CONCEPTS AND DOCTRINES
Cyberspace Operations Episode I: Strategies and Structures of Major States
This is the first of a four-part webinar series on capability development for cyberspace operations by the Indian Armed Forces, held under the aegis of Current and Strategic Affairs Forum (CASA) and moderated by Lt Gen (Dr) R S Panwar. The overall objective of this series is to review cyberspace strategies and capabilities of major world powers, compare these with the status of these in India, and give suitable recommendations. While the full spectrum of cyber operations is very wide, the series is structured to focus primarily on offensive cyber operations and cyber influence operations.
This first episode aims to survey existing cyberspace strategies and organizations. Subsequent episodes will delve deeper into what India needs to do to improve its posture in cyberspace. A brief overview is first given about the increasingly potent and strategic effects being achieved through cyberspace by various players, the applicability of existing international law of war, specifically jus ad bellum, in cyberspace, and also touch upon global trends in cyberspace strategies and capabilities. Thereafter, the panelists provide greater insights into the strategies and organizations of major global powers on the one hand and of India on the other, and give out views and recommendations on how India might improve its posture in cyberspace.
Warfighting in Cyberspace: Concepts, Global Trends and the Indian Perspective
This keynote address was given at the virtual ‘National Summit on Cyber Security 2021’ conducted by Institute of Technology and Science, Ghaziabad, India. The audience comprised of faculty, students and industry participants from India and abroad. The talk covers a wide range of issues as follows: importance of cyberspace as a warfighting domain; modelling of national cyberspace; strategic cyber threats and targets; cyber defence strategies; existing cyberspace governance set-up and current strategy for protection of national cyberspace in India; global practices in national cyberspace protection covering US, UK, China and Russia; and finally, recommended transformative restructuring for cyberspace governance in India.
Network Centric Warfare: An Enduring Theory of Warfighting (Part III) – Implementation in China and Russia
This is the final piece of a three-part article on Network Centric Warfare (NCW). The intellectual foundation of NCW was laid by US Department of Defence in the 1990s. However, its efficacy as a theory of war was considerably undermined when, after initial conventional successes in Iraq and Afghanistan, the limitations of net-centricity as a predominant battle-winning factor got exposed during urban combat and counter-insurgency operations. Nevertheless, the conceptual foundations of the theory have proved to be of an enduring nature, which is evidenced in the manner it continues to influence evolving military doctrine as well as design of military systems in all the major militaries. The first two parts reviewed the status of development of NCW capabilities in the US, UK, Australia, and NATO. This part concludes the article by carrying out a similar review for China and Russia, followed by concluding remarks.
Network Centric Warfare: An Enduring Theory of Warfighting (Part II) – Implementation in the UK, Australia and NATO
This is the second piece of a three-part article on Network Centric Warfare (NCW) which reviews the status of development of NCW capabilities in major world armies, covering the US, UK, Australia, NATO, China, and Russia. NCW as a theory of warfighting in the Information Age was first evolved in the US and operationally tested during the Iraq wars. A series of four previous articles have dealt with the basic tenets and governing principles of NCW, as well as several concepts which are at the heart of this theory, including self-synchronization, power to the edge, agility, and effects-based operations. The first part of this work covered the status of implementation of NCW in the US, while here we cover similar ground with respect to the UK, Australia and the NATO.
Network Centric Warfare: An Enduring Theory of Warfighting (Part I) – Implementation in the United States
The intellectual foundation of Network Centric Warfare (NCW) as a theory of warfighting was laid by US Department of Defence in the 1990s. In addition to its basic tenets and governing principles, the theory enunciated several concepts including self-synchronization, power to the edge, agility, and effects-based operations. The power of NCW was demonstrated dramatically during the Iraq wars, which spurred other major militaries to take note and develop similar concepts in accordance with their own military thought. The efficacy of NCW as a theory of war was considerably undermined when, after initial conventional successes in Iraq and Afghanistan, the limitations of net-centricity as a predominant battle-winning factor got exposed during urban combat and counter-insurgency operations. Nonetheless, the basic tenets of NCW continue to influence evolving military doctrine as well as design of military systems not only in the US but in other military powers as well. This three-part series reviews the status of development of NCW capabilities in the US, UK, Australia, NATO, China, and Russia, beginning with the US in this first part.
Cyber Influence Operations: A Battle of Wits and Bits – A Call to Action for the Indian Armed Forces (Part III)
This series on Cyber Influence Operations (CIO) commenced with an analysis of concepts and terminologies and went on to discuss various tools, techniques and stratagems which are available for engaging in this new form of warfare in the cognitive domain. Thereafter, it reviewed the strategies being adopted by Russia, USA and China to operationalize CIO. This culminating three-part article in the series charts out a way forward for the Indian Armed Forces for developing IO/ CIO capabilities. The first two parts covered doctrine and organisational aspects respectively. This last part makes several recommendations in the area of human resource development and cadre management, taking note of the highly specialist nature of CIO disciplines.
Cyber Influence Operations: A Battle of Wits and Bits – A Call to Action for the Indian Armed Forces (Part II)
In recent years, employment of Cyber Influence Operations (CIO) by state and non-state actors has resulted in dramatic strategic effects, and leading world powers have demonstrated noteworthy agility in coming to grips with this new form of warfare in the Information Age. This is the culminating (three-part) article of a series on CIO which has endeavoured to study various facets of CIO with the end objective of analysing its implications for India’s national security. The article outlines the way forward for the Indian Armed Forces for developing doctrine, organisation, and most importantly, human resource for developing IO/ CIO capabilities. The first part reviewed the current status of doctrines and proposed doctrines which need to be enunciated, giving out the conceptual underpinnings which must guide them. This second part proposes organisational structures necessary for the Indian Armed Forces to effectively carry out IO/ CIO.
Cyber Influence Operations: A Battle of Wits and Bits – A Call to Action for the Indian Armed Forces (Part I)
Cyber Influence Operations (CIO) as a concept is still evolving. Over the last decade or so, employment of CIO by state and non-state actors has had dramatic successes in creating strategic effects. As a result, global players have taken noteworthy initiatives to come to grips with this new form of warfare in the Information Age. CIO are essentially a manifestation of IO in Cyberspace. This series has endeavoured to study various facets of CIO, with the end objective of analysing its implications for India’s national security. The previous three articles threw light on the concepts, techniques and stratagems associated with CIO, and the doctrine, operational employment and capabilities of major powers, including Russia, the US and China. This culminating article in the series (in three parts) reviews existing capability with the Indian Armed Forces for conducting IO/ CIO, and then outlines the way forward for developing doctrine, organisation, and most importantly, human resource for fighting grey zone battles in the cognitive domain.
Cyber Influence Operations: A Battle of Wits and Bits – Strategies and Capabilities of Major Players (Part II)
Over the last decade, strategic ramifications of Cyber Influence Operations (CIO) have been felt with increasing impact in various global conflict scenarios. The previous articles in this series on CIO have dwelt on conceptual aspects, bringing out that the emerging notion of CIO lies at the confluence of Cyber Operations and Influence Operations, and is essentially a manifestation of Information Operations in cyberspace. This piece in is continuation to “Strategies and Capabilities of Major Players – Part I”, wherein an insight was given into the doctrinal approach, operational employment, and organizational capabilities of Russia and China for conduct of CIO. This part does the same for China, and also touches upon Pakistan’s efforts to employ CIO stratagems against India. A brief look is also taken on how the differing political ideologies of democratic and autocratic regimes could play a role in influencing their CIO strategies.
Cyber Influence Operations: A Battle of Wits and Bits – Strategies and Capabilities of Major Players (Part I)
Over the last decade, strategic ramifications of Cyber Influence Operations (CIO) have been felt with increasing impact in various global conflict scenarios. Notable examples include the cyber operations conducted against Estonia (2007), Georgia (2008) and Ukraine (2015 onwards), and interference in the US presidential elections in 2016, all these purportedly at the behest of Russia. The United States and China, amongst other countries, have also developed strategies and doctrines and operationalized their CIO capabilities for achieving strategic cognitive effects. The previous articles in this series have dwelt on conceptual aspects, bringing out that the emerging notion of CIO lies at the confluence of Cyber Operations and Influence Operations, and is essentially a manifestation of Information Operations in cyberspace. This article (in two parts) provides an insight into the strategic employment of CIO by major players, primarily Russia, US and China, by giving an overview of their doctrinal approach and operational employment of CIO, as also organizational capabilities to support these operations. To a lesser extent, Pakistan’s efforts to employ CIO stratagems against India are touched upon. A brief look is also taken on how the differing political ideologies of democratic and autocratic regimes could play a role in influencing their CIO strategies.