Military Science Irregular Warfare Essay - 1230 Words

Irregular warfare has become the centre of much military and academic study in recent years, due mostly to the ongoing NATO operations in Afghanistan. However irregular warfare is by no means a recent revelation in the evolution of warfare and strategy, numerous examples exist throughout history in which irregular warfare tactics and strategy have been adopted and later analysed by academics and military professionals. This author will focus on the key issues that governments face in creating effective strategies for irregular warfare with a particular emphasis on counter-insurgency (COIN) and terrorism. Resources such as time, space, legitimacy and support present themselves as key issues in dealing with insurgency and terrorism and are†¦show more content†¦Conventional warfare that is prolonged and resource intensive is not sustainable and eventually leads to descent into attrition type warfare. Irregular warfare operations, be it COIN or counter-terrorism, from the West ern perspective consume time and resources. This consumption is predominantly fuelled by the asymmetry of Western and insurgent forces which results in significantly different tactics being used by the two forces. Western powers, in almost all cases, tend to have superior technology and a larger number of forces and rely heavily on these factors during conflicts, however this perceived imbalance of power is not necessarily advantageous for the Western power. Andrew Mack discusses this idea that military superiority does not always result in victory when facing an unconventional enemy, Mack states In such asymmetric conflicts, insurgents may gain political victory from a situation of military stalemate or even defeat. Here Mack surfaces the idea of political capital and argues that insurgents ability to win wars stems from ...the progressive attrition of their opponents political capability to wage war. This concept is solidified if we observe the planned withdrawal from Afghanist an, after having a Western military presence in the nation for over ten years, public support has declined and it is no longer politically viable to continue operations in that theatre. Insurgents continue to function in this state and the threat ofShow MoreRelatedOperation Desert Storm Was Viewed By Military Strategists1388 Words   |  6 PagesCombat operations alone will not result in the degradation and destruction of ISIL. Operation Desert Storm was viewed by military strategists as the first of a new generation of conflicts where victory is no longer ensured only by physical force, but also by the ability to win the information war and to secure information dominance. 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