Experts Envision Future Force
Gen. James N. Mattis, USMC, NATO Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, and commander, U.S. Joint Forces Command, calls for the acceleration of military transformation.
Persistent warfare demands fundamental changes.
Call it hybrid, unconventional or asymmetric warfare, the conclusion is the same: the
The complexity of current and future warfare was the discussion topic at the Joint Warfighting Conference, which took place in
Agreeing that the time for military reform is here, Deputy Secretary of Defense William J. Lynn outlined a number of plans currently underway at the U.S. Defense Department that will address the needs of the new force. “From now on, irregular warfare is a regular part of our plan,” he said.
Future activities include a dedication to fiscal responsibility, with the entire cost of current operations contained within the department’s budget, rather than continuing supplementals. In addition, fiscal responsibility will include transparency in government spending, because both the government and the military have lost confidence in the department’s ability to deliver products on time and on budget,
The department also plans to bring discipline to the requirements process and improve cost estimations; poorly performing programs will be canceled,
William J. Lynn, deputy secretary of defense, describes the new vision for the U.S. Defense Department.
Gen. James N. Mattis, USMC, NATO Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, and commander, U.S. Joint Forces Command (JFCOM), set the tone of the conference by pointing out that a certain degree of urgency exists for discussion about the future of warfare because adversaries are collaborating on a never-ending basis. Gen. Mattis, along with others, agreed that it is time to look at the future of the joint force from a number of angles. The bottom line is that in the coming years the
Gen. Mattis stated that the
Experts discussing hybrid warfare agreed with this assessment. Lt. Col. Frank G. Hoffman, USMCR (Ret.), research fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, Marine Corps Combat Development Command, stated that the focus of warfare in the 21st century must incorporate a broader spectrum of tools and a convergence of different types of warfare. This is not a novel concept; however, it is “one we have not been prepared for institutionally or militarily,” the colonel emphasized.
Vice Adm. Robert S. Harward Jr., USN, deputy commander, JFCOM, pointed out that the hybrid war the
Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, USA, commanding general, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, notes that the U.S. military could have done a better job of preparing its leaders for the complexity in combat, engagement and leadership.
Uncertainty, complexity, rapid change and persistent conflicts will remain as challenges on the operations landscape, Gen. Martin E. Dempsey,
Dr. Thomas P.M. Barnett, author of The Pentagon’s New Map, proposed that warfighting and peacekeeping today are an indication that the
One way to address current threats is to create small and agile military units that comprise specialists from many areas, including tactics, strategy and intelligence. Adm. Eric T. Olson, USN, commander, U.S. Special Operations Command, advocated a balanced warfare approach that provides agility to transcend the spectrum of conflict effectively. He pointed out that a balance between indirect and direct warfare already has been successful in places such as
This is an approach that Gen. Mattis also proposed. He revealed that creating high-performing units is one of his top priorities, and that smaller units then would need to be aggregated when facing larger enemy forces. “We want the troops to be able to adapt,” the general said.
Dr. Thomas P.M. Barnett, author of The Pentagon’s New Map, speaks about the effects of globalization on nations and coalitions.
To achieve many of these goals will require a transformation of the current acquisition system. While some members of a panel discussing innovative acquisition expressed confidence in the current system, others stated that drastic changes are needed. Dr. Dov Zakheim, vice president, global defense, Booz Allen Hamilton Incorporated, opened the discussion by describing the
Agreeing that the severe shortage of contracting officers is one of the problems, this issue is only the tip of the iceberg, panelists agreed. At the core is a need for professional development of the current acquisition force. The system that is in place to train and promote acquisition personnel today is inadequate, Zakheim stated.
Achieving a Balanced Joint Force
Members of all four services concurred that the need for agility requires a definition of problems and adoption of new concepts, platforms and technologies. Lt. Gen. Paul K. Van Riper, USMC (Ret.), former commanding general, Marine Corps Combat Development Command, pointed out that the CCJO is only one document that must be considered as the services move forward. For the services to fully understand the challenges facing the future force, the concepts from this document must be combined with those in the Joint Operating Environment document, the National Security Strategy and, eventually, the Quadrennial Defense Review.
Lt. Gen. David P. Valcourt,
Focusing particularly on jointness, Maj. Gen. William J. Rew, USAF, director of operational planning, policy and strategy, and deputy chief of staff for operations, plans and requirements, U.S. Air Force Headquarters, discussed the cultural barriers to true jointness. Too many people think that cultural awareness means language training at the academy, he said. However, the armed forces need to recognize the cultural differences across the services as well as across coalition forces. “Some of our command structures do not foster that interaction. We like to do things from a distance. We shouldn’t forget the importance of the human dimension. Warfare in the end is a people endeavor,” Gen. Rew stated.
Adm. Eric T. Olson, USN, commander, U.S. Special Operations Command, states that the key to balanced warfare is persistence.
Strong Relationships Foster Success
Collaboration and coordination among military services are not the only issues that must be resolved. Increasingly, the military finds itself working with NGOs in both humanitarian and post-warfare missions. During current operations, militaries from all nations have been filling nontraditional roles to fight counterinsurgency and to bring about stability.
Calling on his experience in
Cooperative security planning is the subject of a document titled “The Military Contribution to Cooperative Security Joint Operating Concept,” which JFCOM and the U.S. European Command co-authored. Len Hawley, former deputy assistant secretary of state, shared that the concept examines the standard operating procedures in the military, government and the NGOs. These procedures differ so greatly that they get in the way of collaborative efforts, Hawley said. While it is easy to say that organizations must cooperate, it is not easy to do, he stated.
Stephen Carmel, senior vice president, maritime services, Maersk Line Limited, points out that globalization of trade and the interaction it involves is a growing reason for instability in nations worldwide.
Religion, Demographics Affect Joint Operations
The challenge that cultural differences pose was brought up in discussions several times during conference. Ralph Peters, a retired U.S. Army officer, author and New York Post columnist, pointed out that the
Carmen Medina, assistant deputy director for intelligence, Central Intelligence Agency, remarked that changes in demographics combined with religious fervor is at the root of conflicts worldwide. She proposed that the line between war and criminality is likely to continue blurring; as a result, ambiguity in military action will continue. In the past, nations fought until negotiations took place, but ending conflicts in the future will be more difficult, because the adversary does not believe that negotiation is acceptable, she stated.
Economy Impacts Security
Widely reported piracy off the coast of the Horn of Africa is evidence that the global supply chain now is intertwined with international security. Stephen Carmel, senior vice president, maritime services, Maersk Line Limited, pointed out that the causes of disruptions in the supply chain are increasingly difficult to isolate. Cyberattacks are increasing, which endangers the global supply chain, which heavily depends on information technology, he said. “A stoppage anywhere is a stoppage everywhere. Everyone is on the grid,”
In his opinion, too much attention is being paid to responding to individual attacks. Instead, the focus should be on finding solutions to the root cause. For example, piracy that is based out of
Photography by Michael Carpenter
WEB RESOURCES
SIGNAL Magazine blog: www.afcea.org/signal/signalscape/index.php/tag/joint-warfighting/
Capstone Concept for Joint Operations: www.jfcom.mil/about/fact_ccjo.html