Information Operation and the Conduct of Land Warfare

This paper focuses on the implications of information operations IO on the U.S. Armys conduct of land warfare over the next decade. This transitional period from the experimental Force XXI to the digitized Army XXI offers many promises, potentials and even pitfalls for the worlds predominant land power force. BG James M. Dubik, USA, has recognized this in his earlier Institute of Land Warfare paper Creating Combat Power for the 21st Century. The term information operations conjures up many images. To some the vision of Heinleins classic Starship Troopers comes to mind with its Mobile Infantry M.I. forces in high tech body armor. Armed with vast amounts of individual firepower and linked into information nets, these soldiers provide one archetype of the future Army force. Another vision is at odds with the high-tech warrior tradition. It is that of out-of-shape armchair soldiers sitting behind their computer terminals launching war-winning cyber- attacks at the stroke of a key. A third vision is derived from the cyberpunk genre. It is that of Johnny Mnemonic-type individuals, with hardwires in their brains and enough downloaded information to make a modem supercomputer look like a kids cheap toy. Such enhanced individuals would give a whole new meaning to the concept of the special forces of the future and, while some truth probably exists in each of these visions, for now that is all they are - visions of the future.