Cyberspace Domain: A Warfighting Substantiated Operational Environment Imperative

In 2001, Joint Publication JP 3-0 identified five warfighting domains. The document contained the commonly accepted four operational environments, but added a new domain information. This landmark inclusion started an intense debate within the Joint community. Previous clarity on the commonly accepted operational environments roles and functions became blurred. Those who advocated information as a warfighting domain advanced its common understanding, yet could not reach doctrinal consensus. Discussions about how to describe, organize, and use the United States information capabilities to support the Department of Defenses DoD strategic and operational objectives and national security goals remain contentious and ambiguous. This inability to develop consensus led to the re-characterization of information in the current JP 3-0, Joint Operations, from a warfighting domain to an environment. However, this change did not resolve the fundamental issue and the information domain debate continues unabated. The recently published National Military Strategy for Cyberspace Operations NMS-CO again officially codified its understanding of information, now defined as cyberspace, as a warfighting domain. It acknowledges the JP 3-0 information domain change to environment, but emphasizes that treating cyberspace as a domain establishes a foundation to understand and define its place in military operations. The DoD has expended considerable effort in a piece meal strategy that updates information-related doctrine based on new technology instead of developing a comprehensive cyberspace strategy. This paper argues that a clear consensus is needed to establish a cyberspace domain where JFCs conduct war as an act of force to compel our enemy to do our will. Advancing the proposed NMS-COs cyberspace domain definition clarifies information operations roles and functions, thereby enabling information superiority.