04-12-2014, 01:28 AM
I'm aware of the concept of 4th Generation Warfare. I'm also aware of several conflicts throughout history that have had elements of Gen I, Gen II, Gen III, and Gen IV.
Practically every conflict has these elements in it:
* Initiations of hostility planned at the diplomatic level by allies, or soon-to-be allies
* Initiations of hostility planned by revolutionary factions, often acting as surrogates for a foreign power seeking to destabilize a region (Black FLag, Bolsheviks, Al Qaeda...)
* The intelligence aspect of war before outbreak of hostilities
* The combination of conventional forces on front lines of skirmish with each other, while men of finance, spies, mercenaries, and indigenous fighters make more decisive actions affecting the overall campaign in the periphery and shadows.
We could be talking about ancient Han civilization, the French-Indian Wars, The Great War, Vietnam, or OIF1.
All conflict seems to involve aspects of all of these dimensions, although we have seen a lot more hot spots where there isn't a presence of a large conventional force to oppose one that chooses to enter it.
We have also seen the spaces of earth orbit and the cybersphere brought into the realm of conflict. Many would add that information warfare is a new battlefield, but history is filled with examples to the contrary. Technology has simply increased the access to and distribution of information warfare products and campaigns.
Practically every conflict has these elements in it:
* Initiations of hostility planned at the diplomatic level by allies, or soon-to-be allies
* Initiations of hostility planned by revolutionary factions, often acting as surrogates for a foreign power seeking to destabilize a region (Black FLag, Bolsheviks, Al Qaeda...)
* The intelligence aspect of war before outbreak of hostilities
* The combination of conventional forces on front lines of skirmish with each other, while men of finance, spies, mercenaries, and indigenous fighters make more decisive actions affecting the overall campaign in the periphery and shadows.
We could be talking about ancient Han civilization, the French-Indian Wars, The Great War, Vietnam, or OIF1.
All conflict seems to involve aspects of all of these dimensions, although we have seen a lot more hot spots where there isn't a presence of a large conventional force to oppose one that chooses to enter it.
We have also seen the spaces of earth orbit and the cybersphere brought into the realm of conflict. Many would add that information warfare is a new battlefield, but history is filled with examples to the contrary. Technology has simply increased the access to and distribution of information warfare products and campaigns.