Shock and Awe — Achieving Rapid DominanceUllman, Harlan
History
Shock and Awe — Achieving Rapid Dominance
Ullman, Harlan
Rapid dominance (Military science)
In a world in which non-lethal sanctions are a political imperative,
we will continue to need the ability to shut down all commerce into
and out of any country from shipping, air, rail, and roads. We ought
to be able to do this in a much more thorough, decisive, and shocking
way than we have in the past. The ability to apply pressure or cause
acquiescence employing non-lethal means also will be important in some
circumstances. Weapons that shock and awe, stun and paralyze, but do
not kill in significant numbers may be the only ones that are
politically acceptable in the future. This also means that crowd
control with minimum violence may be needed. In certain circumstances,
the costs of having to resort to lethal force may be too politically
expensive in terms of local support as well as support in the U.S. and
internationally.
As is already well recognized, we need to be able to shut down key
electronic communications to, from, and within a country (or within a
specific sub-group or faction). We also need the ability to control
radio and television within a country. It is important, however, in
all cases, to be able to deny an adversary's ability to communicate
and to have our own means of reaching the population with appropriate
messages.
In addition to being able to eliminate military capabilities
selectively, including weapons systems, overt and covert stockpiles,
fuel, WMD, and related logistics, we will need to have the capability
selectively to incapacitate, neutralize, or destroy other things
considered of great value to opponents. Increased targeting precision
will compound effectiveness as well as help to avoid the political
pitfalls of using force such as the inevitable, unintended collateral
damage that has been the pattern of the past.
More surgical and carefully crafted applications of force, however,
will only partially reduce the restraints and limits on utilizing
Rapid Dominance in MRCs and OOTW. There are substantial differences in
the political constraints likely to be imposed in dealing with MRCs
and with OOTW. For example, there is much greater latitude to use
dominant force and Shock and Awe in MRCs than in OOTW.
In MRC situations, we are often likely to face conventional powers
which are well organized, well equipped, and broadly dependent on
technology. Although more powerful, these developed states are also
likely to be especially vulnerable to a technologically sophisticated
approach such as Rapid Dominance as long as we maintain this military
edge and the ability to neutralize their military systems. Even in the
most compelling circumstance where a Rapid Dominance force is used,
however, support from other nations will be politically desirable.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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