INFORMATION WARFARE IN THE HIGH-END FIGHT

The U.S. military is adept at coordinating fires and maneuver of forces associated with the kinetic aspects of engagements; it has also proven effective in the non-kinetic realm of the information environment. Despite decades of military operations in the information environment, there has been limited success in integrating these capabilities with those associated with operations in the physical environment. The U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps have identified gaps in their ability to effectively coordinate events in these environments in support of a common operational objective. This research focuses on the convergence between the information and physical environments as it affects the ability to effectively employ non-kinetic and kinetic munitions. Our efforts seek to discover the gaps and redundancies in the capabilities at the theater level of command that interfere with operational efficiencies. Additionally, we examine the current organizational structures associated with each type of operational capability and identify gaps and redundancies that may be contributing to inefficient coordination of fires and maneuver across the theater of operations. Our findings suggest that certain behavioral conditions, developmental considerations, necessary non-lethal reference point dissemination, and poorly defined information capabilities have contributed to overreliance on kinetic munitions and underutilized non-kinetic munitions.Captain, United States Marine CorpsApproved for public release. Distribution is unlimited