Auspicious snow welcomes spring, and flowers bloom. The Great Hall of the People once again welcomes the grand event of spring.
Delegates and members of the National People’s Congress and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference shouldered heavy responsibilities and gathered together to discuss national affairs. This year marks the beginning of the “15th Five-Year Plan”. Faced with the turbulent international situation and the profoundly evolving war pattern, the proposal put forward at the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee “accelerating the construction of advanced combat capabilities” has become an important topic of concern to military representatives and members.
“Advanced combat capability represents the most advantageous combat capability in information-based and intelligent warfare, and is the ‘weather vane’ of military construction and the ‘controlling high ground’ of military competition. Only by accelerating the development of advanced combat capabilities with a sense of urgency and responsibility that is outdated can we seize the strategic initiative on future battlefields and effectively fulfill the mission and tasks of the new era.” This is a strong consensus among the military representatives and commissioners. With their personal practice from the front lines of exercises and training, border outposts, and scientific research positions, they demonstrated the high morale and spirit of the People’s Army to anchor its goals, shift gears and speed up, and move towards world-class status.
★ System integration and iron fist
When interviewing Representative Qi Weiguang, he showed reporters two charts: one was the training plan of each military branch in the past “with chimneys”, with the color blocks split and shaped like “isolated islands”; the other was the joint exercise and training blueprint of today “building blocks put together”, with the modules interlocking and seamlessly integrated.
“1+1=1, this is the essence of joint operations! ” Qi Weiguang represents a broken word.
He used a joint long-sea cruise as an example to explain how the system “weather vane” reshapes the battlefield. During the entire operation, the “10,000-ton large-wheel drive” no longer “fights alone”, but has transformed into a “maritime information hub” and a “firepower fulcrum”, sharing data in real time with the Air Force’s early warning aircraft, the Navy’s observation station, and the Army’s long-range firepower, weaving precision “Skynet”.
“Any advanced platform will become an ‘information island’ if it is separated from the system. The ‘contingent’ we must seize is system integration and cross-border collaboration! ” Representative Qi Weiguang said.
Representative Chen Song from a synthetic brigade of the Army felt the same way: “In the past, during exercises, we often encountered the embarrassment of‘ the airspace not being open ’‘the frequency band not being connected’. Now, ‘United’ is engraved with combat instinct!” As one of the Army’s first digital unit commanders, he has a particularly deep understanding of systems “weather vanes”. He opened a thick, already slightly curled-edge book he had with him and said: “Before the attack was launched, the army and aviation opened up access roads and covered artillery firepower, each doing their job and cooperating closely. It used to be better than ‘running fast, playing accurately’, but now it looks like ‘connecting well, counting fast’. In one exercise, we achieved ‘discovery is destruction’ under the guidance of a drone, which was unimaginable in the past.”
“Advanced combat capabilities are generated through practical training. We must prioritize ‘battle’, focus on combat, and strive for practical combat! ” Many military representatives and deputies said that the training plans of the troops are no longer divided by “year”, but by “mission cycle”; the assessment standards are no longer “meter-second ring”, but “contribution rate” and “damage value”. When “discovery means destruction” becomes the norm, whoever can move one step faster in system integration will take the initiative on the battlefield.
From “a single military branch” to “a global vision”, from “physical superposition” to “chemical reactions”, the system-integrated “weather vane” is leading the three armies to clench their fingers into a fist and forge advanced combat capabilities that are both strong and sharp.
★ Challenge the extreme and sharpen the blade
The computer screensaver of Representative Wang Wenyi from the Air Force is a photo of a flight jacket armband. This badly worn armband silently tells the story of his blue-sky powerhouse’s pursuit of pushing boundaries and flying into battle.
“Future wars will be decided quickly. The flight scale must be pushed from the ‘pass line’ to the ‘limit value’, in line with actual combat standards! ” Representative Wang Wenyi showed reporters the achievements of the past year: high-intensity cross-day and night confrontation along the coast, with the number of daily flight hours per aircraft reaching new highs; in complex electromagnetic environments, the third generation of aircraft successfully completed the verification of the extreme penetration of new weapons..
“At first, some people questioned: Will it be too risky? My answer is: There is no ‘safe’ on the battlefield.” Representative Wang Wenyi recalled a scene of a dawn attack. That day, clouds were low, visibility was extremely low, and ground guidance was severely limited.“‘ In blind flight’, you must rely on instruments to maintain the formation and resist strong electromagnetic interference. If you only dare to draw a route in ‘10,000 meters of clear sky’ in peacetime, you will be hit in ‘low clouds and thick fog’ in wartime and your head will be bloodied!” Representative Wang Wenyi said firmly.
“‘Liftoff is combat, takeoff is assault’—— This is the iron rule we set. Not only do we need to take our fighter jets to new heights, but we also need to hone our combat effectiveness in extreme environments!” Representative Wang Wenyi’s words expressed the common voice of military representatives and deputies: Only by seamlessly connecting the training ground to the battlefield can we transform “the limit” into “the extreme” and truly seize the winning heights of the future battlefield.
“The countdown has begun to achieve the goals of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Liberation Army as scheduled. Time is of the essence and the task is arduous, so we must make every effort to overcome it!” When talking about extreme training, Representative Hou Changling from the Rocket Force has a bright eye.
That year, his unit quickly transitioned to “wartime status” as new and old equipment changed.“ Loading, testing, lighting, everything is done as it should be!” Representative Hou Changling still remembers vividly the scene when he encountered a severe sandstorm for decades during his cross-regional training. That time, they overcame environmental factors and operated accurately, setting a record for shooting accuracy in bad weather!
“Missiles must not only ‘hit out’, but also ‘hit accurately, hit hard, and win’. ” Representative Hou Changling’s tone was sonorous. “Please rest assured, Party and people, the ‘Heavenly Sword’ in our hands can be unsheathed at any time!”
“War does not allow us to choose our opponents, and the battlefield does not allow us to choose the weather and environment. ” Representative Luo Yu from the front line of the border defense told reporters that “Snowland Plateau, the temperature sometimes drops to more than -40 degrees Celsius. In the past, there have been cases of playing in the face of severe cold ‘retreating’ and lowering standards; now, we stipulate that all tactical courses must truly set the battlefield as real, the opponent as strong, the environment as dangerous, and the difficulties as sufficient!”
From “training what to take” to “filling in what is missing”, from “wandering at a low level” to “making new strides every year”, extreme training “weather vane” is forging a strong steel team that can win battles.
★ New domain and new quality plan for breakthroughs
Representative Xu Fengcan from the Army has a wonderful video of an ultra-low-altitude penetration saved on his work computer——
Several attack helicopters used terrain cover to launch raids, launching missiles to accurately destroy the “enemy” armor center, and the group immediately approached the ground and hid in the radar blind spot.
“This is not only a breakthrough in equipment capabilities, but also a breakthrough in the concept of breaking through the flat battlefield and forging ‘three-dimensional iron fist’. ” Representative Xu Fengcan introduced that in the past it was “play whatever you want”, and now it is “develop whatever abilities you play”. In recent years, they have paid close attention to cutting-edge technologies such as drone swarm networks, helicopter laser anti-missile, and manned and unmanned coordination, and have continuously deeply integrated new technologies into the force’s combat system. The goal is to achieve combat effectiveness in ultra-low-altitude penetration, promote the transformation of land and aviation forces from support and support to main combat assault, and ensure that they become a “three-dimensional iron fist” that tears apart the defense line on the future battlefield.
“Silent victory is the submariner’s mission! ” Representative Zhang Hongxing from the Navy’s submarine force gave a vivid picture of his understanding of new-quality combat capabilities.
During a drill, “Blue Army” deployed “dragnet” and “Red Army” submarines, using the thermocline as cover, ghostly crossed the anti-submarine network. At a critical moment, saturation attacks severely damaged “enemy” ship formations..
Representative Zhang Hongxing said: “This drill is an innovation in combat concepts, concealment and damage capabilities. It used to be said ‘to be able to go out and come back’, but now it is even more important ‘to be able to hide, play accurately, and run fast’. Our pursuit is to silently demand combat effectiveness to the limit and make the weapons in our hands become the deep sea ‘the magic needle of the sea’!”
“In modern warfare, whoever masters advanced technology masters the ‘life gate’ on the battlefield. ” A committee member from the Information Support Force and a reporter shared a personal story: a new piece of equipment was once “bottlenecked”. At that time, the Party member commando team “challenged and led” fought day and night and finally broke through the barriers, doubling the performance of the equipment.
“To seize ‘the commanding heights’, one must dare to venture ‘no man’s land’ and be willing to sit ‘cold bench’. Over the years, seeing the new equipment bring back combat power, the joy in my heart is unparalleled!” The Commissioner’s pride is palpable.
As a key force in winning future battlefields, new-quality combat effectiveness is related to the direction of war, construction transformation, and combat victory or defeat. Military representatives and deputies said that in order to seize the commanding heights of new territory and new quality and forge sharp swords to defeat the battlefield in the future, the People’s Army is leading the changes in war with changes in science and technology, and seeking opportunities to win battles with new capabilities, laying a solid foundation for winning the future.
Think about change and prepare for construction
■Guo Fengkuan
At the beginning of the Two Sessions, “accelerating the construction of advanced combat capabilities” became a hot topic among military representatives and deputies. Everyone held discussions and exchanges around the themes of “what will be needed on the battlefield in the future, what will be relied upon to win the war, and what will be practiced based on the current situation”. The construction of advanced combat capabilities plays an important role in changing the winning mechanism of war, enriching combat styles and scenarios, and traction of high-tech weapon manufacturing. To continuously improve the strategic ability to defend national sovereignty, security, and development interests, we need to deeply grasp the internal logic of the generation of advanced combat capabilities, systematically sort out the specific methods and paths to accelerate the construction of advanced combat capabilities, and focus on thinking about changes, construction, and preparations for advanced combat capabilities.
In today’s world, a new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation is accelerating breakthroughs, and the world’s new military revolution is accelerating. Strategic high-tech technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data, blockchain, and quantum technology are competing to burst forth. The widespread use of science and technology in the military field has caused profound changes in the form of war and combat methods, and is increasingly becoming an important factor in determining the victory or defeat of war.
At present, the evolution of war forms is showing many new trends, and intelligent features are more prominent. Some new technical equipment has formed a dimensionality reduction strike posture against traditional equipment. New-quality combat forces represented by strategic early warning, information control, algorithmic attack and defense, unmanned intelligence, etc. are increasingly becoming an important factor influencing the trend of modern warfare. Under the guidance of military intelligence, new-quality combat forces continue to give birth to combat types with higher efficiency and better quality. Advanced combat capabilities are increasingly becoming a powerful force driving the world’s new military revolution.
Accelerating the construction of advanced combat capabilities is not only an integral part of promoting high-quality national defense and military modernization, but also an important means to achieve the goals of the centenary of the founding of the People’s Liberation Army as scheduled. Only by adjusting and optimizing the military force system, accelerating the development of new combat forces, increasing the training of new military talents, and solidly promoting practical military training, and focusing all work on being able to fight and win battles, can the vitality of combat effectiveness elements burst forth and promote the construction of advanced combat effectiveness to a new level.
The combat effectiveness factor is the decisive factor in the rise and fall of the army, and the combat effectiveness standard is the only fundamental standard for army construction. New-quality combat effectiveness is the product of revolutionary breakthroughs, innovative configurations, and creative application of innovation-driven combat effectiveness elements. It represents the development direction of advanced combat effectiveness and is the “sword” and “tip” that wins future wars. We must grasp the characteristics and laws of the generation of new-quality combat effectiveness, adhere to the principle of self-reliance, start from reality, vigorously promote independent innovation and original innovation, create a new-quality combat effectiveness growth pole, and provide strong strategic support for achieving the goals of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Liberation Army as scheduled and accelerating the construction of the People’s Army into a world-class army.
Emerging fields are fertile ground for incubation
Science and technology are the most dynamic and revolutionary factors in military development. Emerging fields are new strategic spaces and key technology fields that emerge with the advancement of science and technology and the expansion of the scope of human activities. They naturally have extremely strong value attributes such as timeliness, strategy, cutting-edge, and disruption. This also determines that emerging fields have many special advantages that traditional fields do not have. Technology is the core combat power, and new-quality combat power fundamentally comes from the innovation and application of technology. The continued advancement of the materialization and embodiment of key core technologies in emerging fields will have a profound impact on the construction of weapons and equipment, innovation in combat styles, adjustment of organizational systems, and the evolution of war forms. It will achieve innovative configuration and optimized combination of weapons and equipment, combat styles, and personnel, and promote new development and breakthroughs in combat effectiveness construction It provides good conditions and soil for liberating and developing new-quality combat capabilities, becomes an important incubator, accelerator, and multiplier for new-quality combat capabilities, and promotes the evolution of combat capabilities to a new quality state that is higher, more advanced, and has greater comparative advantages. Therefore, we must comprehensively enhance strategic capabilities in emerging fields, coordinate the development of forward-looking strategic emerging industries, place scientific and technological innovation in a more prominent position, open up a direct channel for the transformation of new quality productivity into new quality combat effectiveness, and build a new quality combat effectiveness innovation chain, growth chain, and killing chain that is compatible with the development of emerging fields Create a good ecology that relies on strategic emerging industries to liberate and develop new-quality combat effectiveness, continuously improve the contribution rate of scientific and technological innovation to the development of new-quality combat effectiveness, and achieve efficient integration and two-way promotion of new-quality productivity and new-quality combat effectiveness.
Military innovation is kernel driven
“Those who fly far away should replace their feathers.” To focus on innovation is to focus on development, and to seek innovation is to seek the future. Innovation is the primary driving force leading development and an accelerator for generating and improving combat effectiveness. For an army, only by daring to change and reshape itself, and bravely fighting against the current and chasing the tide can it win the future battlefield. World-class armies need to achieve material and technological casting and reshaping in construction and reform, and even more so, they need to achieve ideological sublimation and transformation in the practice of war and preparation for war. Military innovation has become an important strategy for many countries and militaries to seek competitive advantages. It has become a key variable in the success or failure of the game between major powers and the life and death of the military, and a powerful driving force for the liberation and development of new-quality combat capabilities. Therefore, we must promote innovation culture, optimize the innovation environment, create an innovation atmosphere, vigorously promote and encourage the pursuit of excellence, leading trends, and unremitting exploration, promote the innovative spirit that keeps pace with the times, strive to stimulate the innovative potential and innovative vitality of the vast number of officers and soldiers, make military innovation a value orientation, a way of thinking, and a living habit, and build an innovative army. We must resolutely overcome all forms of adherence to the norm, adherence to established ideas, and conservative practices, actively promote innovation in military theory, military technology, military organization, and military management, and vigorously promote all-round innovation from weapons and equipment to combat training, from theoretical research to the application of tactics, from systems and mechanisms to talent training, so that military innovation can be ahead of war and ahead of the adversary Use innovation to drive combat effectiveness from “quantity” value-added to “quality” leap.
Scientific theory is the leader in development
Scientific military theory is combat effectiveness. The generation of new-quality combat capabilities undoubtedly depends on advanced science and technology. However, new quality combat effectiveness is essentially the product of advanced military technology and advanced military theory “marriage”. In future wars, the realization of the potential of new-quality combat effectiveness will depend on whether there are new breakthroughs in the corresponding military theories and whether the corresponding combat theory system can be effectively established. On the one hand, new-quality combat effectiveness has shifted from the past “technology-driven” based solely on scientific and technological progress to a new track that pays more attention to “design-driven” based on the traction of military theoretical innovation. Only in this way can new vitality and vigor be injected into the liberation and development of new-quality combat capabilities. On the other hand, the generation and development of new-quality combat power is the product of the innovative development of material power. To make good use of this product and occupy the commanding heights of future wars, we must rely on ideological leaps to promote innovation in combat methods and elevate the application of new-quality combat power to a higher level. Just as mechanization encounters “blitzkrieg” and its power multiplies, the organic unity of material and ideological forces can constitute the king of victory. Therefore, we must grasp the general trend of world development and military development, proactively respond to national security risks and threats of war, continuously adapt to new situations, respond to new challenges, and solve new problems, boldly explore in practice, dare to break through in theory, give military theory scientific and technological wings, capture the “singularity ”“ inflection point” of cutting-edge strategic technological development, and accelerate the modernization of military theory Form a military theoretical system that is contemporary, leading and unique, and provide scientific theoretical support for the liberation and development of new-quality combat capabilities.
The talent pool is the determining factor
The way to strengthen the army is to gain people. Strong talent leads to strong new-quality combat effectiveness, and prosperous talent leads to prosperous new-quality combat effectiveness. The talent team is a valuable strategic resource for liberating and developing new-quality combat effectiveness. People, weapons and the way people and weapons are combined are the basic forms of the composition of combat effectiveness elements. The factor that determines the victory or defeat of a war is that people are not things. People are the most active and decisive factor in combat effectiveness, and new-quality combat effectiveness places higher demands on the thinking, knowledge and skills of military talents. When the capabilities and qualities of personnel and the overall structure of personnel cannot adapt well to the changes in combat effectiveness connotation and the requirements of the transformation of combat effectiveness generation mode, shortcomings will be formed in the combat effectiveness system and combat effectiveness activity will be reduced. Today, information-based and intelligent talents have become an important resource and determining factor in leading the development of new-quality combat effectiveness. Therefore, we must adapt to the accelerated evolution of modern warfare towards intelligence, face the world’s military frontier, face the major needs of national security, face national defense and military modernization, and face the formation of integrated joint combat capabilities. We must thoroughly implement the strategy of strengthening the military with talents in the new era, firmly establish the concept that talent resources are the first strategic resource, build a new type of military talent system, accelerate the modernization of military personnel, and promote the capabilities, quality, structural layout, We will comprehensively transform and upgrade development and management, forge high-quality, professional new military talents with both moral integrity and talent, build a strong talent team in various aspects such as joint combat command talents, new combat force talents, high-level scientific and technological innovation talents, and high-level strategic management talents, and better play the leading and supporting role of talents in liberating and developing new-quality combat capabilities.
Weapons and equipment are the material basis
“Pistol Battle Victory Sword”, this is the universal law of war. Weapons and equipment are the main symbol of the division of war forms, an important symbol of the modernization of the army, the material and technical basis of combat capabilities, and directly affect the level of combat effectiveness. In modern warfare, the influence of weapons and equipment on the outcome of war is becoming increasingly prominent. When the scientific and technological revolution comes, especially when a large number of scientific and technological innovation results emerge and are widely used in the military field, the emergence of new weapons and equipment based on these scientific and technological innovation results will bring about a revolutionary transformation of the weapons and equipment system. A new quality combat capability based on this new weapons and equipment system will also be generated, leading to the overall transformation and upgrading of combat capability Achieve a leap in combat effectiveness. It can be said that new-quality combat capability is the combat capability generated by the combined effect of various new types of weapons and equipment. Therefore, designing weapons and equipment means designing future wars, and weapons and equipment construction is a systematic project that integrates technology, funding, and management. Therefore, we must deeply understand and grasp the characteristics and laws of modern warfare, deeply grasp the contemporary connotation and characteristics and requirements of weapons and equipment construction, actively adapt to changes in the world, the times, and history, actively adapt to changes in science and technology, war, and adversaries, accurately identify changes, respond scientifically, and actively seek changes, accelerate the modernization of weapons and equipment, accumulate advantages in innovative breakthroughs, and compete with strong enemies in catching up Accelerate the development of new weapons and equipment to provide strong material and technical support for the liberation and development of new-quality combat capabilities.
Structural formation is the key bearing
Structure determines function, and function determines success or failure. The organic combination of war resources is the power source and amplifier for the exercise of power; whoever can combine combat elements into a whole that is more adapted to the new war environment can exert stronger combat effectiveness. Without the advantages of military organization, even with the most advanced technology and weapons, it is difficult to gain an overwhelming winning advantage. Especially driven by the collective explosion of contemporary science and technology, the liberation and development of new-quality combat effectiveness urgently requires profound changes and adjustments in the organizational form of the military, and promotes the integrated design, coordinated development, convenient flow, networked sharing, systematic integration, and efficient utilization of military talents, equipment, theory, technology, data, management and other factors, thereby greatly improving the efficiency of resource allocation. The main form of new-quality combat power is formed through the integration of network information systems. Moreover, the contribution of each combat element is no longer a simple linear superposition relationship. Comprehensive perception is the prerequisite, like a human eye; real-time accusations are the key, like a human head; precision strikes are the center of gravity, like a human fist; and full-dimensional protection is the foundation It is like a person’s self-defense; focusing on protection is the lifeblood, like a person’s energy supplement. Therefore, to promote the modernization of organizational forms and realize the scientificization of combat organization, we must shift from organizing according to the functions of the military services to integrating according to combat functions, and transform the combat system from integrating unit functions to aggregating factor energy. We must get rid of the model of simple superposition and mechanical coordination of combat forces “physical”, and instead pursue organic integration and efficient aggregation “chemical” Thus creating a new combination with new quality combat capabilities.
Education and training are the basic path
Dynamic evolution is the basic law for the generation of new-quality combat effectiveness. Without strict education and training, there will be no new-quality combat effectiveness. Education and training are the basic path for generating and improving combat effectiveness. They are the basic way to transform the potential combat effectiveness formed by personnel quality and weapons and equipment into real combat effectiveness. They are also the central link in liberating and developing new-quality combat effectiveness. When new combat equipment is put into service, people often only have a preliminary understanding of its new functions. Greater use value and stronger combat effectiveness must be discovered and explored in actual combat confrontation exercises. Compared with traditional combat forces, new-domain and new-quality combat forces have more complex combat platforms, more special energy release mechanisms, and more regulatory relationships involved in battlefield operations, requiring the mastery of new control techniques. Only when each position has skilled weapons and equipment control skills can it be skilled and courageous and maximize the effectiveness of the weapon system; only when each command personnel truly masters the method of close connection and smooth coordination of various systems and elements can they command and control with ease. Science and technology provide effective means of education and training, especially contemporary scientific and technological innovation, which promotes the closer integration of the two elements of people and weapons. Therefore, we must strengthen scientific and technological training, explore ways to empower military training methods such as “intelligence+”“network+”, strengthen simulation, combat testing, etc., and explore and understand the widest scope of battlefield application, the best formation and focusing method, and the greatest confrontation ability effect in adapting to the battlefield “game rules” from breaking to reconstruction Shorten the generation cycle of new quality combat power.
Strategic management is an important guarantee
“Hold the position and set your sights on it; hold the foundation and set your sights on it. ” The liberation and development of new-quality combat capabilities is a complex systematic project and an era project “starting with technology and achieving success through management”. Only by strengthening strategic management and grasping its inherent systematicity, correlation and coordination can we advance it as a whole, cultivate “one-finger Zen” into “iron fist”, and achieve twice the result with half the effort. On the one hand, liberating and developing new-quality combat capabilities involves many aspects, including military theory, organization system, weapons and equipment, talent construction, comprehensive support, etc. It requires integrating the wisdom and achievements of many related fields such as strategic experts, military experts, technical experts and engineering experts, so as to ensure the integrity of the multi-dimensional perspective and top-level design of problem research. On the other hand, the construction of new-quality combat capabilities has many types, a large time span, and wide resource requirements. It is necessary to properly handle the relationship between military demand and resource supply, near-term emergency response and long-term development, and local adjustment and overall advancement. In addition, the continuous emergence of new needs, new knowledge, new experience and new technologies will inevitably affect our understanding of new quality combat effectiveness. To this end, we must strengthen strategic management, follow the laws of technological development, and pay more attention to intensive and efficient development. Focus on improving top-level design, starting from different types of forces, tasks at different stages, and contradictions and problems, refine the specific development plan one by one, formulate and improve a clear development roadmap, and achieve precise planning, precise planning, precise deployment, precise implementation, and precise testing to avoid directional errors, structural chaos, and process loss of control; focus on making good use of incremental resources, integrating existing resources, and revitalizing idle resources, Improve the efficiency of resource utilization, transform resources into combat effectiveness to the greatest extent possible, prevent and put an end to inefficient, low-quality and low-level repeated construction, and ensure that the construction of new-quality combat effectiveness advances rapidly along the right direction and path.
Combat effectiveness is the ultimate determining factor in the rise and fall of an army. It not only affects the operational methods and actual effectiveness of armed forces, but also safeguards the survival, security, and long-term stability of a nation and its people. Advanced combat effectiveness is the latest viewpoint on combat effectiveness development put forward by our Party after President Xi Jinping’s profound exposition of the original and iconic concept of “new-type combat effectiveness.” In January 2019, President Xi Jinping pointed out at the Central Military Commission’s military work conference: “We must strengthen the construction of new types of combat forces and increase the proportion of new-type combat effectiveness.” Since then, President Xi has repeatedly discussed this important issue, emphasizing “building a powerful strategic deterrent force system and increasing the proportion of new-type combat forces in new domains” and “promoting the accelerated improvement of new-type combat effectiveness.” It is precisely on the basis of the practical experience of the formation and development of new-type combat effectiveness in our army in the new era that the new idea and new conclusion of “advanced combat effectiveness” has emerged. Advanced combat capability is a higher form of combat capability, led and supported by new-type combat capability. It emphasizes the large-scale, practical, and systematic application of new-type combat capability, focuses on theoretical innovation, intelligent enhancement, system upgrade, intelligence enhancement, and weapon and equipment upgrade. It also includes the upgrading and creative application of traditional combat capability. It is the evolution of the form, capacity expansion, and quality upgrade of new-type combat capability.
Advanced combat capabilities represent the development trend of military transformation, military intelligence, and military combat methods. They are a new growth point for combat power and a commanding height on the future battlefield. The “Suggestions of the CPC Central Committee on Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development” (hereinafter referred to as the “Suggestions”), adopted at the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, is based on the overall strategic situation of China’s modernization. It makes arrangements for achieving the centenary goal of the People’s Liberation Army on schedule and promoting the modernization of national defense and the armed forces with high quality. It proposes “accelerating the construction of advanced combat capabilities,” pointing out the direction and providing a benchmark for achieving the centenary goal of the People’s Liberation Army on schedule and further improving the quality and efficiency of national defense and military modernization from a new starting point. We must thoroughly study and understand the spirit of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, deeply comprehend the firm will and far-sighted planning of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core in building a consolidated national defense and a powerful army, and continuously creating a new situation in the cause of building a strong military in the new era. We must profoundly grasp the requirements of the times for accelerating the construction of advanced combat capabilities, actively seize the commanding heights of military struggle, seek new advantages in military competition, focus on advanced combat capabilities to think about reforms, grasp construction, and make preparations, promote the work of preparing for war in the new era to go deeper and more practical, and continuously improve the strategic capability to safeguard national sovereignty, security, and development interests.
Advanced combat capabilities are proposed based on a profound understanding of global military development trends, the leapfrog development of new-type productive forces, and the laws governing the modernization of the armed forces.
President Xi Jinping pointed out: “For a country and a nation to revitalize, it must advance in the logic of historical progress and develop in the trend of the times.” Advanced combat capability is an original and iconic concept of Xi Jinping’s thought on strengthening the military. It is a scientific deployment made by the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, which has keenly grasped the trends of world military development and the laws governing the evolution of warfare, deeply understood the new situation of efficient integration and two-way driving between new-type productive forces and new-type combat capabilities, and scientifically grasped the achievements, historical position, and mission of national defense and military modernization in the new era.
The development of the new military revolution and the evolution of warfare are powerfully driving changes in combat capabilities. In today’s world, a new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation is accelerating, and the new military revolution is progressing rapidly. Strategic high-tech fields such as artificial intelligence, network information, big data, blockchain, quantum technology, biotechnology, and nanomaterials are emerging in rapid succession. The widespread application of science and technology in the military field has profoundly changed the nature of warfare and combat methods, increasingly becoming a crucial factor in determining victory or defeat. The evolution of warfare is showing many new trends, with increasingly prominent intelligent characteristics. Some new technologies and equipment are creating a disruptive advantage over traditional equipment. New types of combat forces, represented by strategic early warning, information control, algorithmic attack and defense, and unmanned intelligence, are increasingly becoming important forces shaping the modern battlefield. Thanks to the rapid advancements in technologies such as artificial intelligence and military robots, the “autonomous capabilities” of weapons and equipment—including autonomous battlefield perception, autonomous combat decision-making, autonomous planning, and autonomous action—are becoming increasingly stronger, elevating them from “execution tools” to “intelligent nodes.” The deep integration of drones and artificial intelligence recognition technology has resulted in a “long-range pursuit” deterrent effect. The coordinated use of firepower strikes and cyberattacks is creating an integrated hardware and software offensive system with full-domain coverage. Driven by military intelligence, new types of combat capabilities are constantly emerging, with higher efficiency and superior quality. Advanced combat capabilities are increasingly becoming a powerful force driving the new military revolution in the world.
The vigorous development of new-type productive forces is driving the upgrading and improvement of combat capabilities. The generation and upgrading of any combat capability is the application and extension of productive forces in the military field under a certain social structure. New-type productive forces are advanced productive forces characterized by high technology, high efficiency, and high quality, with innovation playing a leading role. They represent the most active, technologically advanced, promising, and influential productive force in contemporary society. The rapid development of new-type productive forces provides advanced science and technology and a solid material foundation for the generation of new-type combat capabilities, while also providing the driving force and support for their upgrading and transformation, becoming a key variable in reshaping the form of warfare, reconstructing combat systems, and reorganizing command elements. New-type combat capabilities originate from breakthroughs in key common technologies, cutting-edge leading technologies, and disruptive technologies. They rely on emerging technological means and advanced combat concepts, fully embedding information technology genes and integrating into networked systems. Utilizing new technologies, new equipment, and new tactics, they enable military systems to exhibit new advantages such as strategic guidance, information empowerment, network aggregation, technological strength, and systemic energy release. With the rapid development and widespread application of new-type combat capabilities, the advanced combat capability form they dominate will inevitably emerge, becoming a powerful engine for promoting the transformation and development of modern military systems.
The significant achievements in national defense and military modernization in the new era have laid a solid foundation for advanced combat capabilities. Since the beginning of the new era, President Xi Jinping, based on the overall strategic situation of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the unprecedented changes in the world, has used the goal of building a strong military to examine and guide the construction of combat capabilities, promoting the vigorous development of all elements of combat capabilities. The reform of national defense and the military has been deepened, forming a new pattern of overall command by the Central Military Commission, combat command by the theater commands, and development by the services. New combat force systems, such as the military aerospace force, cyberspace force, and information support force, have been established and adjusted, achieving a holistic and revolutionary reshaping of the organizational structure and force system. The development of strategic emerging industries and new combat forces has been promoted in a coordinated manner, yielding a series of significant results. The modernization of weaponry has been accelerated, with new fourth-generation equipment, represented by new tanks, carrier-based aircraft, and fighter jets, being deployed to the troops. Major national weapons, represented by the “Dongfeng-5C” liquid-fueled intercontinental strategic nuclear missile, have been showcased at military parades. The first electromagnetic catapult-equipped aircraft carrier, the Fujian, has officially entered service. The strategy of strengthening the military through talent has been implemented in depth, and high-quality, professional, and new-type military personnel are rapidly growing. These revolutionary advancements and historic achievements in the new era have enabled new combat capabilities to continuously accumulate momentum and be optimized and upgraded from concept to planning to practice, providing a solid fertile ground for the birth of advanced combat capabilities through military practice.
Advanced combat capabilities possess distinct characteristics of the times, innovation, and dialectical nature.
President Xi Jinping pointed out: “The military must be prepared to fight, and all work must adhere to the standard of combat effectiveness, focusing on the ability to fight and win wars.” Looking back on history, our military has grown from small to large, from weak to strong, and has continuously moved from victory to victory. A crucial lesson learned is the consistent emphasis on combat effectiveness development, the dynamic upgrading of combat capabilities, and the measurement of development effectiveness using actual combat standards. With technological progress and the development of the times, the form of warfare is rapidly evolving, and the connotation, elements, and characteristics of combat effectiveness are constantly undergoing new changes. Only by actively adapting to the development trend of the military revolution and keenly grasping the pulse of the times and the strong demands of combat effectiveness evolution can we clarify what kind of wars we will fight and how we will fight them, anchor the logical basis of war preparation, and accurately identify the direction of the military’s combat effectiveness development. Advanced combat effectiveness is an important concept proposed by President Xi Jinping in leading the modernization of national defense and the military, based on building a new type of military force system, accelerating the construction of new-quality combat effectiveness, improving the quality and efficiency of winning battles, and fulfilling missions and tasks to a high standard. It possesses distinct characteristics of timeliness, innovation, and dialectical thinking.
Advanced combat capabilities embody the development direction of military intelligence. Currently, adhering to the integrated development of mechanization, informatization, and intelligence, with mechanization as the foundation, informatization as the support, and intelligence as the guide, is an important path for our military to advance modernization. Traditional combat capabilities are based on mechanical and chemical energy, emphasizing the superposition of personnel, weapons, and forces, and focusing on the struggle for physical space such as land, sea, air, and space. New-type combat capabilities, based on traditional combat capabilities, rely more on new energy sources such as data, algorithms, and computing power, emphasizing the implantation of data elements, algorithmic elements, and cross-domain elements, and focusing on defeating the enemy in emerging fields such as the network domain, information domain, and cognitive domain. Advanced combat capabilities adapt to the new trend of future warfare leaping from “energy-dominated” to “information-dominated” and then to “intelligence-dominated.” They not only focus on the “new quality” composition of combat capabilities and emphasize the leading role of new-type combat capabilities, but also focus on the “superiority” of the application effectiveness of new-type combat capabilities, giving full play to their scale, combat realism, and systemic effects, and emphasizing the use of military intelligence to transform the combat capability generation structure and continuously improve the intelligence level of combat capabilities.
Advanced combat capability signifies a comprehensive iterative upgrade of all elements of combat capability. Essentially, advanced combat capability is high-quality combat capability, driven by innovation, empowered by technology, and enhanced by intelligence, exhibiting prominent characteristics such as high intelligence, high technology, high quality, and high integration. On the one hand, advanced combat capability requires a comprehensive iterative upgrade of all constituent elements of combat capability, ensuring that the soul of military theory, the structure of organizational form, the core of military personnel, and the support of weaponry fully implement the principles of quality first and efficiency priority, promoting quality transformation, efficiency transformation, and power transformation, and driving the widespread penetration and deep empowerment of intelligent technology into people, weapons, and their integration methods, thereby generating advanced combat capability through comprehensive element optimization. On the other hand, advanced combat capability relies more heavily on the integrated linkage of the entire military system, transforming the way combat capability is released from “points” to “areas,” the presentation of effectiveness from fragmented to aggregated, and the human-machine relationship from “master-slave cooperation” to “intelligent symbiosis,” optimizing the entire military system’s output and release efficiency of combat capability, and using the “superiority” of the system structure to generate “strength” in combat capability.
Advanced combat capabilities embody a materialist dialectical approach to military thinking. Advanced combat capabilities are not fixed, static, or passive. They are relative, representing a lead over stronger adversaries, possessing a clear advantage of being one step ahead, one point ahead, and one unit faster than the enemy. Advanced combat capabilities are dynamic; all “advanced” capabilities are evolving, a process of advanced technology leading tradition and new technologies transforming old ones. Today’s advancement does not guarantee tomorrow’s, and temporary advancement does not guarantee permanent advancement. From the perspective of ultimate operational effectiveness, “advanced” capabilities necessarily mean high efficiency defeating low efficiency, high quality crushing low quality, and strong military intelligence surpassing weak military intelligence. Advanced combat capabilities possess agency, exhibiting initiative that is not subject to external control, the ability to leverage strengths and avoid weaknesses, and the flexibility, resilience, and dynamism to adapt to the latest military developments and changes in the war environment. The original and iconic concept of advanced combat capability creatively reveals the dialectical unity of advanced and backward, quality and scale, and initiative and passivity in the generation of military capabilities. It profoundly reveals the general laws of combat capability generation, development and leap, expands the new vision of military theory, deepens the new understanding of military theory, realizes the innovative transformation and systematic reform of the constituent elements of combat capability, and opens up a new path for liberating and developing combat capability.
The concept of advanced combat capability represents a breakthrough in multiple aspects of the history of military theory development.
Standing at the forefront of the times, President Xi has profoundly grasped the laws governing the military transformation and the evolution of modern warfare in the new era. He has made theoretical innovations in combat capability building, enriched and developed the Marxist theoretical system on combat capability building, promoted the theoretical innovation and transformation of the Party’s combat capability form, transcended the logical limitations of Western theories on combat capability generation, and achieved multiple strategic value breakthroughs in the history of military thought and the history of military theory development.
This has enriched and developed the Marxist theoretical system on combat capability building. Marx and Engels profoundly understood the intrinsic connection between military and political, economic, and other social factors, scientifically grasped the essence and laws of military activities, and emphasized that “the nature and type of armed forces, as well as their characteristics, equipment, and tactics, and the organization and training methods of the troops, depend on the level of development of productive forces, on the social system, and on the class structure of society.” They formed a theoretical understanding of the constituent elements of military combat capability and the laws governing their generation and development, providing scientific guidance for the proletarian party to build its own armed forces and improve its combat capability. President Xi Jinping adheres to the Marxist military view and methodology, based on the new characteristics of the times and the new realities of the PLA’s development, and has put forward a series of concepts and propositions such as “science and technology are the core combat capability of modern warfare,” “scientific military theory is combat capability,” and “new-quality combat capability.” He scientifically revealed the generation mode and evolution law of combat capability under the conditions of the information and intelligent era, leading the PLA’s combat capability to achieve a new leap forward and enriching and developing the Marxist military theoretical conceptual system.
This has driven the innovation and transformation of the Party’s theory on combat effectiveness. Throughout the history of building and strengthening the People’s Liberation Army, our Party has always attached great importance to improving the army’s combat effectiveness. During the period of the New Democratic Revolution, our Party raised the issue of “improving the combat effectiveness of the main force,” and in practice, maintained strong combat effectiveness through extremely insightful strategic guidance, flexible strategies and tactics, rigorous training, and courageous spirit. On the eve of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, Comrade Mao Zedong clearly pointed out: “The People’s Liberation Army will always be a fighting force.” In the new era of reform and opening up and socialist modernization, Comrade Deng Xiaoping pointed out that “the army must improve its combat effectiveness,” leading our army to continuously develop its combat effectiveness through streamlining, reorganization, reform, and strengthened training. With the continuous liberation and development of productive forces, our Party emphasized “using science and technology to promote training” and “using science and technology to train troops,” promoting new improvements in combat effectiveness. Entering the new era, President Xi Jinping scientifically grasped the trend of implementing the new development philosophy and developing new-quality productive forces, focusing on achieving the Party’s goal of building a strong military in the new era. Based on emphasizing firmly establishing combat effectiveness as the sole fundamental standard, he put forward scientific conclusions such as “strengthening the construction of new types of combat forces” and “fully liberating and developing new-quality combat effectiveness,” providing important guidance for the iterative upgrading of our army’s combat effectiveness. “Advanced combat capability” is a condensation, sublimation, and innovative development of the Party’s historical experience in building combat capability. It enriches the scientific theory of the Party’s military combat capability in the new era and has become a new concept and category with great guiding significance and ideological power in Xi Jinping’s thought on strengthening the military. It lays a solid foundation for the systematization, physics, and chemistry of the Party’s military theory in the new era.
This transcends the logical limitations of Western theories of combat power generation. Engels profoundly pointed out that “the entire organization and mode of warfare of an army, and the outcome of battles related to it, depend on material, i.e., economic conditions,” which laid the historical materialist methodological foundation for combat power research. However, for a long time, technology worship and the “weaponry determinism” were prevalent in the issue of combat power construction, leading to the misconception that combat power was only about “things” and not “people.” For example, the US military once used technological superiority to completely defeat many weaker adversaries, but its “military transformation” frequently fell into the logic of “replacing combat platforms” with old weapons. The concept of advanced combat capability, starting from the foundation of new-type combat capability, uses “new” to identify technological breakthroughs, “quality” to characterize qualitative changes in combat capability structure, and “combat effectiveness” to measure the effectiveness of combat capability construction and application. It strengthens the ecosystem of combat capability generation, integrates theory, data, algorithms, talent, and organization into the productivity and combat capability fusion system, shifts the focus of combat capability from weapons competition to system confrontation, reshapes the underlying logic of combat capability generation, and forms a combat capability generation theory with Chinese characteristics. It effectively gets rid of the misconceptions of combat capability generation such as over-reliance on technology and materials, and the separation of political goals from military means, and lays a solid foundation for building China’s independent military knowledge system.
Scientifically construct an advanced combat capability generation, development, and maintenance system
President Xi Jinping emphasized: “Improving the operational efficiency of the military system and promoting the high-quality development of our armed forces.” The theme of my country’s economic and social development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period is promoting high-quality development. This is not only an inevitable choice for developing new productive forces on the new journey, but also an inevitable principle for strengthening advanced combat capabilities. We must thoroughly implement Xi Jinping’s thought on strengthening the military, deeply understand the deployment requirements of the “Suggestions,” accurately grasp the phased characteristics of the next five years and even longer, highlight the theme of promoting high-quality development, consistently uphold and strengthen the Party’s absolute leadership over the military, advance political building of the military, reform and strengthening of the military, technological strengthening of the military, talent strengthening of the military, and rule of law in the military, uphold principles and innovate in the overall planning of advanced combat capability building, construct a modern military force system with Chinese characteristics, continuously improve combat capabilities, and enhance the strategic capability to safeguard national sovereignty, security, and development interests.
We must persist in promoting the high-quality development of all elements of combat capability. In future warfare, with the continuous strengthening of new domain and new quality forces and the rapid development of technologies such as unmanned and intelligent systems, combat capability generation will exhibit a trend of comprehensive upgrading, presenting new characteristics such as three-dimensional, mobile, and efficiency-oriented optimization. We must focus on the new trends in the development of warfare, accelerate the modernization of military theory, earnestly implement President Xi Jinping’s important expositions on combat capability building, analyze the winning mechanisms of informationized and intelligent warfare, and promote the flourishing development of core combat capability theories such as military strategy, operational thinking, and military modernization. Adapting to the significantly enhanced overall, coordinated, and complex nature of military system operations, we must ensure the implementation of reform tasks, continuously optimize the military force system, and do a good job in modernizing military governance to improve the efficiency of combat capability extraction and aggregation. We must combine investment in materials with investment in people, adhere to the principle of cultivating, evaluating, and utilizing talent from a political perspective, build a military talent pool adapted to the requirements of intelligent warfare, further accelerate the development of advanced weaponry and equipment, improve the intelligence level of weaponry and equipment, implement major national defense development projects, expedite national defense science and technology innovation and the transformation of advanced technologies, and develop and build more “killer” weapons and equipment capable of defeating the enemy.
Make good use of military intelligence as a powerful engine for upgrading combat capabilities. With breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, the trend of human society moving from informatization to intelligence is also reflected in the military field. The “mast” of military intelligence has appeared on the “sea level” of the evolution of warfare, and information warfare with intelligent characteristics is beginning to take shape. It is imperative to accelerate the coordinated construction and application of network information systems. Networks are the carriers and channels of information and intelligence; under modern warfare conditions, network information systems have become a core support. We must coordinate the construction and application of network information systems, strengthen the development and utilization of data resources, achieve interconnection and interoperability between combat units and various weapon systems, build a distributed, reconfigurable, and resilient combat network, and accelerate the improvement of network information system construction and service support capabilities for combat readiness. It is also imperative to build an intelligent military system, accelerate the transformation and application of cutting-edge technologies in the field of artificial intelligence to the military, accelerate the construction of unmanned intelligent combat forces and countermeasure capabilities, and enable military intelligence to better and faster integrate into, drive, and empower the system.
Cultivating the integrated development of new-type productive forces is the lifeblood of combat capability building. In today’s world, the technological revolution, industrial transformation, and military revolution are accelerating, and national strategic competitiveness, social productivity, and military combat capability are becoming increasingly interconnected, mutually influential, and mutually supportive. Promoting the efficient integration and two-way synergy between new-type productive forces and new-type combat capabilities is a fundamental requirement for achieving the unity of a prosperous nation and a strong military, and it is the lifeblood of accelerating the development of advanced combat capabilities. We must innovate the models of combat capability building and application, actively guide the direction of new-type productive forces and new-type combat capabilities according to the needs of military struggle, improve and perfect institutional mechanisms for demand alignment, planning coordination, and resource sharing, highlight the top priority of promoting strategic capabilities in emerging fields, vigorously promote the development and integrated application of new types of military talent, new types of combat equipment, new organizational forms, and new tactics, continuously consolidate the material foundation for social production to serve future warfare, accelerate the supply of new-type combat capabilities, and ensure that wartime military combat capabilities and social productivity are effectively focused and precisely released on the battlefield, so as to win future wars with a strong and sustainable overall national strength.
Emphasizing realistic combat training as a crucial lever for catalyzing combat effectiveness is essential. Realistic combat training serves as a bridge and means to achieve efficient integration of personnel, weaponry, and organizational systems. It possesses a strong capacity for integrating and transforming various resources and elements involved in combat capability generation, and is a vital pathway for generating, developing, and strengthening advanced combat capabilities. President Xi Jinping, with profound insight into the key to developing advanced combat capabilities, has called for “strengthening the consistency between combat and training, adhering to the principle of training guided by combat and promoting combat through training, ensuring training according to actual combat requirements, and achieving the integration of operations and training,” and “improving the level of full-cycle, refined training management,” thus pointing out the “realistic” path for generating advanced combat capabilities. It is necessary to deepen strategic and operational planning, solidly advance realistic combat military training, strengthen the integration of combat capability systems, innovate combat capability construction and application models, vigorously carry out modern training in conjunction with combat readiness building, joint exercises and training, and the application of diversified military forces, strengthen targeted and confrontational training, and continuously improve the combat capabilities of the troops.
(The author is a researcher at the Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era Research Center of the National Defense University.)
New-type combat capabilities are a completely new type of combat capability formed based on emerging technologies and operational concepts. With the rapid development of technologies such as artificial intelligence and big data, new types of combat forces are emerging in endless succession, growing rapidly in scale, and being widely and diversely applied, directly affecting and determining the quality and effectiveness of the generation of new-type combat capabilities. Understanding the inherent characteristics of new-type combat capabilities, grasping their generation mechanisms, and clarifying their development requirements are of great significance for accelerating the improvement of the construction level of new-type combat capabilities and ensuring that we can seize the initiative and gain the upper hand in future wars.
Recognizing the intrinsic characteristics of high-quality combat capability
New-type combat capabilities are a product of the development of warfare and technological progress. They aim for high efficiency and high quality, with technological innovation as their internal engine and leading lever. They are a new type of capability that drives and leverages the leapfrog development of all elements of advanced combat capabilities.
Strengthening the system. New-type combat capability is a new type of combat capability generated by changes in the constituent elements of combat capability. Driven by intelligent technology, the constituent elements of new-type combat capability are constantly expanding, including not only traditional elements but also new elements such as information networks, data resources, and intelligent algorithms. The generation of new-type combat capability has expanded from the traditional approach of improving the performance of individual weapon and equipment platforms through the input of human and material resources to the methods of self-overlapping or mutual overlapping of new and traditional elements, and new elements empowering traditional elements, bringing about a fusion transformation of the entire combat system. This “system empowerment” leads to qualitative changes in the quality, scale, and function of “lethality.”
Deepening human-computer interaction. The means, methods, and effects of combining humans with weaponry directly affect the quality and effectiveness of combat capability formation. Developing new types of combat capabilities can guide the optimal combination of humans and weaponry, and this combination, in turn, accelerates the development of new types of combat capabilities. With the deepening application of technologies such as large-scale models and parallel simulations, decision support systems are becoming more intelligent, weaponry performance is becoming more advanced, and human-computer interaction is becoming more convenient and efficient. Through high-intensity simulated training and combat-oriented exercises, the collaborative combat capability between humans and weaponry will be greatly enhanced, providing a driving force for the incubation of new types of combat capabilities.
Multi-dimensional Expansion. New-type combat capabilities are breaking through traditional land, sea, and air combat domains, continuously expanding into the far seas, polar regions, cyberspace, and electromagnetic domains, and deeply integrating from the purely physical domain to the physical and information domains. Through cross-domain interaction, various resources and potentials are transformed into real capabilities, aggregating combat energy from different dimensions to form a coordinated, powerful, and complementary combat system, amplifying the multiplier effect of new-type combat capabilities. Recent local wars around the world demonstrate that new-type combat forces, represented by strategic early warning, information control, algorithmic attack and defense, and unmanned intelligence, are showing tremendous power on the modern battlefield.
Grasp the mechanism of new combat capability generation
The mechanism for generating new-type combat power is to solidify the foundation of combat power through revolutionary enhancement of basic element capabilities, to connect the combat power release chain through cross-domain integration of new elements, and to promote the emergence of combat power through networked and innovative configuration of all elements, thereby achieving a significant improvement in all-element combat power.
Revolutionary enhancements to fundamental capabilities are crucial for building a solid foundation for new-type combat power. People, weaponry, and the integration of people and weaponry are the three basic elements constituting combat power. Under new historical conditions, revolutionary enhancements to these fundamental capabilities are a vital foundation for forming new-type combat power. People are the most active and dynamic element of combat power. Currently, officers and soldiers possess diverse knowledge structures, strong learning and acceptance abilities, higher levels of thinking, more refined professional skills, and stronger innovation capabilities, making them the creators driving the generation of new-type combat power. Weaponry is the material carrier of new-type combat power. With the development of advanced military technologies, the emergence of various new types of weaponry, such as ultra-long-range, precision, intelligent, and stealthy weapons, forms the hardware foundation for generating new-type combat power. The integration of people and weaponry is the engine driving the generation of combat power. In intelligent warfare, weapons and equipment are not only tools in the hands of military personnel, but also an integral part of military personnel. Under a more scientific system and organizational structure, more precise management and support, and more advanced command and control, combat effectiveness is enhanced through human-machine interaction, human-machine collaboration, and human-machine integration.
By integrating new elements across domains, we can connect the chains for releasing new combat capabilities. The characteristics of generating and releasing new combat capabilities are the seamless and rapid integration of these chains. Promoting the comprehensive release of new combat capabilities requires focusing on new combat capability elements and new combat forces, accelerating the closure of single chains such as intelligence chains, command chains, lethality chains, and support chains, and the integration of multiple chains. On the one hand, new elements drive the high-quality closure of single chains. New elements such as data, algorithms, and networks are integrated into traditional combat chains. Through organic combination with traditional combat forces and elements, they optimize chain construction, resource allocation, and capability matching, shortening chain closure time and improving chain operational efficiency, thus providing new growth points for the generation of new combat capabilities. On the other hand, new force elements expand the hinges of multi-link collaborative systems. By using new force elements to remove bottlenecks in multi-link connections and increase the number of nodes for multi-link integration, various resources and potentials can be connected through cross-domain link closures. This aggregates the operational energy advantages of different dimensions, creating a joint combat system with interconnected, networked, deeply hinged, and collaboratively operating multi-link systems, thereby promoting the full release of new combat capabilities.
Achieving a new type of combat capability network through innovative configuration of all elements. The generation and development of new-type combat capabilities involves multiple aspects, including technological innovation, theoretical innovation, and institutional and mechanism innovation. To advance the construction of new-type combat capabilities, it is necessary to grasp the development characteristics of cross-integration and mutual support among different fields and technologies, focus on the innovative configuration of combat capability elements, optimize the configuration structure of combat capability elements, and improve the configuration mechanism of combat capability elements, so as to promote the formation of a situation of breakthroughs in multiple points and collective emergence. We must rely on an intelligent combat management system that enables real-time situational awareness, efficient information processing, rapid and autonomous decision-making, precise coordinated operations, and automatic control of weapons and equipment. This system will allow combat elements to be “plug and play” and “dynamically reconfigured,” rapidly forming a structure that conforms to battlefield realities and combat missions. It will ensure the rapid integration of combat methods, the rapid formation of combat forces, the rapid execution of combat actions, and the rapid delivery of combat resources. This will foster new efficiencies in command and control, precision strikes, and information offense and defense, significantly improving the efficiency of combat power generation and forming a new type of combat power network that is reconfigurable in resources, adaptable in links, and fully covers capabilities.
Clarify the requirements for the development of new-type combat capabilities
New-type combat capabilities are the result of revolutionary breakthroughs in military technology and profound changes in the combat capability generation model. They have both the characteristics and laws of traditional combat capability generation, as well as their unique essential attributes and generation methods. We should deeply grasp the dialectical relationship and internal logic of their generation and development, and clarify their development requirements.
Efforts should be focused on the integration of traditional and new combat capabilities. Traditional combat capabilities are the prerequisite and foundation for the formation and development of new-type combat capabilities, while new-type combat capabilities are the integration and upgrading of traditional combat capabilities. Vigorously developing new-type combat capabilities does not mean completely abandoning traditional combat capabilities; on the contrary, the stronger traditional combat capabilities are, the better new-type combat capabilities can develop. On the one hand, we should closely follow the trends of technological development and changes in the form of warfare, study new mechanisms, grasp new characteristics, plan and lay out in a forward-looking manner, accelerate the systematic construction of new-type weapons and equipment, accelerate the improvement of military personnel’s ability to apply new-type capabilities, scientifically increase the proportion of new-type combat forces in new domains, and expand new tracks for the generation of new-type combat capabilities. On the other hand, we should firmly safeguard the fundamental strength and base of traditional combat capabilities, give full play to the advantages of traditional equipment, mechanisms and technologies, and accumulate strength in connecting new equipment, integrating new mechanisms and aggregating new technologies, so as to achieve a high-low combination, tiered connection and mutual promotion of “new” and “old” to enhance overall combat capabilities.
Seeking practical results in “element integration.” Technological innovation is a core element in developing new-type combat capabilities, but it is not the only one. Vigorously developing new-type combat capabilities requires not only occupying the high ground of technological innovation but also emphasizing the integrated and coordinated development of technology with systems, management, and other elements. On the one hand, we should highlight the “driving and leading” role of technological innovation, fully strengthen our confidence and determination in independent innovation, target cutting-edge fields, accelerate research on the military applications of new and disruptive technologies, and accurately identify the “key points” and “catalytic domains” that technological innovation empowers combat patterns and weaponry. On the other hand, we must pay attention to the “integration and coordination” effect of multiple elements. We must fully recognize the role and status of both technological and non-technical factors in promoting the formation and development of new combat capabilities, and focus on using technological breakthroughs to drive the upgrading of tactics and methods, the optimization of combat forces, the improvement of management mechanisms and support models, and systematically promote the comprehensive and balanced development of new combat capabilities through the integration and coordination of multiple factors.
We must maintain our momentum in the “fast and slow combination.” The formation and development of new-type combat capabilities is a long-term process, characterized by inheritance and gradualism. It requires a balanced approach, considering the relationships between primary and secondary priorities, immediate needs and long-term development, and effectively employing a “fast and slow combination.” On the one hand, we should emphasize the creation of asymmetric “speed.” We must closely follow the evolution of warfare and advancements in military technology, closely monitor the development trends of adversaries’ weaponry and combat styles, target their vital weaknesses, quickly identify the “window of opportunity” for creating asymmetric advantages with new-domain, new-type forces, accelerate forward-looking planning and transformation, and strive to create “trump cards” in weaponry to achieve leapfrog development in combat capabilities. On the other hand, we must focus on achieving high-quality “stability.” With a view to matching national strategic needs and aligning with the war preparation process, we must adhere to starting from the actual war situation, scientifically and rationally formulate top-level plans for the development of new-type combat capabilities, highlight the tackling of key issues such as technological shortcomings and capability weaknesses that have long constrained the generation of combat capabilities, lay a solid foundation for the development of new-type combat capabilities, provide development conditions, accumulate development momentum, and promote the high-quality and steady development of new-type combat capabilities.
(Author’s affiliation: Strategic Assessment and Consulting Center, Academy of Military Science)
Editor’s Note: In today’s world, war looms large, with open and covert conflicts erupting one after another, revealing new connotations of war. The theory of war discusses the superstructure of violence, taking conflict as its object of study, exploring the roots, purposes, forms, and methods of political, military, economic, and social conflicts; the theory of violence studies the means and behavioral basis of war, taking confrontation as its object of study, exploring the nature, forms, laws, and violence of weapons and their use in confrontation. The theory of war is supported by the theory of violence, and the theory of violence is guided by the theory of war; the two complement each other, driving the evolution of the art of war. On July 24th of this year, this journal published Professor Lin Dong’s article “Comprehensive War Changes the Form of Conflict,” proposing a new theory of war. Here, this journal has invited Professor Lin Dong to write another article, “War Violence: From Annihilating the Enemy to Dominating the Enemy,” elaborating on the new theory of violence corresponding to the new theory of war, for our readers.
War is the highest form of violence, and violence is its most essential characteristic. As humanity entered the 21st century, driven by both technological advancements and pressing needs, war and violence entered a more advanced stage—the era of dominant violence.
1. The inevitability of the shift in war violence from annihilating the enemy to dominating the enemy
In the 21st century, information and intelligent technologies are reshaping the space and means of violence in warfare, triggering a differentiation in the application of violence. While novice war players are still reveling in the ever-evolving violence of conquering cities and territories, skilled war players have already devised new forms of violence that allow them to manipulate the enemy without firing a single shot. Once the opponent falls into the trap of being controlled, no matter how many battles they win, it will all be in vain, ultimately returning them to square one, or even leading to utter ruin.
The purpose of dominating violence is to enable oneself to strike the enemy and render their strikes ineffective. The ultimate goal of victory, pursued by both sides in war throughout history—to subdue the enemy without being subdued—is characterized by the asymmetry of violent confrontation. Information and intelligent technologies have solved the complexities of controllable and coordinated warfare, making war no longer like it was during World War II, where “the war machine, once started, was difficult to stop.” Violence has become a political tool that can be manipulated and used with ease. Especially under informationized and intelligent conditions, the controllability and deprivation of violence in war provide the conditions for dominating violence. The side possessing advanced technology can dominate the battlefield and control the course of war through non-contact warfare, achieving its war objectives by deterring, dismantling, and dismantling the enemy’s tools of violence. Thus, violent confrontation manifests as the deprivation or restraint of the opponent’s violence, allowing oneself to successfully evade enemy attacks.
The essence of dominating violence lies in the shift from annihilating the enemy to dominating the enemy, a shift determined by the emphasis on economic objectives in modern warfare. Engels pointed out, “Violence is merely a means; on the contrary, economic interests are the ends. The ends are far more ‘fundamental’ than the means used to achieve them.” Fundamentally, modern warfare pursues social values and economic interests, leading to the expansion of war violence from direct to indirect violence. Simply put, victory can be achieved without physically destroying the enemy. Firstly, it involves the precise use and control of violence. The controllability of violence is developing towards precision, which is not only a political necessity to reduce collateral damage but also an economic necessity to lower the cost of war. It is also a requirement for quickly controlling the battlefield, effectively dominating the enemy, and seizing victory—a distinctive feature of modern warfare. Secondly, it has evolved from inflicting violence to deterring violence. Traditional violent confrontation emphasizes victory through battlefield combat, while dominating violence seeks to deter and dismantle the effectiveness of enemy violence. By displaying force and refusing the enemy’s use of force, it instills fear of war or renders the war machine inoperable, thereby achieving war objectives with minimal use of violence. Currently, the US military’s concepts of deterrence warfare and decapitation strikes are based on this idea. Thirdly, bloodless violence is comparable to bloody violence. The greatest advantage of bloodless violence is that it not only significantly reduces the cost of using violence but also increases the asymmetry of its use, leading to unexpected changes in the course of battle.
The dominant principle governing violence has shifted from the traditional greater use of violence to the optimal use of violence, leading to a decrease in the brutality of war. Since the end of the Cold War, casualties in modern warfare have decreased dramatically. From the Gulf War to the Iraq War, the total number of deaths on both sides dropped from less than 100,000 to less than 20,000, while the Vietnam War saw nearly 1.7 million deaths. However, the driving force behind this sharp decline in war casualties is not a decrease in the lethality of war, but rather strategic needs, primarily economic needs, as the economy has always been the root of war. Taking the Iraq War as an example, the United States sought oil resources; therefore, its purpose in launching the war was to establish an Iraq that aligned with American interests. “Destroying” Iraq or plunging it into chaos would only exacerbate the destructive nature of the war, increase the cost of post-war reconstruction, and amplify hostility, making post-war stability maintenance more difficult. Simultaneously, the overall decline in the brutality of war is also attributed to the progress in the world’s moral views on war since World War II, resulting in restrictions on the use of violence in war, with media playing a role in public opinion oversight. Thus, the violence of war was precisely used and released after precise planning and design. Unprecedented high-intensity military strikes could be carried out under the principle of minimizing (sufficient) collateral damage and not causing large-scale casualties. Instead of causing mass casualties among the enemy, the strikes quickly rendered the enemy unable to resist, which is equivalent to turning surgical strikes into minimally invasive surgery to reduce the aftereffects of war.
2. Dominating the enemy’s thinking is becoming the direct course of war.
Dominating the enemy evolved from deterring the enemy, but it is not a new concept. From Sun Tzu’s “the best strategy is to subdue the enemy by their plans” to the tactics of “leading the enemy by the nose,” there is a wealth of ideas about domination. However, in the past, due to a lack of weapons and technology, dominating the enemy was indirect. Today, the informatization and intelligentization of weapons are transforming the idea of dominating the enemy into a direct approach to warfare.
Lethal violence plays a dominant role in military force, exhibiting a dual-track pattern of bloodshed and non-bloodshed in manned combat spaces, moving from physically eliminating the enemy to dominating them physiologically and psychologically. From cold weapons to firearms, all are physical violence that injures the body, belonging to the category of bloodshed violence. After carpet bombing reached its peak, it was constrained by the laws of war, shifting towards precision strikes to reduce unnecessary casualties. At the same time, demonstrating force remains an effective political tool; nuclear deterrence acts as a strategic stabilizer, and precision strikes enhance the effectiveness of conventional deterrence. However, precision violence is not “merciful violence,” and battlefield pressure is greater than ever before.
During World War I, biological and chemical weapons emerged, with bacteriological and chemical warfare entering the battlefield, causing massive casualties and ecological damage, and were banned by the Hague Convention. However, since the beginning of the 21st century, hegemonic powers have continued to pursue biological and chemical warfare, and terrorism has used these weapons as the best tool of violence against humanity. Therefore, some scholars consider the 21st century the century of biological warfare. With technological advancements, the controllability of the lethality of biological agents has greatly increased. In 2002, Russia used biogas for the first time in the anti-terrorism battlefield during a hostage crisis, marking the entry of non-lethal weapons into conventional warfare. With the rapid development of non-lethal weapons, the focus has shifted from gunpowder-based killings to controlling and destroying biological (physiological) systems, thereby disabling combat effectiveness. In particular, non-lethal weapons are more cost-effective compared to lethal weapons such as aircraft, warships, and tanks. With simplified manufacturing techniques, olfactory weapons, rubber bullets, traps, biological reagents, stun grenades, and laser blinding weapons have been deployed, driving lethal violence towards a soft-kill approach. Modern deterrence warfare and effects-based operations demonstrate that making the enemy afraid to use weapons or unable to use weapons on the battlefield can lead to easier victories. During the Iraq War, the United States successfully used deterrence warfare to intimidate and deceive Saddam Hussein, preventing him from using the Scud missiles that posed a threat to U.S. forces.
Intelligent warfare is shifting from force-intensive to weapon-intensive battlefields. Higher-dimensional spaces such as cyberspace, outer space, and electromagnetic spectrum are replacing land, sea, and air as the dominant operational spaces. These spaces are nearly unmanned, and with massive political, economic, and military critical infrastructure such as oil pipelines, storage facilities, and transportation hubs becoming the focus of attack, weapons of mass destruction are breaking free from the constraints of manned battlefields and turning towards destroying weapon systems and combat platforms. This shift from lethal violence to destructive violence has led to an unlimited increase in war violence. From the Gulf War to the Iraq War, the US military used cluster bombs and depleted uranium munitions to strike Iraqi military and political infrastructure and armored convoys, breaking the nuclear threshold to some extent and opening a new direction for the development of weapons of mass destruction. From the US military’s use of graphite bombs to attack urban power systems in the Kosovo War to the damage and paralysis of Iranian nuclear facilities by a virus attack, electromagnetic pulse weapons, space weapons, and cyber weapons have demonstrated enormous power. Although destructive weapons are strictly controlled and do not directly target humans, they aim to destroy operational systems, infrastructure, and even the enemy’s survival environment, thereby forcing the enemy to submit. What warrants particular attention is that nuclear strikes, restricted by the laws of war, are moving away from cities and civilians, and even densely populated manned battlefields, but are shifting towards sparsely populated unmanned battlefields, such as space, the deep sea, and isolated islands.
With the development of informatization and intelligentization, the information and cognitive domains have become new battlegrounds for penetrating the economy and society. Information tools and cognitive tools have naturally become new tools of violence, mainly manifested in the forms of cyber violence, economic violence, and cultural violence, which have emerged rapidly and forcibly altered the judgments, positions, and decisions of adversaries at the strategic and social levels. Cyber warfare involves artificially creating false data or tampering with big data to induce adversaries to make incorrect judgments and decisions; economic violence has evolved into economic sanctions, financial warfare, and technological decoupling warfare, attacking adversaries’ stock markets and banking systems, disrupting adversaries’ supply chains through legal and coercive commercial means, and hindering adversaries’ development and innovation; cultural violence leverages digital networks to push traditional public opinion warfare into public diplomacy and global media warfare, thereby influencing the positions of the international community and the global public.
In short, in the era of dominant violence, the violence of war has shifted, expanding from lethal violence to destructive and coercive violence.
3. Just wars and unjust wars follow different paths of dominant violence.
In the 21st century, the violent nature of war has not changed; violence remains the primary act of war, and without violence, there can be no war. In the era of cold weapons, violence manifested as the clash of swords; in the era of firearms, it evolved into the smoke of gunpowder; and in the nuclear age, the violence of war has expanded infinitely. To this day, humanity as a whole still lives in a relatively peaceful era of insecurity under the threat of nuclear weapons.
Marx’s assertion that “violence is the midwife of every old society that gives birth to a new one” remains a tenet of just war. However, advancements in warfare and the globalization of warfare have elevated the structural transformation of violence in just war from a natural process to a conscious one. First, we must not allow the pursuit of efficiency in war to obscure our historical perspective, recognizing that only just war can achieve complete victory. Wars are always categorized as just or unjust, and informationized and intelligent warfare is no exception. Second, modern warfare practice has provided both tactical and technical lessons for promoting the development of just war theory and negative examples for political and strategic critique. A profound realization is that the US military’s promotion of low-casualty, low-cost warfare efficiency has given the world a strong impression of swift military victories. However, the US spent trillions of dollars on post-war reconstruction in Afghanistan and Iraq, yet still could not avoid the eventual withdrawal. Such lessons are ancient, and modern warfare continues to repeat them. The secret it reveals is that the pursuit of efficiency in informationized and intelligent warfare has not changed the fundamental principle that only just war can win peace. The U.S. military achieved military dominance through its superior combat power and, to some extent, economic dominance from before the start of the war until the end of the major combat operations. However, without just political leadership, its rapid victories based on information superiority were still short-lived, unsustainable, and politically unsuccessful military victories. Therefore, developing informationized and intelligent warfare along a just path is both determined by the political nature of the just side and a prerequisite for the just side to win.
Just wars differ from unjust wars, which are frequently waged for hegemonic gain. Just wars are typically acts of self-defense, driven by necessity, aiming to deter further and larger conflicts through a single act of violence, thus serving an educational purpose against violence. In 1958, the People’s Liberation Army’s shelling of Kinmen, evolving from all-weather attacks aimed at eliminating enemy manpower to shelling every other day, then to shelling without targeting individuals, and finally to notifying the enemy before shelling, represents a transformation from lethal violence to destructive violence, and finally to coercive violence. This served the war’s objectives of deterring, educating, and uniting the enemy, fully demonstrating the wisdom and courage of just wars. The view of violence in just wars can be summarized by “one central principle and two basic points”—the central principle is using just violence to curb unjust violence. This is fundamentally different from the pursuit of maximizing violence and the inhumane tendencies of unjust wars. One fundamental point is the development of self-defense violence, advocating the development of weapons to destroy weapons. Dominating the enemy requires emphasizing the development of violence capable of stopping violence itself, expanding military force in a direction where lethality and destructiveness are controllable, moving from lethal to non-lethal, and from environmentally destructive to environmentally minimal. Another fundamental point is the forceful, justified, and restrained use of force, not seeking to maximize its use, but rather selecting the methods of its application to dominate the enemy, and defining the laws of force in its specific application.
A just war advocates using lethal and destructive violence supplemented by coercive violence, moving from focusing on destroying the enemy’s tools of violence to deterring and preventing the enemy from using them, demonstrating a higher level of dominance over violence. Fundamentally, a just war is about defending one’s own territory and maritime borders, and highly values the need for post-war environmental and social governance. It should be recognized that the US military dropped large quantities of depleted uranium, thermobaric, and graphite bombs in cities in Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, and Iraq, and established virus laboratories in other countries, causing long-term damage to urban environments and people’s livelihoods; its invisible destruction is enormous. Unjust wars, under the guise of reducing “bloodshed politics,” expand from inflicting external wounds to inflicting irreparable internal damage, abusing non-lethal violence, such as using audio weapons beyond reasonable limits, rupturing eardrums and causing hearing loss—more cruel than gunpowder-based killings, bringing terror rather than deterrence. Compared to the destructive and lethal nature of unjust wars, the violent structure of a just war is centered on coercion. First, we must strive to deter the enemy from launching its war machine, based on large-scale military declarations and pressure, demonstrating invincible strength and the determination to not withdraw until the objective is achieved. This will advance the deterrence strategy to a new level of dominance, showcasing the effectiveness of war preparations and deterring the enemy from taking desperate measures. Second, we must use limited lethal and destructive violence to prevent the enemy from operating its war machine, forcing it to abandon violent resistance. This method of depriving or hindering the enemy from using weapons is far less costly than destroying their weapons, more effective than destroying their troops and equipment, and more suitable for just wars. Third, we must use coercive violence as the main force, based on a protracted approach, and win an overwhelming strategic posture through flexible economic warfare, cyber warfare, and cognitive warfare.
Looking to the future, only just wars can bring about progress in the civilization of warfare. This is because the progress of the civilization of warfare depends on the warring parties’ understanding and choice of violence. History has proven that the dominant role of absolute violence in unjust wars is temporary and unreliable. While it provides conditions for the inevitable victory of just wars, the excessive abuse of violence simultaneously creates asymmetrical pressure on the just warring parties to exercise restraint. Therefore, just wars need to combine violence and non-violence to exert a dominant role, giving new support to the “inevitable victory of just wars” in the era of intelligent globalization. Just wars employ relative violence to achieve victory, aiming to create conditions for a political solution through limited but long-term military and economic control. This involves mobilizing the people of both sides and the international community to prevent the enemy from using the war machine, winning through containment, and containing through victory. It seeks to use violence efficiently and at low cost, achieving political victory with minimal casualties, minimal damage, and minimal cost.
(Author: Lin Dong, Professor at the National Defense University)
In the invisible dimension of war, a silent contest has been raging for a century. From the electromagnetic fog of the Battle of Tsushima to the spectral chaos of modern battlefields, from the rudimentary metal chaff used during World War II to the cognitive electronic warfare systems incorporating artificial intelligence, electronic warfare has undergone a magnificent transformation from a supporting role to a pillar of war. It is now deeply embedded in the “operating system” of modern warfare, rewriting its form and rules. It is invisible and intangible, yet it profoundly controls the lifeline of battlefield operations; it is silent, yet it is enough to determine the life and death of thousands of troops. The balance of future wars will increasingly depend on who can see more clearly, react faster, and control more firmly in this silent yet deadly spectrum.
In modern warfare, the field of electronic warfare is evolving rapidly. The electromagnetic spectrum is considered an important operational domain after land, sea, air, space, and cyberspace, becoming a focal point for both sides to gain comprehensive dominance in joint operations. As warfare accelerates its evolution towards intelligence, cognitive electronic warfare, which integrates artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies, is increasingly demonstrating its autonomous countermeasure advantages, becoming a crucial tool for paralyzing entities in the electromagnetic space.
New Needs of Intelligent Warfare
In informationized and intelligent warfare, information equipment is widely distributed, and unmanned intelligent equipment is deployed, making the battlefield electromagnetic environment increasingly complex. Due to the adoption of cognitive and adaptive technologies, radar and communication equipment are becoming increasingly resistant to interference, rendering traditional electronic countermeasures inadequate. Therefore, it is necessary to leverage artificial intelligence and machine learning to endow electronic warfare systems with the ability to self-identify threats, extract threat source signals in real time, quickly organize and analyze them, determine the threat level and weaknesses of the signals, and promptly and effectively counteract them.
The need for precise perception. In modern warfare, to increase battlefield “transparency,” both sides extensively utilize electronic information equipment. Simultaneously, unmanned equipment and “swarm” systems are widely employed. On a battlefield filled with numerous information devices and massive amounts of electromagnetic signals, a single electronic warfare device may simultaneously receive radiation from dozens or even hundreds of other electronic devices, making signal identification extremely difficult. This necessitates that electronic warfare systems break through existing technological limitations, integrate big data analysis and deep learning technologies, enhance their perception capabilities, and comprehensively identify various electromagnetic radiation targets on the battlefield.
The need for intelligent countermeasures. Driven by emerging technologies, agile radar, frequency-hopping radios, and other equipment have been deployed extensively on the battlefield. These devices form a closed loop between transmission and reception, and can autonomously adjust their operating modes, transmission parameters, and waveform selection according to the environment, possessing autonomous interference avoidance capabilities. Traditional electronic warfare equipment, based on existing experience and pre-set interference rule libraries, has rigid functions and poor flexibility, making it unable to cope with emerging adaptive electronic targets. This necessitates that electronic warfare systems integrate intelligent algorithms to become “smarter,” possessing adaptive countermeasure capabilities of “using intelligence against intelligence.”
The need to disrupt networked systems. The winning mechanism of modern combat systems, when mapped onto the information domain, has spurred the networked operation of radar and communication systems. The aim is to eliminate the global loss of control caused by interference with a single device or part of the link through information fusion and redundant design, leveraging the resilience of the network system. Faced with networked information systems, electronic warfare systems need to embed intelligent countermeasure analysis and reasoning technologies, possessing the ability to effectively identify networked information systems in order to discover key nodes and critical parts, and implement targeted, integrated hardware and software attacks.
A New Transformation Driven by Digital Intelligence
Cognitive electronic warfare can be considered a combination of electronic warfare and artificial intelligence. It is a new generation of electronic warfare systems with autonomous perception, intelligent decision-making, and adaptive jamming capabilities, representing a major upgrade to traditional electronic warfare.
The shift from human to machine cognition. Advances in modern electronic technology have enabled electronic information equipment to offer diverse functions and multiple modes. Traditional electronic warfare systems rely on manually analyzed threat databases for countermeasures, which are only effective against known signal patterns and become significantly less effective against unknown threats. Cognitive electronic warfare systems, through autonomous interactive swarm learning and intelligent algorithms, can quickly intercept and identify signal patterns, analyze changing patterns, make autonomous decisions based on changes in the electromagnetic environment, optimize interference signal waveforms, and autonomously complete the operational cycle of “observation-judgment-decision-action.”
The focus is shifting from precision-driven to data-driven. Electronic warfare systems rely on the measurement and sensing of electronic signals as their fundamental premise. However, with the rise of new technologies, the sensitivity and resolution of these systems are approaching their limits, hindering their development and upgrades. Recognizing that electronic warfare systems can break through traditional models by utilizing big data analytics and mining large datasets can not only efficiently intercept and accurately identify unknown signals, but also predict the timing of frequency changes, mode adjustments, and power conversions. This allows for the correlation analysis of the electronic target’s operational patterns, enabling proactive adjustments to jamming strategies, rules, and parameters to conduct targeted electronic attacks.
The focus has shifted from jamming single targets to disrupting networked targets. Driven by network technology, new-generation radar and communication equipment are beginning to network, using system advantages to compensate for the shortcomings of single points. Traditional electronic warfare jamming relies on human experience and knowledge, lacking sufficient self-learning capabilities. It is mainly used to jam point and chain-like electronic targets, and cannot effectively jam networked targets. Cognitive electronic warfare systems utilize deep learning technology to perceive the network structure and operating modes of new networked systems such as radar and communication. Based on logical reasoning, it can identify nodes, hubs, and key links in the networked system, thereby implementing precise jamming and making it possible to disrupt the system.
New forms of structural reshaping
Cognitive electronic warfare systems, based on the traditional open-loop structure, introduce behavioral learning processes and reshape the modular architecture, enabling them to evaluate the effectiveness of interference and optimize interference strategies based on interference feedback, thus completing a closed loop of “reconnaissance-interference-evaluation” countermeasures.
Reconnaissance and Sensing Module. Reconnaissance and sensing is the primary link in electronic warfare and a crucial prerequisite for the successful implementation of cognitive electronic warfare. This module utilizes deep learning and feature learning techniques to continuously learn from the surrounding environment through constant interaction with the battlefield electromagnetic environment. It performs parameter measurement and sorting of signals, analyzes and extracts characteristic data of target threat signals with the support of prior knowledge, assesses behavioral intent, determines the threat level, and transmits the data to the decision-making and effectiveness evaluation module.
Decision-Making Module. The decision-making module is the core of the cognitive electronic warfare system, primarily responsible for generating interference strategies and optimizing interference waveforms. Based on the analysis and identification results of reconnaissance and perception, the feedback effect of interference assessment, and a dynamic knowledge base, this module uses machine learning algorithms to predict threat characteristics, generates countermeasures through reasoning from past experience, rapidly formulates attack strategies and optimizes interference waveforms, automatically allocates interference resources, and ultimately completes autonomous attacks on target signals.
Effectiveness assessment module. Effectiveness assessment is key to the closed-loop operation of cognitive electronic warfare systems, playing a crucial role in linking all modules. This module analyzes the target’s response to the jamming measures based on feedback information after the signals sensed by reconnaissance are jammed. It calculates and assesses the degree of jamming or damage to the target online, and then feeds the results back to the decision-making module to help adjust jamming strategies and optimize waveforms.
The dynamic knowledge base module primarily provides basic information and data support, including a threat target base, an interference rule base, and a prior knowledge base. This module provides prior information such as models, parameters, and data for reconnaissance and perception, decision-making, and performance evaluation. It utilizes feedback information for cognitive learning, accumulates learning results into experience, and updates the knowledge graph, knowledge rules, and reasoning models in the knowledge base, achieving real-time updates to the knowledge base.
New applications that enhance efficiency
With further breakthroughs in algorithm models and learning reasoning technologies, information-based and intelligent warfare will lead to more mature and sophisticated cognitive electronic warfare systems. Their role in empowering and enhancing efficiency will become more prominent, their application scenarios will become more diverse, and they will become an indispensable weapon on the battlefield.
Precision energy release for strike operations. Under informationized and intelligent conditions, the battlefield situation is presented in real time, command and decision-making are timely and efficient, and combat operations are controlled in real time, enabling precision operations to move from scenario conception to the real battlefield. At the same time, with the connection of cyber information facilities, the combat system has a higher degree of coupling and stronger resilience, becoming an important support for the implementation of joint operations. The cognitive electronic warfare system possesses high-precision perception capabilities and strong directional jamming capabilities. Through its distributed deployment across a wide battlefield, it can work in conjunction with troop assaults and fire strikes, under the unified command of joint operations commanders, to conduct precise attacks on key nodes and important links of the combat system. This includes precise targeting, precise frequency coverage, and precise and consistent modulation patterns, thereby blinding and degrading the effectiveness of enemy early warning detection and command and control systems, and facilitating the implementation of system disruption operations.
Networked Collaborative Swarm Warfare. In future warfare, unmanned swarms such as drones, unmanned vehicles, and unmanned boats will be the main force in combat, making the construction of a low-cost, highly redundant force system crucial for victory. Facing unmanned combat systems like “swarms,” ”wolf packs,” and “fish schools,” cognitive electronic warfare systems possess a natural advantage in evolving into unmanned electronic warfare swarms. Based on networked collaborative technologies, reconnaissance and jamming payloads are deployed on unmanned swarm platforms. Information and data exchange between platforms is achieved through information links. With the support of intelligent algorithms, cognitive electronic warfare systems can optimize the combination of jamming functions and dynamically allocate resources based on the battlefield electromagnetic situation. Based on autonomous collaborative guidance and centralized control, they can conduct swarm-to-swarm electronic attacks.
Electronic warfare and cyber warfare are two fundamentally different modes of combat. Electronic warfare focuses on low-level confrontation at the physical and signal layers, while cyber warfare focuses on high-level confrontation at the logical and information layers. However, with information networks covering the electromagnetic spectrum, the convergence of electronic and cyber warfare has become increasingly possible. Breakthroughs in wireless access and encryption technologies have enabled cognitive electronic warfare systems to infiltrate network infrastructure, achieving seamless integration of cyber and electronic space situational awareness and mission decision-making. By combining autonomous learning, pattern evaluation, and algorithmic prediction, a closed-loop system integrating cyber and electronic space perception, evaluation, decision-making, and feedback can be established, enabling integrated cyber and electronic warfare offense and defense.
Functional Orientation of the Modern Combat System with Chinese Characteristics
Key Points
● The coexistence, iterative development, dynamic evolution, and integrated development of multiple generations of mechanization, informatization, and intelligentization constitute the historical context of national defense and military construction in the new era, and also represent the historical position of building a modern combat system with Chinese characteristics.
● Traditional and non-traditional security threats are intertwined, and various strategic directions and security fields face diverse real and potential threats of local wars. This requires our military to abandon old models such as linear warfare, traditional ground warfare, and homeland defense warfare, and accelerate the transformation to joint operations and all-domain operations.
The report to the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China proposed that, standing at a new historical starting point and facing the demands of building a strong country and a strong military, “we should build a modern combat system with Chinese characteristics.” This is a strategic choice to adapt to the rapidly evolving nature of warfare, to thoroughly implement Xi Jinping’s thought on strengthening the military, to comprehensively advance the modernization of national defense and the armed forces, and to aim at building a world-class military. Among these choices, the grasp of the functional orientation of the modern combat system with Chinese characteristics greatly influences the goals, direction, and quality of its construction.
Seize the opportunities of the times and take the integrated development of mechanization, informatization and intelligentization as the historical orientation.
The combat system is the material foundation of war and is closely related to the form of warfare. In today’s world, a new round of technological and industrial revolution is brewing and emerging. Original and disruptive breakthroughs in some major scientific problems are opening up new frontiers and directions, prompting human society to rapidly transform towards intelligence, and accelerating the evolution of warfare towards intelligence. Currently, our military is in a stage of integrated mechanization and informatization development. Mechanization is not yet complete, informatization is being deeply advanced, and we are facing both opportunities and challenges brought about by the intelligent military revolution. The new era provides us with a rare historical opportunity to achieve innovative breakthroughs and rapid development, and also provides a rare historical opportunity for our military’s combat system construction to achieve generational leaps and leapfrog development.
A new era and a new starting point require establishing a new coordinate system. The coexistence, iterative development, dynamic evolution, and integrated development of multiple generations of mechanization, informatization, and intelligentization constitute the historical context of national defense and military construction in the new era, and also the historical position of building a modern combat system with Chinese characteristics. We should accurately grasp the historical process of the evolution of warfare, the historical stage of the combined development of mechanization and informatization, and the historical opportunities brought about by intelligent warfare. We must prioritize the development of military intelligence, using intelligence to lead and drive mechanization and informatization, coordinating mechanization and informatization within the overall framework of intelligent construction, and completing the tasks of mechanization and informatization development within the process of intelligentization. We must focus on top-level design for military intelligence development, researching and formulating a strategic outline and roadmap for military intelligence development, clarifying key areas, core technologies, key projects, and steps for intelligent development, and accelerating the construction of a military intelligent combat system. We must achieve significant progress as soon as possible in key technologies such as deep learning, cross-domain integration, human-machine collaboration, autonomous control, and neural networks, improving the ability to materialize advanced scientific and technological forces into advanced weaponry and equipment, and providing material conditions for building a modern combat system.
Emphasizing system-on-system confrontation, with the development of joint operations and all-domain operations capabilities as the core indicators.
Information-based local wars are characterized by integrated joint operations as their basic form, with network support, information dominance, and system-on-system confrontation as their main features. The combat capability generation model is shifting towards a network-based information system. Currently and for some time to come, my country’s geostrategic environment remains complex, with traditional and non-traditional security threats intertwined. Various strategic directions and security domains face diverse real and potential threats of local wars. Simultaneously, with the expansion of national interests, the security of overseas interests is becoming increasingly prominent, requiring the PLA to abandon old models such as linear warfare, traditional ground warfare, and territorial defense warfare, and accelerate its transformation towards joint operations and all-domain operations.
The report of the 19th CPC National Congress pointed out that “enhancing joint operational capabilities and all-domain operational capabilities based on network information systems” is a new summary of the PLA’s operational capabilities in the new era and a core indicator for building a modern operational system with Chinese characteristics. We should actively explore the characteristics, laws, and winning mechanisms of modern warfare, and proactively design future operational models, force application methods, and command and coordination procedures to provide advanced theoretical support for building a modern operational system with Chinese characteristics. Following the new pattern of the Central Military Commission exercising overall command, theater commands focusing on combat operations, and services focusing on force development, we should adapt to the new joint operational command system, the reform of the military’s size, structure, and force composition, highlighting the network information system as the core support, and building an operational system capable of generating powerful joint operational capabilities to fully leverage the overall power of the various services and branches. With a view to properly addressing various strategic directions and traditional and non-traditional security threats, ensuring the PLA can reliably carry out various operational missions, we should build an operational system capable of generating powerful all-domain operational capabilities, achieving overall linkage across multiple battlefields and domains, including land, sea, air, space, and cyberspace.
Focusing on real threats, the strategic objective is to gain an asymmetric advantage over the enemy.
The world today is at a new turning point in the international situation, with strategic competition among major powers taking on new forms and the struggle for dominance in the international and regional order becoming unprecedentedly fierce. The specter of hegemonism and power politics lingers, and some countries are intensifying their efforts to guard against and contain China. my country’s geostrategic environment is becoming increasingly complex, with multiple destabilizing factors, facing multi-directional security pressures, and an increasingly complex maritime security environment. All of these factors contribute to increasing the dangers and challenges to national security.
Effectively responding to real military security threats is a crucial strategic task in our military preparedness and a strategic direction for building a modern combat system with Chinese characteristics. We should focus on keeping up with technological advancements, vigorously developing advanced equipment, and striving to avoid creating new technological gaps with potential adversaries. This will provide solid material support for the construction of our combat system. Simultaneously, we must emphasize leveraging the PLA’s long-standing principles of flexibility, mobility, and independent operation, capitalizing on our strengths and avoiding weaknesses, targeting the enemy’s vulnerabilities and weaknesses. We should not simply compete with the best in high-tech fields, but rather focus on deterring the enemy and preventing war. We must accelerate the development of asymmetric counterbalancing mechanisms, strengthen the construction of conventional strategic means, new concepts and mechanisms, and strategic deterrence in new domains, supporting the formation of a new combat system with new deterrent and combat capabilities. We must not fear direct confrontation, preparing for the most complex and difficult situations, and building a combat system capable of providing multiple means, forces, and methods to address diverse war threats. This will ensure that, in the event of conflict, the comprehensive effectiveness of the combat system is fully utilized, guaranteeing victory in battle and deterring further war through war.
Promoting military-civilian integration and using the national strategic system to support winning the people’s war in the new era is a fundamental requirement.
The deepest roots of the power of war lie within the people. The concept of people’s war is the magic weapon for our army to defeat the enemy. Modern warfare is a comprehensive confrontation of the combined strength of opposing sides, involving political, economic, military, technological, and cultural fronts. Various armed forces are closely integrated, and various forms of struggle are coordinated with each other. The role and status of civilian technology and civilian forces in war are increasingly important, which further requires integrating the national defense system into the national economic and social system and striving to win the people’s war in the new era.
Leveraging the power of military-civilian integration to support the fight against people’s war in the new era with the national strategic system is a fundamental requirement for building a modern combat system with Chinese characteristics. We must deeply implement the national strategy of military-civilian integration, deeply integrate the construction of our military’s combat system into the national strategic system, utilize national resources and overall strength to achieve a continuous leap in combat effectiveness, and maximize the overall power of people’s war. We must focus on strengthening military-civilian integration in emerging strategic fields, actively seize the commanding heights of future military competition, and continuously create new advantages in people’s war. We must incorporate the military innovation system into the national innovation system, strengthen demand alignment and collaborative innovation, enhance independent innovation, original innovation, and integrated innovation capabilities, and proactively discover, cultivate, and utilize strategic, disruptive, and cutting-edge technologies to provide advanced technological support for building a modern combat system. We must also focus on the in-depth exploitation of civilian resources, strengthen the integration of various resources that can serve national defense and military construction, prevent duplication and waste, self-contained systems, and closed operations, and maximize the incubation effect of civilian resources on the construction of a modern combat system.
(Author’s affiliation: Institute of War Studies, Academy of Military Sciences)
Joint operations are the basic form of combat in modern warfare. They emphasize the strength of more than two services and arms and other participating forces, and jointly implement operations in multi-domain space under unified command. “Single domain” and “multidomain” interdependence and interaction in joint operations are a pair of important military categories. Grasping the relationship between single domain and multi-domain is the core content and key to solving the “internal interface” problem in the construction and application of joint combat forces. The relationship between the two should be viewed dialectically and correctly handled, and the winning mechanism of joint operations should be continuously enriched to promote joint operations. Really achieve cross-domain integration, energy gathering and efficiency improvement.
“Single domain” is the constituent element and development basis of “multi-domain”
Joint operations emphasize the formation of advantageous multi-domains based on advantageous single domains, and place higher demands on the coupling relationship between each single domain that makes up the multi-domain. The development of a single domain can provide a solid foundation for the development of multiple domains and create prerequisites for achieving cross-domain integration.
In terms of historical process, single domain to multi-domain is the process of domain expansion. Throughout human history, the wars of each era have applied the techniques of their own era, imprinted the imprint of their own era, and developed with the time and space of the war. War in the agricultural era, with cold weapons as the main military equipment, battlefield fighting is mainly limited to land and offshore waters. It is a lower-level “full contact” war, and the combat domain is relatively single, making early operations “loose” Joint characteristics.
Entering the industrial era, with the invention and use of steam engines and internal combustion engines, air combat weapons represented by combat aircraft appeared on the battlefield. The combat space broke through the limitations of land and sea areas, forming a three-dimensional battlefield between land, sea and air. The war turned “semi-contact”, making joint operations take on “cooperative” joint characteristics. Entering the information age, the combat space breaks through the three-dimensional geographical space and forms a multi-domain integration of land, sea, air, space, electricity, network, and cognitive fields, making joint operations present multi-domain “integrated” characteristics. With the development of single domain to multi-domain, single-domain control rights such as land control, sea control, air control, heaven control, and information control have continued to appear, and the subsequent importance of single-domain control has continued to increase, promoting the connotation of multi-domain control. Expanding and changing, the competition for comprehensive control has become the first priority in the confrontation between ourselves and the enemy.
In terms of development form, single domain to multi-domain is a process of clustering into a network. Restricted by technical conditions and other constraints, combat activities before the information age, whether in terms of battlefield time, battlefield space, or the deployment and use of combat forces, have clear sections between single domains and clear levels of action at all levels, showing a strong Sequential and progressive, showing a single-domain chain development form.
Entering the information age, under the full “adhesion” of the network system, the multi-domain force formation develops from “combination” to “convergence”, forming an elastic structure with spatial dispersion and deployment, time coordination, and multi-dimensional energy release. According to the battlefield situation and changes in the situation, combat activities use the network information system as a “link” to connect the “links” of the combat single domain into a “network” shape, forming the focus of similar strong points and complementary advantages, and realizing each single domain “shape and spirit gathering” and “gathering fingers into fists”, The transition from single-domain chain to multi-domain network was achieved.
In terms of performance index, single domain to multi-domain is a process of energy aggregation and efficiency. Both opposing sides in the war tried to exert their overall combat power in order to achieve combat victory. However, due to the clear boundaries and loose connections of each single domain in the past, improving the overall combat power can only be achieved through the linearity “superposition” of each combat domain. With the development of information technology and intelligent technology, especially the widespread application of information systems in the military, the network information system realizes the command and control of each single domain force and can seamlessly link each combat domain. Each combat force maximizes The advantages of spatial multidimensionality and power diversity have been realized, and the strength and strength of each single domain and each level have been realized The high degree of integration, multi-dimensional cohesion, overall linkage and integrated energy release in terms of means and actions has achieved the effect of complementary advantages, synergy and cohesion, which is conducive to achieving a comprehensive advantage or local overwhelming advantage over the enemy.
“Multi-domain” is the direction-dominant and powerful dominance of “single-domain”
The essence of the winning mechanism of joint operations lies in cross-domain integration to achieve excellence and efficiency, which requires that single domain and multi-domain must be functionally “unified in the same direction”. “Multi-domain” stipulates the status and role of each single domain in combat. Each single domain must start from the overall functional needs of joint operations, focus on providing the ultimate contribution rate to the combat system, and achieve synchronous cross-domain maneuvering, cross-domain coordination, and cross-domain strike, to achieve system advantages in overall confrontation. Currently, the multi-domain dominates and dominates the single-domain in the direction of forming a resultant force with the system mainly from the following aspects.
Transition of multidomain operational requirements to hybrid war threats. At present, conventional threats are expanding and unconventional threats are becoming new and present threats, with the boundaries between regular and irregular battlefields tending to be blurred, between combatants and non-combatants and between physical and virtual dimensions. Joint operations are still the basic form of operations, but specific combat styles show a trend towards combining multiple styles. Various threats from traditional or non-traditional, formal or informal, high-intensity or low-intensity exist on land, sea, air, space, electricity, network, cognition and other multi-domains. These threats add a new dimension to the concept of war. Therefore, it is necessary not only to do a good job in the fight against a single threat, but also to develop the ability to integrate into multi-domain operations to deal with hybrid warfare.
The focus of multi-domain operations shifts to the network information system. Several informatization local wars that have broken out in recent years have shown that no war, no alliance, no alliance, no victory, the network information system that condenses various single-domain combat elements has become the focus of operations, and the combat command information system that gathers the combat power of the network information system has become the main basis for military operations “nerve center” and has become the key point for opponents to attack. The degree of integration of command and information systems is getting higher and higher, and the command systems of each single domain must converge and move closer to the overall command system, so as to achieve system integration of various services and combat units and deep coupling of various combat elements. In line with this, the information domain, the cognitive domain, and the electromagnetic domain, as emerging fields of warfare, have increased in their core status and importance, and have increasingly become the core operational domains for opposing sides to compete for control, becoming capable of causing enemy “blind, incapacitated, and mentally retarded” key operational domains. Therefore, each single domain must strengthen its ability to organically integrate into the network information system within the framework of a unified standard system and achieve interconnection and interoperability between each single domain, so as to ensure that it provides basic support in multi-domain precision warfare and thus wins overall advantages.
Transformation of multi-domain combat forces into joint combat units. Integrated joint operations have the characteristics of platform operations, system support and tactical operations, and strategic support. Strategic-level planning, campaign-level command, and tactical-level operations will become the norm in future wars. Large-scale corps operations may become increasingly rare and will be replaced by joint battles more often on multi-domain battlefields. The joint combat unit will bring together various single-domain combat forces and cover various combat elements. The level of the joint is reflected in the tactical level, presenting an independent combat capability that includes early warning and reconnaissance, information support, combat command, multi-domain attack and defense, combat support and other elements. Joint tactical unit form. Each “single-domain combat force” has a closer coupling relationship, and its own characteristics and advantages will become more prominent.
Accelerate the expansion of “single-domain advantages” to “multi-domain advantages”
For the dialectical unity of a single domain and a multi-domain, we must not only see the unity of a multi-domain, but also respect the independence of a single domain; we must neither completely oppose the two, nor erase the connection between them. In view of the actual situation of combat opponents, combat environment, own strength, etc., and taking into account various political, economic, technological, cultural and other factors, we should accelerate the expansion of “single-domain advantage” to “multi-domain advantage”, so as to form an information advantage, decision-making advantage and operational advantage against the enemy.
First, we must consolidate and expand the advantages of single domain.“ Metcalfe’s law ” tells us that increasing a network entity is capable of producing nonlinear exponential convergence of the combat power of the system. Multi-domain operations are deeply integrated system operations. As the basic element of multi-domain existence, the strength of each single domain’s construction will definitely affect the effectiveness of multi-domain integration. The essence of forming a multi-domain advantage is to deeply aggregate the advantages of each single domain. It is necessary to continuously strengthen the construction of single domain capabilities to form a single domain advantage and limit the opponent’s strength advantage to the limit. In fact, consolidating and expanding the advantages of single domains is not only to enhance single domain performance, but also to serve the purpose of multi-domain convergence. Single-domain construction requires strengthening top-level design, formulating standards and specifications, and striving to overcome conflicts caused by different combat construction concepts formed by the unique combat styles and combat culture of different services. At the same time, it is necessary to coordinate all military construction resources and focus on the development of multi-domain combat weapon platforms to meet the overall needs of joint operations, rather than just the needs of each single domain itself.
Second, we must promote the achievement of cross-domain synergy. Cross-domain synergy emphasizes breaking the boundaries between services and arms and integrating combat forces across services, arms and institutions. Based on the network information system, the combat forces in each domain are distributed in a wide area, and the multiple domains are linked as a whole to complement each other’s advantages and increase efficiency, and quickly gather energy step by step, promoting the expansion of single-domain advantages into multi-domain integration advantages and system advantages, and forming a concentrated energy strike against important enemy targets. In “joint operations”, combat forces in various fields must not only have the ability to independently perform a variety of combat missions, but also need to use their own cross-domain perception, target recognition and strike capabilities to support or even directly participate in other combat domain operations.
3. “Flexible mobile combat application is required!”. The winning mechanism of joint operations lies in the rapid and continuous integration of multi-domain combat forces to form multiple advantages and immediate advantages in specific time windows, forcing the enemy into passivity, disadvantage and dilemma. For the use of single-domain and multi-domain forces, such as the use of fingers and fists, whether it is “pointing points with hands” or “clenching fingers into fists”, or even the mutual transformation and use in combat, we must adhere to seeking truth from facts and comprehensively consider the efficiency of combat effects. Scientifically make decisions based on factors such as efficiency and contribution to the victory of war, and effectively use troops according to circumstances, location, and situation. If the single-domain combat force can solve the problem well, it is no longer necessary to use multi-domain combat forces, thereby improving operational effectiveness.
The report of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China pointed out that it is necessary to “accelerate the development of military intelligence and improve joint combat capabilities and all-region combat capabilities based on network information systems”. Today’s “Liberation Army Daily” published an article pointing out that military intelligence is a new trend and new direction in the development of the military field after mechanization and informatization. We must develop intelligence on the basis of existing mechanization and informatization, and at the same time use intelligence to Traction mechanization and informatization to develop to a higher level and at a higher level. As a new combat field, cyberspace is a new field with high technological content and the most innovative vitality. Driven by military intelligence, it is ushering in a period of rapid development opportunities.
Military intelligence leads to accelerated development of cyberspace operations
■Respect the soldiers Zhou Dewang and Huang Anwei
Three major technologies support the intelligence of cyberspace weapons
Intelligence is a kind of wisdom and ability. It is the induction, cognition and application of laws by all systems with a life cycle. Intelligence is to solidify this wisdom and ability and become a state. A cyberspace weapon is a weapon used in cyberspace to carry out combat missions. Its form is dominated by software and code, and it is essentially a piece of data. The intelligence of cyberspace weapons is mainly reflected in the following three aspects:
First, intelligent vulnerability mining. Vulnerabilities are the basis for the design of cyber weapons. The ransomware that spread around the world in May this year took advantage of vulnerabilities in Microsoft’s operating system and caused a huge shock to the cybersecurity community. Vulnerabilities are expensive, ranging from tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars for a zero-day. The discovery of previous vulnerabilities mainly relied on experienced hackers, who used software tools to check and analyze the code. In the finals of the International Cybersecurity Technology Competition League held during this year’s China Internet Security Conference, participants demonstrated that intelligent robots conduct vulnerability mining on site, and then write network code through vulnerabilities to form cyber weapons, break through target systems, and seize flags. This change means that vulnerability mining has entered an era of intelligence.
Second, intelligent signal analysis and password deciphering. Signals are the carrier of network data transmission, and passwords are the last barrier to network data security. Signal analysis and password deciphering are core technologies for cyberspace operations. Breaking through signals and passwords is the basic path into cyberspace and the primary target of cyber weapon attacks. Intelligent signal analysis solves problems such as protocol analysis, modulation recognition, and individual recognition of signals through big data, cloud computing, deep learning and other technologies. Code-breaking is computational science “the crown jewel”. Through the accumulation of password data samples, intelligent code-breaking can continuously learn and find patterns, and can find the key to deciphering, thereby opening the last door of network data “safe” and solving network problems. Key links of intrusion and access.
Third, the design of an intelligent weapons platform. The U.S. military proposed the “Cyber Aircraft” project in 2009 to provide platforms such as tanks, ships, and aircraft for cyberspace operations. It can realize automatic reconnaissance, loading of cyber weapons, autonomous coordination, and autonomous attacks in cyberspace. When threatened, Self-destruction and removal of traces have certain intelligent characteristics. The weapons loaded by future “cyber aircraft” are not code compiled by software personnel, but directly based on the reconnaissance results to design intelligent cyber weapons on site in real time and achieve “ordered” development, thus greatly improving cyberspace operations. Targeted.
The intelligent trend of network-controlled weapons has become increasingly prominent
Weapons controlled by cyberspace are referred to as cyber-controlled weapons. They are weapons that connect through the network, accept cyberspace instructions, perform cross-domain tasks, and achieve combat effects in physical space. Most of the various combat weapons platforms in the future will be networked weapons platforms. In this way, the military information network is essentially the Internet of Things. Network entities such as uplink satellites, radars, and drones can detect, track, locate, and strike through the Internet. Space control, the intelligence of network-controlled weapons has flourished in battlefields such as land, sea, air, space and electricity.
In 2015, Syria used the Russian Robot Corps to defeat militants. The operation used 6 tracked robots, 4 wheeled robots, 1 automated artillery group, several drones and 1 command system. The commander dispatches drone reconnaissance through the chain of command to spot the militants, and the robots charge the militants, while accompanied by artillery and drone attack force support, delivering a fatal blow to the militants. It was only a small-scale battle, but it set the precedent for robot “group” operations.
Network-controlled intelligent weapons for sea and air battlefields are being developed and verified in large quantities. In 2014, the U.S. Navy used 13 unmanned surface boats to demonstrate and verify that unmanned boat groups intercepted enemy ships and achieved good results mainly by exchanging sensor data. When it was tested again in 2016, functions such as collaborative task allocation and tactical coordination were added, and “swarm awareness” became a distinctive feature of its intelligence.
Swarms of small and micro UAVs for aerial combat are also growing rapidly. In recent years, the U.S. Department of Defense has repeatedly tested the “Quail” micro-drone, which can drop dozens or even hundreds at a time. By improving its coordination capabilities when performing reconnaissance missions, it has made great progress in drone formation, command, control, and intelligence. Progress has been made in management and other aspects.
Space-based cyber-controlled weapons are becoming more and more “smart”. The air and space field mainly contains two types of network-controlled weapons: reconnaissance and strike. Satellites with various functions mainly perform reconnaissance missions and are typical reconnaissance sensors. With the emergence of various small and microsatellite groups, satellites have been made to exhibit new characteristics: small size, fast launch, large number, and greater intelligence. Small and microsatellite groups have greater flexibility and reliability when performing reconnaissance and communication missions, and currently the world’s satellite powers are actively developing plans for small and microsatellite groups with wider coverage.
Hypersonic strike weapons of all kinds cruised in the air and space, as if sharp swords were hanging over people’s heads. The U.S. Air Force Research Office stated that “high-speed strike weapons” will launch flight tests around 2018, and other countries are also actively developing similar weapons. The biggest features of this type of weapon are their high speed, long range, and high intelligence.
Intelligent command information system changes traditional combat command methods
Cyberspace weapons and weapons controlled by cyberspace are the “fist” of intelligent warfare, and the command information system that directs the use of these weapons is the “brain” of intelligent warfare. Cyberspace combat command information systems must keep up with intelligence simultaneously. process. At present, almost all command information systems in the world are facing the difficult problem of “intelligent lag”. In future wars, rapid decision-making and autonomous decision-making are required, which places higher requirements on intelligent auxiliary systems.
In 2007, the U.S. Department of Defense’s Advanced Research Projects Agency launched a research and development program on command and control systems ——“Project Dark Green” in order to enable computer-aided commanders to make rapid decisions and win opportunities. This is a campaign tactical-level command information system. Its research and development purpose is to embed the system into the U.S. Army brigade-level C4ISR wartime command information system to achieve intelligent command of commanders. To this day, the U.S. military has not relaxed its development of intelligent command information systems.
In cyberspace operations, the network target appears as an IP address connected to the network. The large number makes it difficult for manual operations to operate efficiently, and operations require the auxiliary support of intelligent command information systems. Currently, intelligent command information systems need to realize functions such as intelligent intelligence analysis, intelligent perception, intelligent navigation and positioning, intelligent assisted decision-making, intelligent collaboration, intelligent evaluation, and intelligent unmanned combat, especially to realize cluster combat control of unmanned network control systems, which has put forward urgent needs for intelligent command information systems and requires accelerating the research and development and application of corresponding key technologies.
To sum up, intelligent cyber weapons and cyber-controlled weapons, through intelligent information system scheduling, will form huge combat capabilities and can basically carry out all actions in the current combat style. In future wars, from the formation of command forces, to target selection, mode of action, use of tactics, etc., will all be carried out in an intelligent context. The characteristics of war “gamification” will be more significant, and the combat command method will also undergo major changes.
In the future battlefield, fighting courage requires more fighting “wisdom”
■Yang Jian and Zhao Lu
At present, the development of artificial intelligence has entered a new stage, and its penetration into various fields has begun to accelerate. As a result of this process, military competition among nations around intelligence has begun. Our army has always been a heroic and tenacious people’s army that dares to fight and win. In the future, we should continue to carry forward the glorious tradition on the battlefield. At the same time, we must more extensively master and utilize the latest scientific and technological achievements, develop more intelligent weapons and equipment, and develop more intelligent weapons and equipment. Take advantage of the opportunity to win on the battlefield.
Intelligence is a trend in the development of human society, and the war on intelligence is accelerating. It is thanks to successful innovations that go beyond the original architectural computing models, the gradual popularization of nanofabrication technologies, and breakthrough advances in the study of human brain mechanisms that the development of military intelligence has acquired a solid foundation. As a result, intelligent weapons and equipment have become increasingly prominent and are beginning to surpass and replace humans in intelligence analysis, combat response, and more. In addition, in terms of manpower requirements, comprehensive support and operating costs, intelligent weapons and equipment also have obvious advantages and are increasingly becoming the dominant force in warfare.
It has been proven that the development and application of intelligent weapons and equipment has expanded the scope of capabilities for military operations and greatly improved the combat effectiveness of the troops. On the battlefields of Afghanistan and Iraq, UAVs have taken on most of the operational support tasks of reconnaissance, intelligence, surveillance, and about one-third of the air strike tasks. In the past two years, Russia has also repeatedly used unmanned reconnaissance aircraft, combat robots and other equipment with a high degree of intelligence on the Syrian battlefield. Intelligent weapons and equipment are increasingly demonstrating important values that go beyond traditional weapons.
In future wars, the competition for intelligent combat systems will be the key to victory in master battles and peak duels. With the increasing imbalance in the development of military means supported by science and technology, whoever has the ability to implement intelligent operations first will be better able to take the initiative on the battlefield. The strong with the advantage of technological generation will try their best to The cost of war is minimized, while the weak will inevitably suffer huge losses and pay heavy prices. We must not only step up core technological innovation and weapons and equipment development, but also study and explore organizational structures, command methods and application models that adapt to the intelligent development of the military. We must also cultivate a team that can take on the responsibility of promoting the intelligent development of the military and forging intelligent combat capabilities. Talent team, give full play to the overall effectiveness of our military’s combat system, and compete with our opponents Win wars in a more “intelligent” way.
System “Gathering Excellent War” It is “systematic warfare in information warfare. It does not necessarily refer to a certain combat style, but is composed of multiple combat styles and tactics” “combination boxing”, or combat style group . Emphasizes that, depending on the combat mission, combat opponent and the changing battlefield situation, any appropriate means and style of combat can be used flexibly to form combat advantages as long as it is conducive to forming comparative advantages and achieving system victory. In the specific implementation process of “system-based superior warfare”, these specific combat styles and operational tactics can not only be organized and implemented separately as part of joint all-domain operations, but also emphasize fighting “combination boxing”, using multiple strategies simultaneously, and winning as a whole.
In order to better understand its core connotation, this article lists Nine typical combat styles including overall deterrence warfare, electromagnetic disturbance warfare, network penetration warfare, and cognitive control disturbance warfare And analyze . System “Juyouzhan” ――combination boxing that flexibly uses multiple combat styles“ 1. Overall deterrence war: Emphasis on multi-domain joint deterrence; Three elements should be present in the implementation of an overall deterrent war ; Strong overall strength is central to achieving effective deterrence 2. Electromagnetic Disturbance Warfare : The key to competing for information advantage; On the combined means approach, information empowerment is achieved through “connection + sharing” ; Crack down on effective tactics for unmanned cluster operations 3. Cyber-sabotage: Soft “kill” is the main focus, combining soft and hard, focusing on breaking the net and reducing energy failure 4. Cognitive scrambling: Control the cognitive power of situational awareness and compete for information advantage; control the decision-making power of command and compete for decision-making advantage; control “brain” power and seize the advantage of brain control 5. Agile mobile warfare: High-efficiency and rapid decision-making; high-efficiency formation of a favorable combat situation; high-efficiency and instant gathering of combat forces; agile mobile warfare is an innovative development of traditional mobile warfare 6. Swarm autonomous warfare: It is conducive to forming a system advantage to suppress the enemy; it is conducive to enhancing the combat effect; it is conducive to falling into the enemy’s combat dilemma 7. Point-and-kill War: Achieving an efficient cost ratio for operations; targeting key nodes is an important option; large-scale system support is a basic condition; it is inseparable from precise intelligence support 8. Supply-breaking: The supply guarantee chain has a huge impact on the overall combat situation; the center of gravity of the attack is a key node in cutting off the enemy’s supply guarantee chain; the focus is on choosing the right time and making full use of tactics 9. System “paralysis battle:” The objectives of the operation are to make the enemy combat system run out of order; to strike the key nodes of the combat system with heavy blows; and to carry out soft strikes against the enemy combat system For learning reference only, welcome to communicate and correct! Article views do not represent the position of this body The concept of combat was first proposed as a new combat style. Innovative combat styles are a core element in the development of combat concepts. It can be said that system-gathering battle is a general term for a series of specific tactics. The following nine typical combat styles constitute the tactical system of system-gathering and superior warfare. They are: One is Overall deterrence warfare, actively organize static power display and deterrence actions in system excellence battles, and strive to defeat others without fighting or small battles; Two is Electromagnetic disturbance warfare uses various combat methods and action styles such as electronic detection, attack and defense to disrupt, prevent and destroy the enemy’s electromagnetic capabilities, actively compete for the advantages of the electromagnetic spectrum, seize the right to control information, and then win the initiative in combat; Three is In cyber attack warfare, various means such as soft strikes and hard destruction are used to defeat the enemy’s command network, intelligence network, communication network, logistics supply network, and disrupt the enemy’s command and support; Four is Cognitively Controlled Disturbance. Form a controlling advantage in the cognitive space through information attacks, public opinion attacks, and brain attacks; Five is Agile mobile warfare. Quickly adjust the deployment of troops and weapons, quickly gather capabilities on the battlefield, and seize combat opportunities; Six is Swarm autonomous warfare. Extensively use unmanned combat methods such as “bee swarms”, “wolf swarms”, and “fish swarms” to independently organize actions and distributed attacks to achieve joint human-machine victory; Seven is Pointkill. Accurately obtain intelligence, carry out multi-domain precision strikes, strive to shake the overall situation with one point, and maximize combat benefits; Eight is Supply-breaking. Organize an elite force to attack enemy logistics supplies and equipment supply supply chains, supply lines and supply bases, defeat the enemy and lose supplies and withdraw from the battle; Nine is System “paralysis battle”. A variety of means, such as breaking the net, exercising, and hitting nodes, are used to interfere with, delay, destroy, or even paralyze the effective operation of the enemy’s combat system and weaken its functions.
1. Overall deterrence Overall deterrence warfare refers to actively organizing static power display and deterrence actions in the system’s battle for excellence, and striving to defeat others without fighting or small battles. Sun Tzu said: “Subduing one’s troops without fighting is a good thing.” Deterrence and war are the two main forms of military activity. And “deterrence” is mainly the act of showing determination and will to potential opponents by showing strength or threatening to use strong strength to deter opponents from action. It can be said that the overall deterrence war in the system-based battle of excellence is an important means or tactic to achieve the goal of “stopping” human troops without fighting. Clausewitz emphasized that the first rule of strategy is to be as strong as possible, first in general, and then in key locations. Modern warfare is system-to-system confrontation. The overall deterrence war under informationized local warfare requires not only traditional deterrence methods and capabilities on land, sea, air and space, but also new deterrence methods and capabilities such as space deterrence, electromagnetic deterrence, and network deterrence. It also requires an overall deterrence that shows the overall strength of the country. Especially with the rapid development of advanced technologies such as information technology, the technological revolution, industrial revolution, and military revolution have accelerated their integration, and strategic competitiveness, social productivity, and military combat effectiveness have become more closely coupled. Winning the information war is to a greater extent a contest between the will of the country and the overall strength of the country. To contain the war, we must first act as a deterrent to our opponents in terms of overall strength.
1.1 Emphasis on multi-domain joint deterrence Means of deterrence typically include both nuclear and conventional deterrence. In the “system-based battle for excellence”, the overall deterrence war is implemented, aiming to comprehensively use conventional deterrence methods across the land, sea, air and space power grids to achieve the purpose of deterrence. Especially with the application of information network technology and space and directed energy technology in the military, space, networks, electromagnetic weapons, etc. have become new means of deterrence. Space deterrence, It mainly uses equipment such as rapid response electromagnetic orbit weapons, space-to-ground networked anti-navigation and positioning service systems, large elliptical orbit laser weapons, and high-power microwave weapons to threaten and attack the opponent’s space targets and form a deterrent against enemy space information “interference blocking”. Cyber deterrence mainly uses cyberspace situational awareness and attack equipment to threaten and attack the opponent’s military network and other critical information infrastructure to achieve deterrence against the enemy. Electromagnetic deterrence mainly uses electromagnetic spectrum combat systems to threaten and attack enemy detection, navigation, communications and other information weapons and equipment systems to achieve deafening and blinding deterrence against the enemy.
1.2 The implementation of overall deterrence should have three major elements Implementing an overall deterrent war and achieving the desired effect of deterrence usually requires three main elements: One is strength. The deterrent must have the reliable ability or strength to frighten and fear the opponent; the second is determination and will. The deterrent party must dare to use this capability when necessary; third, to transmit information clearly. The deterring party must make the ability to act and the determination clearly known to the other party accurately and effectively.
Historically, the criteria for judging deterrent strength have varied in three main ways: First, the active military force; second, the combined national strength or war potential; and third, the total number of main battle weapons and equipment. For quite a long period of history, the number of troops was deterrence, and the strength of military strength depended directly on the size of the active military, the amount of vital weapons and equipment, and non-material factors such as the morale of the army’s training organization. After the twentieth century, with the expansion of the scale of warfare, deterrence power has become less limited to the strength of the military and the quantity of vital weapons and equipment, but is determined by the nation’s war potential, which includes economic power, scientific and technological power, energy resources, and even population size, among others. The overall deterrence war in the system’s “gathering and excellence war”, the formation of its deterrence strength is mainly based on the network information system, as well as the joint global deterrence capability formed under the integration of the system.
1.3 Strong overall strength is the core of achieving effective deterrence The development of information technology and its widespread penetration and application in the military sector provide favourable conditions for building overall strength and achieving overall deterrence. System “Juyouzhan” is supported by the network information system, making full use of the permeability and connectivity of information technology, not only integrating various combat forces, combat elements, and combat units into an organic whole, realizing the military system combat advantages, but also integrating Various fields related to war and national mobilization, such as national politics, economy, diplomacy, finance, transportation, and energy, are connected and integrated into the national war mobilization system Gather all forces and resources to form an overall synergy, realize the emergence effect of system capabilities, show the overall strength advantage, and form a powerful invisible deterrent of united efforts and sharing the same hatred Create a situation that makes the enemy “powerful but unable to act ”“able to act but ineffective”, and play a role in containing and winning the war. In the “overall deterrence war”, the scope of national war mobilization will be wider, not limited to a certain direction or region, but throughout the country and even the relevant regions of the world; mobilization time will be faster, and using networks and information systems, mobilization and action information can be quickly transmitted to everyone and every node at the first time; action coordination and synergy will be more consistent, and all forces distributed in various regions can be based on the same situation Under the same order, the operation is unified at almost the same time, which greatly improves the efficiency of operational synergy; resources are more fully utilized, and various war resources based on the Internet can quickly realize the conversion between peacetime and wartime, military-civilian conversion, and achieve integrated front and rear guarantees and precise guarantees.
2. Electromagnetic Disturbance Warfare Electromagnetic disturbance warfare refers to the flexible use of electronic detection, attack and defense and other combat methods and action styles to disrupt, prevent and destroy the enemy’s electromagnetic capabilities, actively compete for the advantages of the electromagnetic spectrum, seize information control rights, and then win operational initiative.
2.1 The key to competing for information advantage Informatization local warfare is highly dependent on the electromagnetic spectrum, the Control and counter-control of electromagnetic space have become the focus of competition for information rights. Organize and carry out electromagnetic obstruction warfare, mainly to destroy the enemy’s electromagnetic spectrum and protect one’s own side from destruction. The electromagnetic spectrum is the main carrier for transmitting information. The use of electromagnetic means to disrupt the enemy’s electromagnetic spectrum will effectively reduce the enemy’s information combat capabilities and enable our own side to ensure the rapid and effective flow of information in the scenario of ownership of information rights, driving command flow, action flow, and material flow through information flow, energy flow, and then have the dominance and initiative in combat.
2.2 The basic focus is to implement electromagnetic disturbance warfare in the battle to deactivate the enemy’s combat system. It is mainly aimed at the enemy’s dependence on electromagnetic space. At the same time, in order to ensure its own effective use of electromagnetic space, it organizes various electronic reconnaissance and interference, attack, defense and support forces to attack enemy communication networks, radar networks, computer networks and command centers, communication hubs, radar stations, etc Computer network nodes, global navigation and positioning systems, space link systems such as the “Heaven and Earth Integrated Internet”, and various other frequency-using weapons and equipment carry out interference and attacks, block and destroy their communication and data transmission, and destroy the enemy’s combat system. “Connection” and “sharing” structural center of gravity provide support for seizing information control and electromagnetic control from the root, thereby weakening the enemy’s command and control capabilities Deactivating and disabling the enemy’s entire combat system.
2.3 Crack effective tactics for unmanned cluster operations “Unmanned autonomous group operations such as swarms ”“wolves ”“fishes” are important features of information-based local warfare with intelligent characteristics. The various unmanned autonomous clusters are large in number, diverse in type, and complex in characteristics, and each individual can complement each other and play a role in replacing each other. It will be very difficult to intercept and damage the entire unmanned cluster. However, from a technical point of view, for unmanned combat clusters to achieve effective synergy, each individual must share and interact with each other. Once the communication coordination between unmanned clusters is interfered with, it will be impossible to share battlefield posture and information, and will not be able to coordinate actions with each other, making it difficult to achieve the combat effectiveness it deserves. This gives the other party an opportunity to implement interception of communications and electromagnetic interference. Therefore, the implementation of electromagnetic spectrum warfare, interference and attacks on the information and communication networks of unmanned clusters, and the destruction of their information sharing and interaction will make it impossible for each individual in the unmanned cluster to achieve effective synergy and thus lose its operational capabilities.
3. Cyber-sabotage Cyber-blowout, It refers to military confrontation operations that comprehensively use technologies such as networks and computers and other effective means to control information and information networks. It is a major combat style of cyberspace operations and competition for network control. Its main combat operations are both soft-kill and hard-destroy, focusing on soft and combining soft and hard. Among them, soft kill is mainly a cyber attack, that is, it comprehensively uses blocking attacks, virus attacks and other means to block and attack enemy information networks, command systems, weapon platforms, etc., making it difficult for enemy networks, command information systems, etc. to operate effectively or even paralyze; hard destruction mainly uses precision fire strikes, high-energy microwaves, electromagnetic pulses, and anti-radiation attacks to paralyze and destroy enemy information network physical facilities Destroy enemy combat and weapons and equipment entities. The important thing is to “break the net and reduce energy failure”. Organizing a cyber attack in a “system-based battle of excellence” is to target the weaknesses of the combat opponent’s military information network, use the advantages of the system to organize various cyber attack forces, and conduct combat command networks, reconnaissance intelligence networks, communication networks and even logistics throughout the entire operation. Supply networks, etc., continue to carry out soft killing and hard destruction operations to destroy the enemy’s network system The overall function of the enemy’s combat system is reduced or even disabled. It mainly targets core targets such as the enemy’s basic information network, intelligence network, command network, and support network, and implements a series of combat operations such as network-to-electronics coordinated attacks, deception and confusion, link blocking, and takeover control, so that the enemy’s intelligent combat network system becomes incapacitated and ineffective, achieving a critical victory that paralyzes the enemy system.
4. Cognitively Controlled Disturbance Warfare Cognitive interference control war refers to interfering with, destroying or controlling the enemy’s thinking and cognition through information attacks, public opinion attacks, and brain attacks in the system optimization war, so that the enemy cannot make correct judgments and decisions, thereby controlling the enemy in cognitive space. form a controlling advantage. Cognitive domains, That is, “human thinking space and consciousness space are areas that have a critical impact on combat decision-making and judgment”. The development of information technology, especially artificial intelligence technology, and its widespread application in the military field have expanded the battle of war from physical space and information space to cognitive space, making cognitive space a completely new combat domain. With the development of information and intelligent technology and its widespread and in-depth application in the military field, the Human-machine intelligence tends to converge This has made the status of cognition in intelligent warfare more prominent, and the cognitive field has gradually become an important battlefield. The right to control cognition has become a key element of future battlefield control. Fighting for cognitive control has become an important combat style for winning information-based local warfare operations with intelligent characteristics.
4.1 Control the cognitive rights of situational awareness and compete for information advantages In the system’s “excellence battle”, information flow drives the flow of matter and energy, and information advantage determines decision-making advantage. Rapid and accurate knowledge of intelligence information and battlefield situations has an important impact on seizing command and decision-making advantages. Therefore, when organizing and implementing system-based battle gathering, we must make full use of intelligent technology and big data technology to conduct comprehensive analysis and judgment on massive intelligence information data, mine and extract the required intelligence information, and achieve more accurate and faster understanding of battlefield situations and combat environments. Cognition ensures that the enemy is discovered first and the enemy is recognized first from the source. While removing one’s own side “the fog of war”, create “the fog” for the opponent. Therefore, in order to compete for cognitive rights, we must not only control and process information before the enemy, but also take measures such as online public opinion attacks and high virtual reality chaos to actively create and spread false information, disrupt and disrupt the perception and cognition of hostile battlefield situations, maximize confusion and increase uncertainty, interfere with the opponent’s combat decisions, and delay its combat operations.
4.2 Control and command decision-making power and compete for decision-making advantages Decision strengths determine action strengths. Quick decision-making by the commander is the key to shortening “the command cycle” and achieving quick wins. The organizational system focuses on excellent combat, and the success or failure of combat operations depends largely on the speed of the commander’s decision-making. It is necessary to “use intelligent auxiliary decision-making systems, select the best combat plans, scientifically and rationally allocate combat resources, and maximize combat effectiveness; use ubiquitous intelligent networks to access required combat nodes and combat platforms at any time to build and form an integrated combat system.” Achieve decentralized deployment of power, information, and capabilities, cross-domain linkage, form advantages at locations and times required for operations, gather energy to release energy, and gather advantages to win; Implementation “core attack”, Errors or deviations in the enemy’s command decisions are caused by hacking into the other party “chip”, tampering with its programs, and command and decision system algorithms.
4.3 Control “brain” power and seize the advantage of brain control Cognitive interference control warfare in the system’s “gathering excellence war” emphasizes “attacking the heart and seizing the will”, that is, using network warfare, electromagnetic warfare and other methods to control the enemy’s human brain and consciousness cognition as well as the control system of the unmanned autonomous platform “attacking the heart Cognitive control warfare to control the brain and seize ambitions” Replace “destroy” with “control”, To achieve the goal of stopping and winning the war at the minimum cost. Attacking the heart and controlling the brain is different from traditional strategic deterrence. It places more emphasis on active attack. It is an active attack operation that mainly uses advanced information combat technology, brain control technology, etc. to attack the enemy’s decision-making leader, as well as intelligent unmanned autonomous combat platforms, auxiliary decision-making systems, etc., carry out controlled “brain” attacks, directly control and disrupt the opponent “brain”, influence and control the enemy’s decision-making, or disable it Enable stealth control of enemy combat operations. For example, “Targeting human cognitive thinking, using brain reading and brain control technology, and using mental guidance and control methods to directly carry out “inject ”“invasive” attacks on the brains of enemy personnel, interfering with, controlling or destroying the cognitive system of enemy commanders.”, deeply control it from the perspective of consciousness, thinking and psychology, seize “control intellectual power”, disrupt the enemy’s decision-making, destroy the enemy’s morale, and force the enemy to disarm.
5. Agile Mobile Warfare Agile mobile warfare refers to the efficient decision-making, efficient adjustment of troop deployment and high-efficiency real-time gathering of combat forces in systematic battle, efficient gathering of capabilities on the existing battlefield, and seizing combat opportunities. Agility is the ability to respond quickly and timely to changes in the battlefield environment. It has the characteristics of responsiveness, robustness, flexibility, elasticity, innovation and adaptability.
Table 1 Connotation of the concept of agile warfare
5.1 Efficient and fast decision-making To implement agile and mobile warfare, we must first make efficient and rapid decisions to win operational opportunities. Therefore, it is necessary to comprehensively use various means of reconnaissance, detection, perception and surveillance to obtain battlefield posture and target information in a timely manner, especially characteristic information, activity trajectories and real-time position information of time-sensitive targets, so as to ensure precise intelligence support for rapid decision-making. Efficient decision-making is also reflected in the speed of intelligence processing. It takes less time to screen effective intelligence information, formulate action plans at a faster speed according to changes in circumstances, and seize the initiative and seize the opportunity with one step ahead. High-efficiency decision-making focuses on shortening the decision-making cycle, taking the target time window as the central point, and integrating decision-making command with combat units and weapon platforms, rapid response, and overall linkage to improve combat efficiency.
5.2 High efficiency forms a favorable combat situation It is necessary to “keep abreast of changes in the battlefield situation at any time, rely on the support of information networks, and achieve dynamic reorganization of combat forces and integration during movement through cross-domain, cross-dimensional, and diversified three-dimensional maneuvers. Combat resources flow efficiently throughout the region and gather during movement to achieve mobility and excellence.”, forming a favorable battlefield situation. Agile mobile warfare relies on data fusion processing, intelligent assisted decision-making and other means to quickly form combat plans, quickly project combat forces at a high frequency according to the case, organize troops to quickly form favorable combat deployments, and realize enemy discovery, enemy decision-making, and enemy fire, first enemy assessment, change the balance of power in the shortest time and fastest speed, form combat advantages, and improve the efficiency of combat operations.
5.3 Efficient and instant gathering of combat power To organize agile mobile warfare, the key is to select the right combat force within a limited time, coordinate the entire battle situation, and form an overall synergy to ensure a fatal blow. Therefore, in response to changes in battlefield posture, especially target situations, it is necessary to draw up groups to form a joint mobile combat system formed by multi-domain combat forces, gather combat forces in real time, deploy quickly and mobilely to a favorable battlefield, and carry out real-time strikes against the enemy. For deep space, deep sea, etc. to become a new combat space, an intelligent unmanned autonomous combat platform can be organized Rapid mobility is deployed to lurk near key targets or important passages that are difficult for humans to reach due to physiological limitations, and ambush operations are carried out on standby, creating new cross-domain checks and balances.
5.4 Agile mobile warfare is an innovative development of traditional mobile warfare In the history of both ancient and modern warfare at home and abroad, there have been numerous examples of successful battles that relied on rapid covert maneuvers to achieve combat objectives. However, the combat process of information-based local warfare has been greatly compressed, the combat rhythm has accelerated rapidly, and fighter aircraft are fleeting. It has put forward higher requirements for fast mobile capture fighters. It is difficult to meet the requirements of joint operations and all-area operations under information conditions alone “fast pace, high speed”. requirements, so agile mobility must be implemented.
6. Unmanned cluster autonomous warfare Unmanned cluster autonomous warfare refers to the widespread use of unmanned combat methods such as “bees”“ wolves ”“fishes” in system optimization warfare to independently organize actions and distributed attacks to achieve joint human-machine victory. With unmanned autonomous equipment becoming the main combat force on the battlefield, defeating the enemy with unmanned autonomous equipment clusters and numerical superiority has become an important combat style in information warfare.
6.1 It is conducive to forming a system advantage to suppress the enemy Unmanned cluster independent warfare gives full play to the special advantages of unmanned combat weapons such as all-weather, unlimited, difficult to defend, and low consumption, and builds and forms large-scale unmanned combat clusters or formations such as unmanned “bee swarms”“ wolves ”“fish swarms”, and organizes independently, mutual coordination, can implement close-range and full-coverage reconnaissance, or act as bait to interfere or deceive, or cooperate with main battle weapons to implement distributed coordinated attacks Enable overall mobility and joint control of the enemy.
6.2 Conducive to enhancing combat effectiveness In “unmanned cluster autonomous operations”, different combat units within the unmanned cluster organization are responsible for different functions and different tasks, including those responsible for reconnaissance, those carrying out electromagnetic interference and fire strikes, and those playing “decoy” roles. Clusters transmit and share battlefield information through inter-group networks, perform their respective duties according to the division of labor, and collaborate in real-time, independently, and dynamically according to battlefield changes. They not only give full play to their advantages in quantity and scale, but also use information networks and intelligent integration technology to achieve integration effects, using cluster advantages to consume enemy defense detection, tracking and interception capabilities, rapidly saturating and paralyzing the enemy’s defense system.
6.3 Conducive to getting into enemy combat difficulties Unmanned cluster autonomous warfare uses a large number of autonomous unmanned combat platforms with different functions to form an unmanned combat cluster integrating reconnaissance and detection, electronic interference, cyber attacks, and fire strikes. It can carry out multi-directional and multi-directional operations against the same target or target group. Multiple, continuous attacks will make it difficult for the enemy to make effective counterattacks.
7. Pointkill Battle “Precise point-killing warfare” refers to accurately obtaining intelligence in system-based battles, implementing multi-domain precision strikes, striving to shake the overall situation with one point, and maximizing combat benefits. Informationized local warfare is an overall confrontation between systems. Implementing precise point-killing warfare and precise strikes on important nodes and key links of the enemy’s combat system will destroy the enemy’s combat system and reduce enemy combat capabilities, which will achieve twice the result with half the effort. Combat effect.
7.1 Achieve efficient combat cost ratio Achieving maximum combat effectiveness at the minimum cost is a goal pursued by both sides of the war. With the widespread application of information technology in the military field and the advent of information warfare, precision-guided weapons, intelligent kinetic energy weapons, integrated surveillance and attack drones, and laser weapons are widely equipped with troops; through the use of big data, artificial intelligence and other technologies, it has become possible to accurately calculate the required troops and weapons. These all provide material and technical conditions for achieving precision point kill warfare, achieving operational objectives at a lesser cost, and achieving operationally efficient fee ratios.
7.2 Targeting key nodes is an important option The key to precise point-killing battles is to hit the key points and nodes. If you don’t hit, it will be enough. If you hit, it will be painful. If you hit, you will win. If you hit a point, you will break the enemy’s system and shake the overall situation. The target of the strike is not limited to the enemy’s dispersed deployment of ships and aircraft, but should also be targeted at local, dynamic, time-sensitive targets or independent targets such as enemy command centers, important hubs, and even major generals and commanders, in pursuit of deterrence, shock and enemy-breaking system effects. It will also be an effective countermeasure to use precision strike fire to carry out “point-kill” strikes in response to the distributed tactic of decomposing expensive large-scale equipment functions into a large number of small platforms and implementing decentralized deployment of forces.
7.3 Large-scale system support is the basic condition The implementation of precise point-kill warfare cannot be separated from the support of a large-scale system. Focusing on achieving combat goals, the required troops and weapons are transferred from each operational domain that is dispersed and deployed. With the support of the network information system, they are dynamically integrated to form a precision strike system to achieve overall linkage and system energy gathering. Through reasonable and sufficient firepower, the target is concentrated. Strike to achieve precise use of troops and precise release of energy. To implement precise point-and-kill operations to be precise, all links within the entire combat system need to be closely connected without any mistakes. The U.S. military’s killing of bin Laden in 2011 can be said to be a typical strategic precision killing operation supported by the strategic system.
7.4 It is inseparable from precise intelligence support In precision point kill warfare, precise intelligence support is always the key to achieving operational goals. Therefore, before the war, various means should be used to collect various enemy intelligence information, especially accurate analysis and judgment of enemy targets. During combat operations, various sensors and intelligence reconnaissance methods should be used to accurately grasp enemy target changes and dynamic target situations in a timely manner, so as to provide powerful and effective intelligence support for the implementation of precise point-kill warfare. The U.S. military’s targeted killing operation against Soleimani was a typical precise point-killing battle supported by an efficient intelligence system.
8. Supply-breaking Supply chain-breaking warfare refers to organizing elite forces in a system-gathering battle to attack the enemy’s logistics supplies and equipment supply supply chain, supply lines and supply bases, defeat the enemy and lose supplies and withdraw from the battle. In response to weaknesses such as the enemy’s long logistics supply line and large equipment support stalls, the organization of elite forces to build “chain-breaking warfare” combat systems, and to carry out sustained, precise and devastating strikes against enemy logistics supplies and equipment supply chains, supply lines and supply bases, will make it unsustainable due to the loss of supplies and will have to withdraw from the battle.
8.1 The supply guarantee chain has a huge impact on the overall combat situation Logistics equipment support is an important basis for operations. The constant supply of logistical supplies and weapons and equipment ultimately determines the size of an army’s combat troops, whether they can fight, in what season, where they can fight, how far they can leave their rear bases, how long they can fight, how fast they can maneuver, and so on. In information warfare, the consumption of battlefield materials has increased exponentially. Not only has the dependence on logistics equipment support for operations not decreased, but it has become larger and larger. Moreover, the requirements for the specialization of support have also become higher and higher In particular, modern combat equipment is available in a wide variety of models and specifications, with huge volumes of mixed transport, more dispersed troop deployment and very high requirements for transport capacity, which makes bases, communication lines and transport more important than ever. The stable and efficient operation of the supply guarantee chain and continuous and uninterrupted supply guarantee are the key to operational victory and have a huge impact on the overall operational situation.
8.2 The center of gravity of the attack is a key node in cutting off the enemy’s supply guarantee chain The operational center of gravity of supply chain-breaking warfare is a key link in attacking the enemy’s supply support chain, and its continuous support capability is lost through chain-breaking. Therefore, the organization of supply chain-breaking warfare should mainly target enemy ground railway and road transport lines, maritime supply convoys, military requisitioned merchant ships and combat support ships, large and medium-sized air transport aircraft, and rear supply bases. For example, striking the enemy’s maritime supply support chain and cutting off the enemy’s fuel, ammunition, fresh water, and food supplies will make the enemy aircraft carrier battle group lose its ability to continue fighting, which in turn will even affect the outcome of a battle.
8.3 The key is to choose the right time and make full use of tactics It is crucial to organize the implementation of supply chain-breaking warfare and to choose a favorable time to strike. The timing of strikes in supply chain-breaking warfare should be organized and implemented when the enemy’s supply maneuvers are selected, so as to surprise and attack unprepared concealed tactics, carry out sudden strikes on enemy supply vehicles, ships and transport aircraft, and terminate their supply operations. Specific tactics usually include covert ambush warfare, organizing capable forces to ambush the routes and routes that enemy transportation must pass through, waiting for opportunities to carry out covert surprise attacks; stealth surprise warfare, using submarines, stealth fighters, etc. to covertly move forward to carry out attacks on enemy transportation targets, and win by surprise; long-range precision warfare, using long-range conventional surface-to-surface missile forces to attack enemy supply bases and airports Long-range precision strikes are carried out at the departure points of supplies such as docks.
9. System “paralysis battle” System destruction and paralysis war refers to the comprehensive use of various means such as breaking the network, breaking the chain, and defeating nodes in the system optimization war to interfere with, delay, destroy, or even paralyze the effective operation of the enemy’s combat system and weaken the functions of the enemy’s combat system. The essence of system destruction and paralysis warfare is to weaken the correlation and structural power between the elements of the enemy’s combat system, degrade the functions of the system, and fail to play a role in doubling capabilities.
9.1 The combat goal is to disorderly operate the enemy’s combat system In information warfare, the combat systems of both warring parties have their own internal order, and this order is the key to maintaining and supporting the operation of the combat system. The side that can maintain and navigate the internal order of the combat system will gain an advantage and, conversely, a disadvantage. Therefore, the goal of “disrupting the enemy’s winning mechanism and causing the enemy’s combat system to become disordered” should be established in system destruction and paralysis warfare. This requires that the system be fully utilized in the battle of paralysis Information technology in particular intelligent algorithms The “powerful enabling effect” can quickly adjust and reconstruct one’s own combat system, quickly generate and release powerful combat power, and implement agile and precise strikes on the enemy’s combat system, causing the enemy’s combat system to lose normal operating order and become disordered. The system functions are destroyed and the overall combat capabilities are significantly reduced.
9.2 A key node in the heavy strike combat system Systematic confrontation is a major feature of information warfare. System is an important foundation and support for system confrontation, and is also the key to effectively exerting combat effectiveness by integrating various combat forces, weapon platforms and weapon systems on the battlefield. Whether the system can be kept robust and run smoothly has a decisive influence on the achievement of war and campaign victories. In the battle to destroy and paralyze the system, the key is to focus on the enemy’s integrated combat system of land, sea, air and space power grids, breaking the network, breaking the chain, and attacking nodes. By attacking key node targets, the operating mechanism of the enemy’s combat system will be out of order, and it may even be severely damaged or destroyed. Paralysis. Therefore, the basic direction of system destruction and paralysis warfare is to select key units, key nodes, and key elements of the enemy’s combat system to carry out strikes, attack one point, destroy one part, and paralyze the whole, so as to achieve the goal of defeating the enemy.
9.3 Implement soft strikes against the enemy’s combat system When organizing and implementing system breaking and hard destruction, it simultaneously organizes soft-kill combat operations such as electronic warfare, cyber warfare, psychological warfare, and public opinion warfare, and carries out soft strikes on the information domain and cognitive domain of the enemy’s combat system. Electronic warfare uses the power of electronic warfare to carry out strong electromagnetic interference against the enemy, causing its information to malfunction and fall into the fog of war; cyber warfare uses the power of cyber attack to attack the enemy’s network information system, causing the enemy’s command and communication system and computer network to be severely damaged, causing its command to malfunction and fall into information islands or even war islands; psychological warfare and public opinion warfare, using psychological warfare and public opinion warfare methods It carries out psychological strikes and public opinion guidance against the enemy, severely damaging his will to fight and inducing his cognitive disorientation. Organizing “people’s livelihood wars” to attack the opponent’s major national economy and people’s livelihood facilities can also play a role in the enemy’s combat system “drawing fuel from the bottom of the cauldron”. In the 1999 Kosovo War, the US military did not attack the Yugoslav army, but attacked its war potential target system, causing the Yugoslav soldiers and civilians to lose their will to fight and lead to defeat.
