or defensively. other relatively inexpensive autonomous means How does one acquire insight? The answer is will likely do much of the fusing work. Third-party experience and native talent combined with a wide- corporations already exist to fuse information for scoped liberal education, formally or informally anyone for a price. acquired. These, coupled with a solid technologi- All of these developments will level the battlefield cal orientation and complemented by exhaustive informationwise. Consequently, in many situations, study of all aspects of a foe’s specific situation, warfighters should not waste time on the quixotic can produce, if not wisdom, at least more astute task of trying to achieve information superiority or evaluations. dominance. Rather, they ought to develop doctrines The ability to focus matters. Napoleon spent and strategies for fighting in an environment of hours alone deliberating about his battle plans. Time complete information transparency. and again, this technique produced brilliant military Authenticity will be the critical feature of infor- insights. Obviously, the speed of modern warfare mation in 21st-century warfare. Manipulating and limits emulation of Napoleon’s technique, but tech- altering data, including images that exist electroni- nology and behavioral studies might produce useful cally, is just too easy. Although technology itself approaches. A distributed analytical process that might provide some solutions, the side that quickly links and synergizes the mental muscle of disparate MILITARY REVIEW March-April 2006 43 leadership elements is yet another possibility for endorsing passivity. An active defensive that inflicts exploration. Nonetheless, the innate military genius persistent stress on challengers while shrewdly of individuals still counts. That genius, however, avoiding unintended consequences deserves equal must have firm strategic anchoring. billing with the offensive. Linking all actions to Strategic anchoring. Strategic anchoring means their strategic anchor best accomplishes that aim. consciously anchoring every action in a strategic con- Durability readily informs the efficacy and relevance text. The principle recasts the objective to highlight of strategic anchoring. the potential the information revolution gives to all Durability. Much of the value of durability as combatant actions. The traditional notion of objec- a modernized principle of war resides in its exqui- tive is constituent to strategic anchoring because site lucidity. Durability reflects the basic idea of activities so connected automatically coalesce on the continuing utility for the intended purpose despite right goal at any level of war. In the Information Age, hard use. In the military context, durability extends few objectives are exclusively tactical or operational, from the immediately practical to entire strategic or even military. Each has latent strategic implica- themes. Along the way, the tenet subsumes several tions, some of profound importance. traditional principles. For example, modern com- General Charles C. Krulak’s conceptualization of manders who are thinking durability will naturally the strategic corporal epitomizes this phe- incorporate security into their planning. nomenon.4 Actions at the tactical

Load more