Unclassified

Irregular Warfare
in the
Major Combat Operations
Joint Operating Concept
Richard Maltz

Unclassified

Unclassified

Purpose
Share results of current research on IWAR
Provide forum for discussion of IWAR

Frame the IWAR challenge in MCO context

Unclassified

Unclassified

This is another type of warfare - new in

its intensity, ancient in its origin - war
by guerrillas, subversives, insurgents,
assassins; war by ambush instead of
by combat, by infiltration instead of
aggression, seeking victory by eroding
and exhausting the enemy instead of
engaging himit preys on unrest
John F. Kennedy
US Naval Academy
June 6, 1962
Unclassified

Unclassified

New Security Environment

Means: Adversary can plan and communicate at the speed
of internet; maneuver at the speed of aircraft; seemingly
unlimited personnel; unconstrained by organizational or
national restrictions
Motivation: Adversary is motivated by zealous ideologies
and hate; nothing we would recognize as political; there is
no theoretical option for negotiation or compromise
Focus: Adversary is focused strategically, not geographically; isolated action in one area can achieve effects globally
Organization: Adversary is networked, unconstrained by
hierarchical, often-ponderous decision-making constructs
Morality: Adversary is unconcerned with (and often wants)
collateral damage; believes his ends justify any means
-- Culled from Address by Admiral Giambastiani
Unclassified

Unclassified

Characteristics of Regular Warfare

(Regular Warfare is usually characterized by all of the below)

Combat waged by armed forces of nation states

Observation of set rules and laws of warfare
Large generic military formations
Set geographic boundaries of operations
Set demographic boundaries with distinct combatants
and noncombatants
Generally brief periods of high intensity conflict
Large confrontations and set-piece battles
Uniformed combatants
Force-on-force engagements leading to defeat of one
sides forces
Emphasis on decisive combat as means to victory
Unclassified

Unclassified

Characteristics of Irregular Warfare

(Irregular Warfare is usually characterized by any of the below)

Combat by forces other than those of states

Lack of observation of set rules and laws of warfare
Small specialized (often elite) military formations
Few rigid geographic boundaries of operations
Elastic demographic boundaries, little distinction between
combatants and noncombatants; deliberate, sometimes
predominant targeting of civilians
Generally protracted low-intensity conflict
Evasion of large confrontations and battles in favor of
harassment and attrition
Combatants in civilian clothing
Population-on-force engagements leading to attrition and
demoralization of regular forces
Psychological warfare as the means to victory
Unclassified

Unclassified

Forms of Irregular Warfare

Guerrilla Warfare
Propaganda
Special Operations

Subversion
Terrorism
Unclassified

Unclassified

Definitions
Guerrilla Warfare (DOD, NATO) Military and paramilitary operations
conducted in enemy-held or hostile territory by irregular, predominantly
indigenous forces. Also called GW. See also unconventional warfare.
Propaganda -- (DOD) Any form of communication in support of national
objectives designed to influence the opinions, emotions, attitudes, or behavior
of any group in order to benefit the sponsor, either directly or indirectly. See
also black propaganda; grey propaganda; white propaganda.
Special Operations (DOD) Operations conducted in sensitive environments to achieve objectives employing military capabilities for which there is
no broad conventional force often require covert, clandestine, or low visibility
capabilities can be conducted independently or in conjunction with operations of conventional forces or other government agencies and may include
indigenous or surrogate forces differ from conventional operations in degree
of physical and political risk, operational techniques, mode of employment,
independence from friendly support, and dependence on detailed operational
intelligence and indigenous assets. Also called SO.
Subversion -- (DOD) Action designed to undermine the military, economic,
psycho-logical, or political strength or morale of a regime. See also
unconventional warfare.
Terrorism (Unofficial; official definitions were not deemed to be useful)
Deliberate threat or use of violence against civilians for political purposes
Unclassified

Unclassified

Critical Elements of Irregular Warfare

Tailored to the political, social, economic, and military
conditions of the targeted areas and populations
Highly dependent on motivation and ideology of followers
Composed of execution cells, support infrastructure (also
often in cells), and a base of popular and media support
(the junctions between these are its critical vulnerabilities)
Operates covertly, employs infiltration and front groups
Dependent on funding (taxes, crime, charity, NGOs, govts)
Integrates tactical, operational, strategic objectives & plans
Leverages & exacerbates existing prejudices & grievances
Carefully integrated with most other aspects of IWAR
Exploits time, space, and method/dimension to pose
asymmetric & perceptual challenges to conventional forces
Targets multiple audiences (locally, regionally, & globally,
to include US population) primarily in cognitive domain
Unclassified

14

Unclassified

Other Types of Irregular Warfare

Economic and Financial Warfare
Diplomatic and Political Warfare
Weather and Environmental Warfare
Cultural and Information Warfare
Unclassified

15

Unclassified

Nature of Irregular Warfare

Irregular Warfare is built upon the
principle of dislocation (neutralization of the strengths of the
adversary). It achieves this by
expanding the traditional (for us)
theater of warfare in time, space,
method or dimension, thereby
taxing the capabilities of forces
designed for conventional warfare.
Unclassified

16

Unclassified

Expansion in Time
The adversary will deliberately prolong conflict,
knowing our aversion to protracted campaigns
He does this by dispersing in the face of our strength
and massing only in the face of our weakness
Where possible, he will retreat to sanctuaries and hide in
closed terrain (mountains, jungles, cities, etc.)
He will avoid decisive engagement at all costs
He will use time, and the belief that time is on his side
(that our influence is transitory), to intimidate local populations, making their resources available to him, not us
He will use time to employ all available means to attrite
our forces, sap our morale, and subvert political support
for our aims in country, in theatre, globally, and at home
Unclassified

17

Unclassified

Expansion in Space
The adversary will deliberately extend conflict into
neighboring lands, countries, and disparate regions,
knowing our difficulty in dealing with the unbounded
Where possible, he will retreat to sanctuaries and hide in
closed terrain (mountains, jungles, cities, etc.)
He will cross borders with impunity, knows that we are often constrained from following him, or targeting him there
He will threaten and harass neighboring or distant groups
or states that support our efforts, provide access to us, or
fail to support him
He will employ all available means (propaganda, subversion, terrorism) to further his cause throughout the world,
including in the United States
He will create, cultivate, and harness support from
expatriate communities and the disaffected, globally
Unclassified

19

Unclassified

Expansion in Method/Dimension
The adversary will extend conflict beyond traditional,
conventional means, and beyond the physical domain
He will avoid decisive engagement and force-on-force
encounters except under the most favorable circumstances; instead, he will target civilians and rear areas,
using propaganda, subversion, sabotage, and terrorism
He will often operate more like a crime syndicate than a
military force, more like a warlord than a national leader
He will avoid our strengths in the physical and information domains & focus his efforts on the cognitive domain
He will leverage our inherent cultural difficulty in anticipating, recognizing, and responding effectively to unconventional methods and dimensions of engagement
He will seek to defeat us wherever we are not prepared
Unclassified

21

Unclassified

Irregular Warfares Implications

We are limited in our ability to address Irregular
Warfares challenges

We can be stymied by an adversary who expands

confrontation in time, space, or method/dimension
Not anticipating or perceiving engagement outside
our paradigm is a major vulnerability
We need to understand the nature of IWAR and its
environment, develop capabilities to operate there,
actively engage, refine our techniques and capabilities, and learn to both defend ourselves and prevail
We must better prepare ourselves for Irregular
Warfare culturally and organizationally
Unclassified

23

Unclassified

Our Challenge
The extraordinary challenges
of Irregular Warfare demand
that we aggressively look
outside of our traditional
warfighting paradigm in order
to adapt, create and seize
opportunities, and prevail.
Unclassified

24

Unclassified

Lessons Learned from the Field

Lessons must be routinely re-learned

Information Operations and PSYOPS are critical

the Cognitive Domain is decisive
Cultural awareness and language skills are critical
We are too prescriptive and centralized, depriving
junior leaders of initiative, inhibiting the conduct of
fluid operations, delaying exploitation of Tac Intel

We must understand and work better with Coalition and Interagency partners to promote synergy
We need more focus on intelligence and logistics
Unclassified

25

Unclassified

Irregular Warfare in MCO

Various forms of IWAR are usually employed together
Often in concert with regular (conventional) warfare
Three overlapping groupings:
Special (Elite, Commando) Operations,
Militia (Guerrilla and Partisan) Operations,
and Psychological (Subversion, Propaganda, and
Terrorism) Operations.
Focus on aspects of Special, Militia, and Psychological
Operations that impact MCO directly
Focus on mitigation of the effects of Militia and PsyOps
targeting US-led forces conducting MCO
Can take form of offensive and defensive actions
Unclassified

26