One of strategy’s inherent difficulties lies in the definition of what is considered to constitute a mode of conflict, given constantly modernising military technology which regularly revolutionises the manner in which warfare is conducted. In the Clausewitzian view, strategy lies in “linking together separate battle engagements into a single whole for the final object of the war” , which in the newly emerging mode of “hybrid warfare” consists of a wide range of engagements that take place within a singular war, and cannot necessarily be linked into a single objective. Hybrid warfare itself has a number of differing definitions, including:
1. “high-low” combinations of capabilities and methods—vi¬olent “irregular” forces that possess advanced …show more content…
“a dynamic interaction between the modern international system of nation-states… and two classes of non-state opponent – terrorist and guerrilla, postmodern and pre-modern, nihilist and traditionalist, deliberate and accidental” (Kilcullen) ; and
4. “sophisticated campaigns that combine low-level conventional and special operations; offensive cyber and space actions; and psychological operations that use social and traditional media to influence popular perception and international opinion” (Hoffman) .
To look closely at the above definitions of hybrid warfare is to realise how encompassing the fields in which “hybrid warfare” is considered to operate. Physical location, modernity, intention, legitimacy of actors (state or non-state), non-physical elements such as cyberspace and media coverage, psychology and non-conventional weaponry such as nuclear capabilities, which are implemented in differing “levels” during the conflict – the potential combinations of these methods are …show more content…
As stated by National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger, “the guerrilla wins if he does not lose. The conventional army loses if it does not win.” This war of attrition also lead to the systematic collapse of morale in the American troops which when combined with the lack of support from the American population, meant that the coverage by the American media of the Vietnamese War functioned in favour of the North Vietnamese.
When examined in light of the outcomes of the Vietnam War, it is clear the concept of hybrid warfare has a complex web of strategic implications.
With the rise of hybrid warfare, it is likely that neither purely conventional nor counterinsurgency operations will be sufficient. While counterinsurgency operations has in some ways come to replace major combat
- Counterinsurgency alone insufficent
- Full spectrum defense
1. “high-low” combinations of capabilities and methods—vi¬olent “irregular” forces that possess advanced …show more content…
“a dynamic interaction between the modern international system of nation-states… and two classes of non-state opponent – terrorist and guerrilla, postmodern and pre-modern, nihilist and traditionalist, deliberate and accidental” (Kilcullen) ; and
4. “sophisticated campaigns that combine low-level conventional and special operations; offensive cyber and space actions; and psychological operations that use social and traditional media to influence popular perception and international opinion” (Hoffman) .
To look closely at the above definitions of hybrid warfare is to realise how encompassing the fields in which “hybrid warfare” is considered to operate. Physical location, modernity, intention, legitimacy of actors (state or non-state), non-physical elements such as cyberspace and media coverage, psychology and non-conventional weaponry such as nuclear capabilities, which are implemented in differing “levels” during the conflict – the potential combinations of these methods are …show more content…
As stated by National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger, “the guerrilla wins if he does not lose. The conventional army loses if it does not win.” This war of attrition also lead to the systematic collapse of morale in the American troops which when combined with the lack of support from the American population, meant that the coverage by the American media of the Vietnamese War functioned in favour of the North Vietnamese.
When examined in light of the outcomes of the Vietnam War, it is clear the concept of hybrid warfare has a complex web of strategic implications.
With the rise of hybrid warfare, it is likely that neither purely conventional nor counterinsurgency operations will be sufficient. While counterinsurgency operations has in some ways come to replace major combat
- Counterinsurgency alone insufficent
- Full spectrum defense