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community.apan.org/wg/tradoc-g2/fmso/ Foreign Military Studies Office Volume 8 Issue #8 OEWATCH August 2018 FOREIGN NEWS & PERSPECTIVES OF THE OPERATIONAL ENVIRONMENT SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES EURASIA INDO-PACIFIC 3 The Russian Perspective of “Friction” and “Wear” in Hybrid 28 The PLA Army Tests Its Special Forces Capabilities 55 Iran to Re-Launch “Helicopter Carrier” War 29 The Emergence of the PLA Navy’s “Jiaolong” 56 The IRGC Wins Multibillion Dollar Economic Projects 4 Russian Combined Arms Armies Are Implementing Commando Unit 57 Turkish Armed Forces Continue to Professionalize Automated C2 System 58 Questions on Shortfalls in Electricity Generation in Iran 30 The PLA Air Force’s “Thunder Gods” Airborne 5 Syria and the Russian General Staff Academy 59 Achieving Gasoline Self-Sufficiency in Iran 6 New Russian Armor Tactics from the Syrian Experience Commando Unit 60 Accepting FATF is Absolutely Forbidden 8 Slavic Brotherhood 2018: Applying the Syrian and 31 China: Achieving Strength through Big Data and 61 Turkish Foreign Security Policy Under an Executive Presidency Donbas Experience to the Balkans? “New Quality Combat Forces” 9 CIS Members Reject Russian Request for Assistance in Syria 32 Building More Capable Overseas Chinese Security Forces: The Next Priority? AFRICA 10 International Political Pressure Mounts against Russian 62 With Learning Chinese, a Dose of Indoctrination Troop Presence in Moldova 33 The Lessons China Taught Itself: Why the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Matters 63 If Somaliland and Puntland Go to War, the Winner Could Be 11 China Praises Cooperation with Belarus and Its 35 Davao City: An Innocent Tourist Attraction or a Stop Al-Shabaab Special Forces Toward Further Militarization 64 Crossfire Creates Displacement from Burkina Faso to Mali 12 Chechnya’s Special Forces University to Offer 36 The Indian Government’s Response to Chinese Maritime 65 Africa’s Deadliest Group: Militant Herders Mountain Tourism Activities 66 MINUSMA Investigates Abuses in Mali 13 Another Russian Base in Kyrgyzstan? 38 Sea Trials for China’s Second Aircraft Carrier Point to 67 South Sudan: With Few Details, a Palatable Peace Deal 14 Putting Science Companies to Work Accelerating Growth in Capability 68 Africa’s Four Types of Organized Crime 16 Russia is Shortening Officer Training and Adjusting 39 Singapore’s Cyber-Security Strategy 69 Can Justice Systems Counter Terrorism? Conscription Standards 40 Japan Develops Islands in Indonesia’s Natuna Sea 17 Assessing Russia’s Ten-Year Military Spending Plan 41 Differing Narratives Explain Myanmar Violence LATIN AMERICA 19 Improving Medical Care in the Russian Military 70 Brazil in Final Phase of Constructing Country’s First Cruise 21 Military Support for Pension Reform? MIDDLE EAST, NORTH AFRICA Missile 22 Successful Russian IO Campaign 71 Weaponized Drones Target Baja California Secretary of Public 42 The Role of Turkish Special Forces in Operation 23 Anchors Away in the Arctic Security’s Residence 25 China Adding Nuclear-powered Icebreakers in the Arctic Olive Branch 72 Chinese Interest in Bolivia 25 Join the Army and See the Snow 43 Egypt’s Thunderbolt Forces: Image and Reality 73 Cubazuelaruso Oil 26 More Energy for Europe 44 Visit of Chinese Military Delegation to Iran 74 Living Conditions in Venezuela Are Not Improving 27 Spain and Catalonia 45 Iran to Launch New Satellite by Year’s End 75 The Coming Death of UNASUR? 46 Iran’s Simorgh Satellite Ready for Launch 75 Bolivarian Military Solidarity with Ortega 47 Iran Preparing to Host Nanotechnology Festival 76 Mexico-Cuba Nexus? 48 Central Asia: Next Stop for Syria’s Foreign Jihadists? 77 Is Ecuador Realigning? 50 Turkish Concern over its Southern Border Security 78 Bolivarian Influence in the Caribbean Softening 51 Turkish Dams Cause Water Conflict in the Middle East 79 Drug Routes between Venezuela and the Dominican Republic 52 Khamenei on Strategic Patience 80 Guatemalan Authorities Find First Ever Coca Field in Country 53 Yemen: Increased UAV Employment by Houthi-Led 81 Operation Jaque Ten Years On Coalition approved for public release; distribution is unlimited The Foreign Military Studies Office (FMSO) at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, is part of the US Army Training and Doctrine Command G-2, whose mission is to Understand, Describe, Deliver, and OEWATCH Assess the conditions of the Operational Foreign News & Perspectives Environment. For over 30 years, FMSO of the Operational Environment has conducted open source research Volume 8 | Issue 8 August | 2018 on foreign perspectives of defense and security issues, emphasizing those topics that are understudied or unconsidered. Regional Analysts and Operational Environment Watch Expert Contributors provides translated selections and commentary from a diverse range Eurasia Chuck Bartles Ray Finch of foreign media that our analysts Les Grau and expert contributors believe will Robert Kurz give security professionals an added Matthew Stein Sergey Sukhankin dimension to their critical thinking Boris Vainer about the Operational Environment. Tom Wilhelm Indo-Pacific Abigail Grace The views expressed in each article are those of Cindy Hurst the author and do not represent the official policy or Matthew Stein position of the Department of the Army, Department Peter Wood of Defense, or the US Government. Release of this Jacob Zenn information does not imply any commitment or intent on the part of the US Government to provide any Middle East, North Africa Ihsan Gunduz additional information on any topic presented herein. Michael Rubin The appearance of hyperlinks does not constitute Lucas Winter endorsement by the US Army of the referenced site Africa Robert Feldman or the information, products, or services contained Jacob Zenn therein. Users should exercise caution in accessing hyperlinks. Latin America Robert Bunker The Operational Environment Watch is archived Geoff Demarest and available at: https://community.apan.org/wg/ Brenda Fiegel tradoc-g2/fmso/. Alma Keshavarz ON THE COVER: Editor-in-Chief Tom Wilhelm Belarusian special units eliminate mock terrorists’ base during 2nd stage of Slavic Bortherhood 2018 tactical drills (Rayevsky training ground, Editor Matthew Stein Krasnodarsky Krai). Design Editor Lucas Winter Image Source: Russian Ministry of Defense, http://eng.mil.ru/en/multimedia/photo/gallery.htm?id=58405@cmsPhotoGallery, CC 4.0. EURASIA The Russian Perspective of “Friction” and “Wear” in Hybrid War OE Watch Commentary: In their writings about hybrid war, the Russians never claim to be practitioners, only the victims of it. Instead, they describe their actions as “counter- “The state is losing monopoly over hybrid” operations. In the article “‘Friction’ and ‘Wear’ of Hybrid Wars” by A. A. Bartosh, use of force.” published in Russia’s military theory journal Военная Мысль (Military Thought), there are some insights into the Russian view of hybrid war and also an opportunity to view the Source: “Трение и Износ гибпридой войны doctrinal practice of Russian military science. (Friction and Wear of Hybrid Wars),” Военная In his article, it is noteworthy that Bartosh defers to the definition of hybrid warfare Мысль (Military Thought), No. 1 2018, pp. 5-12. attributed to the London-based International Institute of Strategic Studies: “the use of “The Russian model of countering hybrid military and non-military means in an integrated campaign aimed at creating a surprise warfare should be constructed taking into effect, capturing initiative, and gaining psychological advantages to be used for diplomatic account the nonlinear forms and methods of purposes; large scale and rapid informational, electronic, and cyber operations; covert and the attacking forces and should reflect the clandestine military and intelligence activities combined with economic pressure.” While following key objectives of national defense. One, accepting this definition, Bartosh also warns that this descriptor cannot be used officially, ability to quickly and definitively respond….. as it requires more scientific proof. two is to enable the country to promptly Bartosh breaks down the “friction” of hybrid war into five “peculiarities” that he claims concentrate….efforts and resources…three is augment Clausewitz’s “seven sources of general friction” in warfare. The first is that conduct continuous intelligence and [interagency hybrid warfare “makes the adversary deal with several phases all at once.” The second is coordination] and minimize friction and wear the difference in the military and political command structures with regard to how they factors on the implementation of the chosen would handle “the subject and objects of hybrid war” (This is key phraseology used in strategy…four is educating, training, and Russian military science to focus deliberate attention to emerging doctrinal concepts). The selecting high-quality personnel….” third is that an “altered balance of military and non-military means of warfare…creates a new form of transnational conflict.” Terrorism gets its own special category due to its complexity and unpredictability. Given that Russian military science strives to build thought structures to make things quantitatively predictable, terrorism is a kind of antithesis to such structure and a special kind of friction. The fifth characteristic is migration. Given Russia’s economic and demographic challenges, the issue of non- Russians migrating into the state, according to Bartosh, is of special strategic concern. The author is sweeping (and resonant in Russia) in his description