Rizal Philippines
April 11, 2020
Unrestricted warfare
Some years ago, I taught in a leading university graduate school course innovation as part of entrepreneurship course. The rule in innovation is first there is no rule.
Thus, this document could very well entitled innovation in military principles.
Due to the emergence of Covid 19 infecting more than a million, and killing more than 60,000 and bringing down the whole world to its knees (crash of stockmarket, shortage of hospital supplies, lack of vaccine) this document comes to our mind, having been mentioned in number of documents and videos, ie that this writing must have been imbibed by the civilian and military leaders in China to pursue this action.
The authors, colonels at PLA wrote this document in February 1999 and talks about use of means military and non military means to achieve a country's goal of achieving its goal (of dominating another country)
Qiao Liang and Wang Xiashou.
The document should be read by our civilian and military leaders (at National Defense College) which teaches military stragegy. While we struggling with politics, our would be master are putting one over us, for using a combination of military and non military means. (Some in the govt, by using media in battle for supremacy are employing some of the principles.)
Some of the notes/observations in document
1. War is an activity using military and non military means, using limited resources to achieve superiority over other nations
2. Might is right. Those who have more soldiers and weapons win the war
3. Use of technology in weapons: technology dictate the weapon to be used, or warfare dictate what technology to be used.
4. With technology the distinction between military and non military action becomes blurred.
5. With high technology comes the need for a variety of weapons to achieve a goal. As much as 300 weapons are needed to win a war. Sometimes the search for high tech weapon could bankrupt a country as it did to Russia (as it is doing to US where a B2 bomber cost can exceed $billions
6. There are variety of weapons to be used in todays conflict: financial, trade and ecological (like poisoning lakes and rivers/water supply) and the effects could be more devastating than a nuclear war.
7. There should be distinction between soldiers of war, and/or hackers or financiers like George Soro who can disrupt currency exchange rate, or can disrupt computer network. And a wise general/leader should be able to exploit both military and non military means to subjugate other nations... The scope and breath of war has radically changed.
8. The Desert Storm War:
Some lessons learned:
1. It was 42 day war accomplished in 38 days with Air Force taking the lead
2. The main weapon of victory were the helicopters but were not noticed after the war
3. It was achieved at great cost of $61B and was like shooting birds with golden bullets
4. The war worked because of reorganization of DOD between Powell and Schwarskopf
But the US military did not learn from it because of conflict among Airforce, Navy and Army
5. It worked because of addition and combination (of allied forces which was worked on brilliantly
by diplomats
6. War can be fought side by side with media (CNN) because it can be used as propaganda
and could change the disposition and morale of enemies
7. Powell and Schwarskopf, although they won the Desert Storm could not be considered great
generals because they used traditional methods using high tech weapons to win the war.
They did not understand the new concept of war. Modern warfare..
9. Some recommendation:
1. Use of golden number (as in Da Vinci Code) 1:681
2. Side by side
3. Cocktails (of means to achieve superiority)
4. Removing boundaries: between military means and non military means, personnel and weapons.
A modem a cp, laptop could be as lethal as a nuclear bomb. Or a tomahawk.
Many of the Generals could be inept in adapting these methods and strategy
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