Interoperability for Joint All-Domain Operations: Lessons from Operation Desert Storm for the Korean Peninsula

Operation Desert Storm in 1991, where Air-Land Battle doctrine was put into practice, demonstrated a high level of multinational interoperability with thirty-nine countries participating. Multi-Domain Operations (MDO), the US Army's future war concept, seeks to deter and defeat future adversaries such as Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea by optimizing combat power in multiple domains. Joint All-Domain Operation (JADO) is a joint warfighting concept being developed at the joint level integrating all services' concepts to include MDO. The monograph examines the reasons why the coalition forces in 1991 were able to achieve a high-level of interoperability and the implications for JADO if it was to apply on the Korean peninsula. The ROK and US forces maintain combined readiness and requirement for interoperability to counter North Korean conventional and asymmetric threats in Korea. Also, considering the UN Security Resolution 84, which became the basis for armed intervention with sixteen force providing countries during Korean War, is still in effect with continuing armistice status from Korean War. Thus, the next possible North Korean attack will most likely be responded to with multinational efforts, again. The monograph concludes that the high level of interoperability during Operation Desert Storm was due mainly to proper application and development of doctrine, materiel, and leadership of major participating nations' militaries with systems thinking. And, these three aspects along with systems thinking, will stay crucial for the conduct of JADO on the Korean peninsula as well, but on a different scale due to the complex nature of integrating operations in all domains.