Asymmetric Warfare: An Ongoing Challenge in Our Current Security Environment

4 he above citation, taken from Presidential Decision Directive 62 signed in May 1998, foresaw the potential that unconventional methods of warfare could be used against our Homeland. Although much has changed since publication of this document to address vulnerabilities, the threat remains for adversaries to attack our Nation, interests and military forces by unconventional or asymmetric approaches. The end of the Cold War resulted in significant realignments of alliances and an increase in regional instabilities. The former Soviet Union, once the predominant threat to American security, has been supplanted by rogue and failed states and non-state networks and actors. These entities attempt to avoid confrontation with our conventional military capabilities by striking weak points in our Nation’s social, economic and political structures, or by taking advantage of perceived U.S. military vulnerabilities. They often attempt to operate at the extremes of the conflict spectrum. At one end, North Korea is actively pursuing nuclear weapons capabilities. At the other end, groups such as al-Qaeda, remnants of Saddam Hussein’s former Ba’athist regime and various sectarian militia groups pursue insurgency warfare using asymmetrical approaches. Adversaries increasingly respond to U.S. military dominance by pursuing indirect, unorthodox or surprising approaches, and using the capabilities of information technology, especially the Internet, as a tool of asymmetric warfare. Because of this, Information Operations has emerged as a critical component of the Army’s operational readiness. Information Operations is defined as, “the integrated employment of the core capabilities of electronic warfare, computer network operations, psychological operations, military deception and operations security, in concert with specified supporting and related capabilities, to influence, disrupt, corrupt or usurp adversarial human and automated decision-making while protecting our own.” 2 Space professionals, by their access to and understanding of the relationships between the core Information Operations capabilities, are particularly well qualified to support Information Operations against asymmetric threats.