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Soviet-Afghanistan War
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Dangermouse
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- Posts: 357
- Joined: Sat 17 Mar, 2007 4:46 pm
- Location: Wales
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Frank S.
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Hate to respond by giving you more stuff to read and research but this could help:
http://usacac.army.mil/CAC/milreview/En ... Hammes.pdf
http://www.smallwarsjournal.com/documen ... ticles.pdf
And from Small Wars Journal:
DoD Models Insufficient for Unrestricted Warfare
On 22 March 2007, Inside the Pentagon published an article by Rati Bishnoi entitled "Army Officials Call DoD Models Insufficient for Modeling Unrestricted Warfare." The tone of the piece laments the lack of M&S tools to reflect what the Chinese have long called "unrestricted warfare," a meaning quite different than what many others might think it is--particularly if you are thinking of the Clausewitzian "absolute war" construct. No, here it means "anything can be made into a weapon" and is an approach favored by those who must rely on strategic (as well as tactical and operational) asymmetrical means to win over a militarily superior adversary. Of course, many have seen "unrestricted warfare" in this sense to be a key method in "small wars" and/or so-called "asymmetrical warfare."
There are a number of things that are quite striking in her article. For one, the problem is seen purely in terms of building a better mousetrap--er--database and processing capability. Army officials are quoted as saying the Pentagon needs an "unprecedented data enterprise" that would be accessed to "test hypotheses" so that commanders could make better decisions. The article ends with a warning that analysts need to "enlighten" decisionmakers on the need to gather such data and create such a capability before our adversaries do.
Even if we were to invest in such databases and capabilities, I doubt whether this could keep up with adversarial adaptability if the idea is to pre-empt their "unrestricted warfare" tactics. Our bureaucratic OODA loop will not keep up with those of nonstate "unrestricted warfare" adversaries. So it's hard to see how such an investment would pay off in this regard. It's also difficult to see which adversaries would want to make a similar investment and why. Applying "unrestricted warfare" techniques in the real world is so much cheaper.
Note that I'm not even addressing whether or not M&S can be used in a predictive sense. One must tread carefully here, for while there are success stories of tools being used in this way in other venues to solve other problems, for every one of those there are scores--if not hundreds--of failures. Godel's number theory has something to say about the ability of M&S to predictably model "unrestricted warfare" as practiced in the real world....
That said, there is still room for modeling "unrestricted warfare" at the operational and tactical level in such a way that will help educate minds to think more flexibly and rapidly. Seminar wargames work best to help create the environments where this can take place, but these are difficult to set up and run without devolving into a BOGSATT (Bunch Of Guys Sitting Around the Table Talking).
There have been some efforts in applying M&S to unrestricted warfare, but these are just initial, tentative efforts from what I can see. Interestingly enough, the commercial wargaming world hasn't done a whole lot on this front, either. Not a lot of excitement for the teen-aged males who like to blow things up on their PLAYSTATION 3 or X-BOX 360. Most attempts in the commercial world have been in simulating non-lethal means of coercion at the strategic level (e.g., diplomatic carrots and sticks, economic levers, etc.). But nothing really stands out in simulating the operational and tactical level problems "unrestricted warfare" poses for a state military force.
http://usacac.army.mil/CAC/milreview/En ... Hammes.pdf
http://www.smallwarsjournal.com/documen ... ticles.pdf
And from Small Wars Journal:
DoD Models Insufficient for Unrestricted Warfare
On 22 March 2007, Inside the Pentagon published an article by Rati Bishnoi entitled "Army Officials Call DoD Models Insufficient for Modeling Unrestricted Warfare." The tone of the piece laments the lack of M&S tools to reflect what the Chinese have long called "unrestricted warfare," a meaning quite different than what many others might think it is--particularly if you are thinking of the Clausewitzian "absolute war" construct. No, here it means "anything can be made into a weapon" and is an approach favored by those who must rely on strategic (as well as tactical and operational) asymmetrical means to win over a militarily superior adversary. Of course, many have seen "unrestricted warfare" in this sense to be a key method in "small wars" and/or so-called "asymmetrical warfare."
There are a number of things that are quite striking in her article. For one, the problem is seen purely in terms of building a better mousetrap--er--database and processing capability. Army officials are quoted as saying the Pentagon needs an "unprecedented data enterprise" that would be accessed to "test hypotheses" so that commanders could make better decisions. The article ends with a warning that analysts need to "enlighten" decisionmakers on the need to gather such data and create such a capability before our adversaries do.
Even if we were to invest in such databases and capabilities, I doubt whether this could keep up with adversarial adaptability if the idea is to pre-empt their "unrestricted warfare" tactics. Our bureaucratic OODA loop will not keep up with those of nonstate "unrestricted warfare" adversaries. So it's hard to see how such an investment would pay off in this regard. It's also difficult to see which adversaries would want to make a similar investment and why. Applying "unrestricted warfare" techniques in the real world is so much cheaper.
Note that I'm not even addressing whether or not M&S can be used in a predictive sense. One must tread carefully here, for while there are success stories of tools being used in this way in other venues to solve other problems, for every one of those there are scores--if not hundreds--of failures. Godel's number theory has something to say about the ability of M&S to predictably model "unrestricted warfare" as practiced in the real world....
That said, there is still room for modeling "unrestricted warfare" at the operational and tactical level in such a way that will help educate minds to think more flexibly and rapidly. Seminar wargames work best to help create the environments where this can take place, but these are difficult to set up and run without devolving into a BOGSATT (Bunch Of Guys Sitting Around the Table Talking).
There have been some efforts in applying M&S to unrestricted warfare, but these are just initial, tentative efforts from what I can see. Interestingly enough, the commercial wargaming world hasn't done a whole lot on this front, either. Not a lot of excitement for the teen-aged males who like to blow things up on their PLAYSTATION 3 or X-BOX 360. Most attempts in the commercial world have been in simulating non-lethal means of coercion at the strategic level (e.g., diplomatic carrots and sticks, economic levers, etc.). But nothing really stands out in simulating the operational and tactical level problems "unrestricted warfare" poses for a state military force.
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spiderbloke
- Member
- Posts: 130
- Joined: Thu 15 Mar, 2007 6:13 pm
- Location: Manchester.
Re: Soviet-Afghanistan War
no wonder theres been a spate of hubcap thefts in the Salford area recently with you knocking aboutPrm wrote: Right, I'm currently doing a Degree in International Contemporary and Military History at Salford Universtiy.... yes I said Salford University.
Salford is a very very dreary place, glad I only have to spend 3/4 years here. I'd go insane otherwise, although Salford University is far from the best university in the country, it does have a certain charm..... who am I kidding, it's bloody horrible.
But then again it's the people who make it what it is, and I have some excellent house mates and friends on campus. Viva La Clubbing!!!!
But then again it's the people who make it what it is, and I have some excellent house mates and friends on campus. Viva La Clubbing!!!!
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spiderbloke
- Member
- Posts: 130
- Joined: Thu 15 Mar, 2007 6:13 pm
- Location: Manchester.
Well if its such a crap uni why are you there?Prm wrote:Salford is a very very dreary place, glad I only have to spend 3/4 years here. I'd go insane otherwise, although Salford University is far from the best university in the country, it does have a certain charm..... who am I kidding, it's bloody horrible.
But then again it's the people who make it what it is, and I have some excellent house mates and friends on campus. Viva La Clubbing!!!!
Also Salford like everywhere has good and bad bits if you dont like it go back to Liverpool we wont miss you
Because it's the only place that would accept me.spiderbloke wrote: Well if its such a crap uni why are you there?
Also Salford like everywhere has good and bad bits if you dont like it go back to Liverpool we wont miss you
At the end of the day I can only post from my experiences, and since I've been here ( 1 year total ) I can say that I've had a mate beaten over the head with a baseball bat, had friends beaten up and robbed in town, had friends houses broken into, had scallies threaten me and... well you get the picture. Where as I've spent the past 19 years of my life in Liverpool and never once experienced any sort of the behaviour mentioned above happen to me. So yeah mate, don't worry I'll be going back soon. Getting back onto the topic, the full essay (with proof reading
) should be posted up by late tommorow afternoon on the Militaryforums history board for those who are interested. I also hope to post an essay that I recently did on the Boer war aswell as an essay on the ongoing war on terrorism.-
Dangermouse
- Member
- Posts: 357
- Joined: Sat 17 Mar, 2007 4:46 pm
- Location: Wales
