Unconventional warfare (UW) is broadly defined as "military and quasi-military operations other than conventional warfare"[1] and may use covert forces, subversion, or guerrilla warfare. This is typically done to avoid escalation into conventional warfare as well as international conventions.[2]
Aside from the earlier definition of warfare that is not conventional, unconventional warfare has also been described as:
There is another type of warfare— new in its intensity, ancient in its origin—war by guerrillas, subversives, insurgents, assassins; war by ambush instead of by combat, by infiltration instead of aggression, seeking victory by eroding and exhausting the enemy instead of engaging him. It preys on unrest.[3]
Unconventional warfare targets the civilian population psychologically to win hearts and minds, and only targets military and political bodies for that purpose, seeking to render the military proficiency of the enemy irrelevant. Limited conventional warfare tactics can be used unconventionally to demonstrate might and power, rather than to reduce the enemy's ability to fight substantially. In addition to the surgical application of traditional weapons, other armaments that specifically target the military can be used are: airstrikes, nuclear weapons, incendiary devices, or other such weapons.
Special Forces, inserted deep behind enemy lines, are used unconventionally to train, equip, and advise locals who oppose their government. They can also spread subversion and propaganda, while they aid native resistance fighters, to ultimately cause a hostile government to capitulate. Tactics focus on destroying military targets while avoiding damage to civilian infrastructure and blockading military resupply are used to decrease the morale of government forces.[4]
Unconventional warfare structure by guerrilla organizations.
The USA Department of Defense defines unconventional warfare as activities conducted to enable a resistance movement or insurgency to coerce, disrupt, or overthrow a government or occupying power by operating through or with an underground, auxiliary, and guerrilla force in a denied area.[5]
Historyedit
The advent of the Atomic Age changed forever philosophies of conventional warfare, and the necessity to conceal authorship of actions by hostile states. The age of asymmetric, or unconventional warfare & terrorism had begun.[6]
One of the first references is in "Manpower and Atomic War," [7] which Edward Fitzpatrick referred to as "the next kind of war- technological war, machine war, or atomic war."
Using soft power methods, to target civilians instead of military units, however had begun earlier, particularly as a strategy for use against Republics.[8] These were developed as a tool of national socialism,[9] or neo-liberalism,[10] and evolved into other doctrines.
There is an overlap in the world of Corporate Security & Defense Contracting where these models have extended to the field of Risk assessment.[11] One of the first instances of Unconventional Warfare techniques against civilians was documented by the La Follette Committee.
^Nagao, Yuichiro (2001). (PDF). National Institute for Defense Studies. Ministry of Defense. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 August 2022. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
^Fowler, Mike (4 November 2019). . The Strategy Bridge. Archived from the original on 6 November 2019. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
^"U.S. Army Special Forces Unconventional Warfare Training Manual November 2010". U.S. ARMY. March 3, 2011.
^Kitzen M. (2020) Operations in Irregular Warfare. In: Sookermany A. (eds) Handbook of Military Sciences. p. 1-21. Springer, Cham doi:10.1007/978-3-030-02866-4_81-1
^"Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms" (PDF). pp. JP 1-02. Retrieved 25 June 2019.
^"Timeline of the Office of Strategic Services (Record Group 226)". 15 August 2016. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
^ Fitzpatrick, Edward A. (1951), Manpower and Atomic War, vol. 278, The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, p. 126-136 Also see: United States, President's Advisory Commission on Universal Training (29 May 1947), A program for national security, Washington, U.S. Govt. Print. Off., p. 14, OCLC 500618, Second, and equal in importance to the first, we must have trained men in every part of our own country ready and able to meet disorder, sabotage, and even invasion.
^Paddock Jr., Alfred H., US Army Special Warfare, Its Origins: Psychological and Unconventional Warfare, 1941-1952, Minerva, Carroll's study, forwarded to Draper on 24 February 1949, recommended that a separate "unit" be established to take charge of the Army's psychological warfare responsibilities.; Wood, Gordon S. (1990), Classical republicanism and the American Revolution, vol. 13, Chi.-Kent L. Rev. 66, republicanism. . . offered new conceptions of the individual, the family, the state, and the individual's relationship to the family, the state, and other individuals.
^Pollock, Frederick (1941), Is National Socialism a new order?, vol. 9, Zeitschrift für Sozialforschung, p. 440-455
^Mayo, Elton (1966), The Social Problems of an Industrial Civilization, London: Routledge & Kegan
^Heath, R. L., Catalytic model of issues management. In Encyclopedia of public relations, vol. 1, SAGE Publications, Inc., p. 101; de Becker, G., Intervention decisions: The value of flexibility. White paper report prepared for the 1994 CIA Threat Management Conference
External linksedit
Allied war terminology (File #5a)
Unconventional Warfare: Definitions from 1950 to the Present[permanent dead link]
Instruments of Statecraft: U.S. Guerrilla Warfare, Counterinsurgency, and Counterterrorism, 1940–1990
Pentagon plans cyber-insect army
October 30, 2023
unconventional, warfare, military, doctrine, united, states, broadly, defined, military, quasi, military, operations, other, than, conventional, warfare, covert, forces, subversion, guerrilla, warfare, this, typically, done, avoid, escalation, into, convention. For the US military doctrine see Unconventional warfare United States Unconventional warfare UW is broadly defined as military and quasi military operations other than conventional warfare 1 and may use covert forces subversion or guerrilla warfare This is typically done to avoid escalation into conventional warfare as well as international conventions 2 Soviet Armed Forces members instruct SWAPO insurgents Contents 1 Description 2 Methods and organization 3 History 4 See also 5 References 6 External linksDescription editAside from the earlier definition of warfare that is not conventional unconventional warfare has also been described as There is another type of warfare new in its intensity ancient in its origin war by guerrillas subversives insurgents assassins war by ambush instead of by combat by infiltration instead of aggression seeking victory by eroding and exhausting the enemy instead of engaging him It preys on unrest 3 Methods and organization editFurther information Unconventional warfare United States Department of Defense doctrine Unconventional warfare targets the civilian population psychologically to win hearts and minds and only targets military and political bodies for that purpose seeking to render the military proficiency of the enemy irrelevant Limited conventional warfare tactics can be used unconventionally to demonstrate might and power rather than to reduce the enemy s ability to fight substantially In addition to the surgical application of traditional weapons other armaments that specifically target the military can be used are airstrikes nuclear weapons incendiary devices or other such weapons Special Forces inserted deep behind enemy lines are used unconventionally to train equip and advise locals who oppose their government They can also spread subversion and propaganda while they aid native resistance fighters to ultimately cause a hostile government to capitulate Tactics focus on destroying military targets while avoiding damage to civilian infrastructure and blockading military resupply are used to decrease the morale of government forces 4 nbsp Unconventional warfare structure by guerrilla organizations The USA Department of Defense defines unconventional warfare as activities conducted to enable a resistance movement or insurgency to coerce disrupt or overthrow a government or occupying power by operating through or with an underground auxiliary and guerrilla force in a denied area 5 History editThe advent of the Atomic Age changed forever philosophies of conventional warfare and the necessity to conceal authorship of actions by hostile states The age of asymmetric or unconventional warfare amp terrorism had begun 6 One of the first references is in Manpower and Atomic War 7 which Edward Fitzpatrick referred to as the next kind of war technological war machine war or atomic war Using soft power methods to target civilians instead of military units however had begun earlier particularly as a strategy for use against Republics 8 These were developed as a tool of national socialism 9 or neo liberalism 10 and evolved into other doctrines There is an overlap in the world of Corporate Security amp Defense Contracting where these models have extended to the field of Risk assessment 11 One of the first instances of Unconventional Warfare techniques against civilians was documented by the La Follette Committee See also editAsymmetric warfare Counterintelligence Gerasimov Doctrine Hybrid warfare Fourth generation warfare Full spectrum dominance Irregular military Irregular warfare Low intensity conflict New generation warfare Partisan military Political warfare Psychological warfare Resistance movement Six legged Soldiers Terrorism Total Resistance book Unrestricted Warfare US amp NATO specific Operation Gladio Project Eldest Son Ranger Regiment United Kingdom Reagan Doctrine Special Activities Division U S Army Special ForcesReferences edit Nagao Yuichiro 2001 Unconventional Warfare A Historical Perspective PDF National Institute for Defense Studies Ministry of Defense Archived from the original PDF on 16 August 2022 Retrieved 18 August 2022 Fowler Mike 4 November 2019 The Rise of the Present Unconventional Character of Warfare The Strategy Bridge Archived from the original on 6 November 2019 Retrieved 18 August 2022 U S Army Special Forces Unconventional Warfare Training Manual November 2010 U S ARMY March 3 2011 Kitzen M 2020 Operations in Irregular Warfare In Sookermany A eds Handbook of Military Sciences p 1 21 Springer Cham doi 10 1007 978 3 030 02866 4 81 1 Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms PDF pp JP 1 02 Retrieved 25 June 2019 Timeline of the Office of Strategic Services Record Group 226 15 August 2016 Retrieved August 7 2021 Fitzpatrick Edward A 1951 Manpower and Atomic War vol 278 The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science p 126 136 Also see United States President s Advisory Commission on Universal Training 29 May 1947 A program for national security Washington U S Govt Print Off p 14 OCLC 500618 Second and equal in importance to the first we must have trained men in every part of our own country ready and able to meet disorder sabotage and even invasion Paddock Jr Alfred H US Army Special Warfare Its Origins Psychological and Unconventional Warfare 1941 1952 Minerva Carroll s study forwarded to Draper on 24 February 1949 recommended that a separate unit be established to take charge of the Army s psychological warfare responsibilities Wood Gordon S 1990 Classical republicanism and the American Revolution vol 13 Chi Kent L Rev 66 republicanism offered new conceptions of the individual the family the state and the individual s relationship to the family the state and other individuals Pollock Frederick 1941 Is National Socialism a new order vol 9 Zeitschrift fur Sozialforschung p 440 455 Mayo Elton 1966 The Social Problems of an Industrial Civilization London Routledge amp Kegan Heath R L Catalytic model of issues management In Encyclopedia of public relations vol 1 SAGE Publications Inc p 101 de Becker G Intervention decisions The value of flexibility White paper report prepared for the 1994 CIA Threat Management ConferenceExternal links editAllied war terminology File 5a goarmy com special forces unconventional warfare Unconventional Warfare Definitions from 1950 to the Present permanent dead link Instruments of Statecraft U S Guerrilla Warfare Counterinsurgency and Counterterrorism 1940 1990 Pentagon plans cyber insect army Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Unconventional warfare amp oldid 1182507955, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
