Introduction to Narrative Warfare

Notes

  • systems of systems is mode of warfighting for PLA
  • concept developed since the last 1990s
  • confrontation of opposing systems in multidomain battlefield
  • Iraq 1991 and Yugoslavia 1999 conflicts strongly influenced PLA thinking due to not needing to destroy enemy army and effects of system paralysis
  • systems confrontation formalizes this concept
  • waged across all domains; no longer about geographical boundaries or specific strategic direction
  • “wage comprehensive competition in all domains”
  • information -> air + space -> land + sea; order of dominance
  • operations systems must be sufficiently multidimensional and multifunctional to wage war across all domains
  • must be able to incorporate new functions and technology
  • entities: smallest unit in a system, eg, squads or platforms
  • structure: network supporting the system; flowers of information, energy, and material
  • elements: portsion of the system; subsystems
  • optimally, more than the sum of parts; degraded, less than sum of parts
  • theory of victory is systems destruction warfare
  • seeks to paralyze functions of enemy operational systems
  • enemy “loses the will and ability to resist” once operational systems cease to function
  • kinetic, non-kinetic, and psychological attacks all effective
  • conditions to paralyze a system:
    • sufficiently weakened
    • internal coordination broken
    • necessary procedures become disordered
  • essential to recognize bottlenecks
  • four targets:
    • information networks
    • essential elements
    • architecure/nodes
    • tempo/timing
  • goal of “information isolation” to disable elements
  • disrupt tempo by (eg) destroying weapon system just before being tasked to fire, thereby forcing second OOD loop to engage
  • operational system can become chaotic if this happens repeatedly
  • PLA operational systems do not exist in peace time, but are purpose built for each operation
  • formed by linking necessary units, elements, and systems
  • elements chosen for suitability and adaptability
  • in addition to numbers and capabilities:
    • information systems
    • information flow
    • key personnel and organizations