Information Operations: A Joint Perspective

This monograph examines the current Department of Defense approach to the integration of information operations on the future battlefield. Technology has become one of the driving factors as the military enters into the twenty first century. With regards to this focus, each separate military service is capitalizing on information technological advances but not with a joint focus or shared desired endstate. Information technology and systems are an integral part to the emerging field of information operations, but without the joint efforts of each service and a central controlling element the military applications of information operations will never meet their intended purpose. This monograph first explains what information warfare and operations are along with their military applications according to each service: the Army, Navy, Marines, and Air Force. Secondly, this paper looks at what the emerging joint doctrine states concerning the definition, employment and integration of information warfare on the future battlefield. This portion of the paper examines joint doctrine concerning the integration of information operations at the operational and strategic levels with examples of how information warfare was conducted in recent deployments in Somalia, Bosnia and the Gulf War. Thirdly, the paper analyzes the potential problems determined from comparing the different service approaches to information warfare as opposed to an integrated joint approach. Lastly, this paper explores the possible military need to create either a functional command responsible for the integration of joint informational warfare or simply maintaining the current C2 structure and limiting the focus to C2W for further integration of information operations training and doctrinal employment. The recommendations proposed in this monograph are centered on developing an integrated joint approach to the training, doctrine and employment of information operations. The recommended solution to create a separate functional command responsible for the conduct and training of information operations is centered around the joint C2 structure and an information-based environment-designed to exploit the fluidity of future battlefields. Information and information operations will continue to be critical in future operations, but no more critical than the means to control and effectively employ them. This monograph demonstrates that the present course chosen for the development of information operations, in support of the future military, must be altered to provide an integrated and effective joint approach to the conduct of information operations.