PLA characterizes and understands modern warfare as confrontation between opposing operating systems rather than armies
theory of victory is systems destruction warfare
won by disrupting, paralyzing, or destroying operating capability
both kinetic and non-kinetic strikes on key points and nodes while yourself being more capable, robust, and adaptable
two decades (circa 2000 start) of system of systems and systems warfare
Summary
conception of warfare as confrontation between operational systems
largely ignored in the West (circa 2018)
“contest among numerous adversarial operational systems”, call systems confrontation
engaged across all domains
claims that “comprehensive dominance” across all domains in required, but RUS-UKR war has mixed dominance (eg, UKR info dominance vs RUS aerial dominance)
system destruction warfare says that the enemy “loses the will and ability to resist” once operational systems no longer function
four targets:
disrupt or degrade informational flow
essential factors such as C2, recon, and firepower
disrupt or degrade operational architecture
timing or tempo disruption
operational systems don’t exist in peacetime but purpose built for impending operations
operational systems composed of operational forces, modules, and elements via informational networks
an operational system is campaign level to prosecute the campaign, but what about holstic systems view that integrates across the whole of society?
can we describe a state as a system of systems?
what about grayzone systems?
five typical component systems:
command
firepower strike
information
recon/intelligence
support
small conflicts may be a single operational system; large conflicts multiple
Chapter 1
China pursuing systems based approach to warfighting; pervades literature
most analysis looks at campaigns and hardware; this book explores how they’d prosecute these campaigns
must not “mirror image” in our analysis of PLA strategy
tixi system: “large integrated system” with multiple xitong systems, which carries out numerous and varied functions
xitong system: “discrete system that carries out specific functions”
primarily used together when discussing hierarchy
fenxitong system: subsystem of a xitong system
peixi system: specific deployment, eg, anti-aircraft around a city
tizhi system: human organizational hierarchy
many parts of discussion are aspirational and in flux
sources vary over exact definitions
organization:
ch2 explores “systems confrontation” and “systems destruction warfare”
ch3 explores operational systems templates and terminology
Z. Michael Gehlke