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Full Spectrum Information Warfare:
Information Operation Roadmap Part 1
Brent Jessop
Knowledge
Driven Revolution.com
Wednesday November 7, 2007
When the US military refers to full spectrum domination, they truly
mean full spectrum. Information operations or information warfare is a
key part of the military battlespace. Recently, a document entitled Information
Operation Roadmap was declassified by the Pentagon because of a Freedom
of Information Act request by the National Security Archive at George
Washington University. The document was described
by the Council on Foreign Relations' website as:
"A 2003 Pentagon document previously classified as 'noforn'
(not for release to foreign nationals, including allies), this report
details the US military's information operations, including psychological
operations, electronic warfare, and involvement in foreign journalism.
The document was made public by the National Security Archive on January
26, 2006."
On Par with Air, Ground, Maritime and Special Operations
The importance of information warfare is clearly laid out in this document.
"Key assumptions. Information, always important in warfare,
is now critical to military success and will only become more so in
the foreseeable future. Three key assumptions underscore the growing
importance of information:
- (U) Effectively communicating U.S. Government (USG) capabilities
and intentions is an important means of combating the plans of our adversaries.
The ability to rapidly disseminate persuasive information to diverse
audiences in order to directly influence their decision-making is an
increasingly powerful means of deterring aggression." [emphasis
mine] - 3
(Article continues below)
The major thrust of the document was that information operations should
be centralized under the Office of the Secretary of Defence and made a
core military competency.
"Objective: IO [information operations] becomes a core competency.
The importance of dominating the information spectrum explains the objective
of transforming IO into a core military competency on a par with air,
ground, maritime and special operations. The charge to the IO Roadmap
oversight panel was to develop as concrete a set of action recommendations
as possible to make IO a core competency, which in turn required identifying
the essential prerequisites to become a core military competency."
[emphasis mine] - 4
Uniformity in Message and Themes
The major reason for centralizing the information operations under a
single command was to create consistency between the various segments
of the Pentagon's information operations.
"IO requires coordination with public affairs and civil military
operations to complement the objectives of these related activities
and ensure message consistency." [emphasis mine] - 23
"- (U) The USG [US Government] can not execute an effective
communication strategy that facilitates military campaigns if various
organs of Government disseminate inconsistent messages to foreign audiences.
Therefore, it is important that policy differences between all USG Departments
and Agencies be resolved to the extent that they shape themes and messages.
- (U) All DoD [Department of Defense] information activities, including
information operations, which are conducted at the strategic, operational,
and tactical level, should reflect and be consistent with broader national
security policy and strategy objectives." [emphasis mine] - 25
"Coordinating information activities. Major DoD "information
activities" include public affairs, military support to public
diplomacy and PSYOP [psychological operations]. The State Department
maintains the lead for public diplomacy, the [half line redacted] and
the International Broadcasting Board of Governors maintains the lead
for broadcasting USG messages overseas, often with DoD in a supporting
role. DoD has consistently maintained that the information activities
of all these agencies must be integrated and coordinated to ensure the
promulgation of consistent themes and messages." [emphasis mine]
- 25
A Trained and Ready Career Force
With the ascension of information operations into a core military competency
the document recommended, under the heading "A Trained and Ready
Career Force" that the:
"DoD [Department of Defence] requires a cadre of IO professionals
capable of planning and executing fully integrated IO in support of
Combatant Commanders. An IO career force should be afforded promotion
and advancement opportunities commensurate with other warfighting areas
and provided opportunities for advancement to senior executive or flag
level rank." - 32
Support
The forward of this document was signed by then Secretary of Defence
Donald H. Rumsfeld which contained the following statement of support:
"I approve the Roadmap recommendations and direct the Services,
Combatant Commands and DoD Agencies to fully support implementation
of this plan." - iv
What Are Information Operations?
This document defined information operations as follows:
"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 decisions-making while protecting our own."
- 22
The following series of articles will examine the Pentagon's intention
of gaining full spectrum dominance in information warfare. Including,
dominating
the electro-magnetic spectrum and fighting
the internet. Also, I will expand on the use of psychological operations
or PSYOP as defined by the Information Operation Roadmap and if any
limits exist in information warfare.
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