Information Warfare and the New Threat Environment
Speaker(s): Braw, E. (American Enterprise Institute (AEI)); Farwell, J. (The Farwell Group); Paul, C. (RAND)
Date: 8 December 2021
Speaker Session Summary
SMA hosted a panel discussion with Dr. Christopher Paul (RAND), Mr. James P. Farwell (The Farwell Group), and Ms. Elisabeth Braw (American Enterprise Institute (AEI)) as part of its SMA INSS/PRISM Speaker Series.
Information warfare is becoming a more important facet of competition, because while the US still has an overall military advantage, US adversaries are increasing their own military capabilities and are becoming more effective at conducting information operations. Furthermore, all actions—whether political or military—send a message. Dr. Paul commented that the correct messages can contribute to the defeat of an enemy. Also, information warfare can lesson a population’s resilience to fight in the first place. Ms. Braw emphasized that misinformation and disinformation are dividing countries at the civilian level and weakening their overall resilience to fight. Furthermore, Western countries’ free and open societies make their civilian populations easy and available targets for influence operations by adversaries. Effecting just a sizable minority in a country may be enough to break a country’s resilience and capability to defend itself.
Information warfare is a cognitive battle, which makes symbolism used and specific actions taken by actors especially important. Mr. Farwell commented that kinetic warfare is now used to support actors’ desired narratives, where before narratives were created to support actors’ military activities. Also, changing the way an opponent thinks can help avoid military operations all together. Dr. Paul and Mr. Farwell emphasized that changes in the way warfare is conducted will not change the actual nature of war. Violence and killing an opponent or destroying their capability to defend themselves is still the surest way to achieve victory. Leaders must consider the way an action will be interpreted and how it might fit into their grand strategy if they hope to achieve victory without kinetic warfare. Ultimately, having clear objectives that combine traditional military operations and information operations will most likely render the best outcome and help actors avoid kinetic war.
Speaker Session Recording
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