The Army’s New Doctrine on Information Warfare

ADP 3–13: Personal Electronic Devices

The world is a more data-driven and interconnected place than ever before. This fact has not escaped the notice of the U.S. military, which is now facing the reality that the next war will be fought, and won, in the digital domain. The U.S. Army, aware of the immense significance of this new reality, has published ADP 3–13: Information, a landmark document that aims to redefine its strategy for using information in a way that is more proactive, offensive, and comprehensive. This new doctrine isn’t just a set of principles; it represents a fundamental shift in how the Army views its operations.

The Rise of Information Warfare

In a world saturated with data, the ability to collect, analyze, and weaponize information has become paramount. Information warfare has transformed into a continuous, multidimensional struggle for influence and advantage, no longer limited to the battlefield. The traditional methods of warfare, such as brute force and physical combat, are still relevant but are increasingly intertwined with the realm of information. We are witnessing a new kind of warfare, a “war of ideas,” and it is a war that the Army must understand and master to prevail.

A New Paradigm for Army Doctrine

ADP 3–13 goes beyond a simple collection of guidelines on using data in a more effective manner. The doctrine’s fundamental premise is the understanding that information isn’t just an asset or a tool; it is a dynamic of combat power, akin to firepower, mobility, or leadership. Every action that the Army undertakes, from training and communications to deploying forces and conducting operations, has inherent informational aspects that can influence the threat’s perceptions and actions, both on the battlefield and in the digital domain.

Five Information Activities — A Strategic Shift

The core of this new doctrine revolves around the five information activities: Enable, Protect, Inform, Influence, and Attack. These five activities aren’t distinct and separate entities, but rather interdependent and interconnected, weaving a strategic tapestry that aims to create and exploit information advantages for the U.S. Army.

Enable

This information activity focuses on enhancing friendly command and control capabilities. The Army must establish, operate, and maintain a resilient network that enables its leaders to understand situations, make informed decisions, and direct actions more effectively than the enemy. It is a crucial step in creating a framework for agile and responsive decision making. The new focus on ensuring efficient data flow and shared understanding across the force underscores the emphasis the Army places on optimizing information management.

Protect

The Army recognizes that the next war will be fought in cyberspace and the electromagnetic spectrum, with information becoming a critical target. To protect sensitive data, information, and communications from attacks and interference, the Army must adopt a multifaceted approach. The protect information activity focuses on:

• Securing friendly information: Army leaders must prioritize information security, training Soldiers and units to understand how their actions may reveal sensitive data, and using OPSEC (Operations Security) to prevent the threat from gaining an advantage through intelligence collection.
• Conducting security activities: The Army must proactively protect itself from reconnaissance by employing countermeasures, including the use of electromagnetic jamming and anti-reconnaissance measures to protect networks, data, and communications systems.
• Defending the network: In an environment where cyberspace is as vital as a physical battlefield, the Army must bolster its cyberspace defense capabilities to prevent unauthorized access and manipulation of its information systems.

Inform

In the age of information warfare, public opinion is a valuable asset, and trust and credibility are key. This information activity focuses on providing accurate and timely information to a variety of audiences:

• Army Audiences: The Army must maintain a positive command climate that is characterized by trust, collaboration, and informed decision-making. Soldiers must understand the Army’s mission and priorities, the threats it faces, and the importance of safeguarding information.
• United States Domestic Audiences: To ensure continued support from the American people, the Army must be transparent in its operations and communication, effectively addressing concerns, counter disinformation and misinformation, and highlighting the importance of the Army’s mission to protect national security interests.
• International Audiences: Building and maintaining partnerships with foreign governments and populations is crucial. Army forces must engage with these audiences to communicate the rationale for its actions, demonstrate commitment to shared values, and emphasize the importance of its mission in protecting regional security and stability.

Influence

This activity focuses on shaping the perceptions and behaviors of the threat and other relevant foreign actors. It recognizes that, in a globalized world, influence isn’t a secondary consideration; it is a weapon that the Army can use effectively to counter the threat’s strategies:

• Influence Threat Perception and Behaviors: By influencing threat perceptions and actions, Army forces aim to undermine the threat’s cohesion, demoralize them, and decrease their combat effectiveness. Key tactics include deception and MISO (military information support operations), both of which have become increasingly sophisticated in recent years.
• Influence other foreign audiences: The Army needs to build trust, cultivate support, and counter hostile influence by proactively engaging with key figures in other countries. These activities are essential in building a global network of support for U.S. interests.

Attack

This information activity focuses on proactively countering the threat’s use of information and degrading its capabilities, including those that allow it to collect data, influence perceptions, control information networks, and conduct offensive operations. It represents a shift from a purely defensive stance to a more aggressive one:

• Degrade Threat Command and Control (C2): The Army must disrupt or disable the enemy’s ability to communicate, command, and control their forces by using cyberspace and electromagnetic warfare to attack their networks and systems, with the objective of slowing them down, creating confusion, and degrading their combat effectiveness.
• Affect Threat Information Warfare Capabilities: This information activity aims to neutralize or defeat the threat’s ability to weaponize data, spread disinformation, influence perceptions, or launch propaganda attacks by using cyber capabilities to attack the systems they use to disseminate information.

Integration of Information Activities

ADP 3–13 is not a set of separate, compartmentalized strategies. It emphasizes a combined arms approach that relies on the synchronized and coordinated efforts of all Army units and capabilities. Each unit and staff section has specific responsibilities, but it is through effective integration and collaboration that the Army will achieve true information dominance.

The Army has developed new procedures to streamline the training of its Soldiers in informational warfare capabilities. The focus is on equipping them with the skills they need to operate effectively in a contested digital environment, mastering everything from digital readiness and data literacy to using cyberspace, electromagnetic warfare, and advanced intelligence gathering.

A New Era in Warfare

ADP 3–13: Information is a groundbreaking document that reflects the U.S. Army’s commitment to staying ahead of the curve in the changing technological landscape. The adoption of this new doctrine represents a fundamental shift in how the Army prepares for future conflicts. In an era where information warfare is the key to success, the U.S. Army is poised to become a dominant force, shaping the narrative, protecting its vital interests, and dominating the battlespace of tomorrow.

FAQs

1. What are the five information activities outlined in the new doctrine?
   The five information activities are: Enable, Protect, Inform, Influence, and Attack.
2. How does this new doctrine shift the U.S. Army’s approach to warfare?
   ADP 3–13 emphasizes that information is a dynamic of combat power, just as important as firepower, mobility, or leadership. It advocates a more proactive, offensive, and comprehensive approach to information warfare, recognizing the significance of the digital domain in modern conflict.
3. What are some of the key tactics that the Army uses to degrade the enemy’s command and control (C2)?
   The Army employs a wide range of tactics, including: cyberspace attacks to disrupt or disable networks, electromagnetic warfare to jam communications, and physical destruction of critical infrastructure.
4. How does the Army prepare its Soldiers for information warfare?
   Training programs have been updated to equip Soldiers with the necessary knowledge and skills to operate effectively in a contested information environment. The focus is on digital readiness, data literacy, and proficiency in various information warfare capabilities, including cyberspace operations, electromagnetic warfare, and advanced intelligence gathering.
5. What are the main responsibilities of Army commanders and staff members in implementing this new doctrine?
   Commanders are responsible for creating and exploiting information advantages, directing their staff and subordinate units to effectively plan and execute information activities. Staff members have specific roles to play in supporting information advantage, focusing on areas of expertise, ensuring efficient data flow and shared understanding, and recommending adjustments to procedures and strategies as necessary.