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The Battles Of Hue: Understanding Urban Conflicts Through Wargaming, David J.H. Burden

Journal of Strategic Security

Recent years have seen increased interest in the professional use of wargames, and wargames are a potential tool to enable a better understanding of past urban conflicts and to plan for future urban security. Whilst access to professional wargames are limited, hobby wargames have been identified as useful and closely related areas to study. Previous work has identified around 214 manual hobby wargames that deal with urban conflict, but only 5 battles are covered by 5 or more wargames, and so provide a reasonable sample for comparative reviews. The Battle of Hue battle had many of the hallmarks of a …

Blood And Concrete: 21st Century Conflict In Urban Centers And Megacities. Edited By Dave Dilegge, Robert J. Bunker, John P. Sullivan, And Alma Keshavarz. Bloomington, In: Xlibris, 2019., Michael L. Burgoyne

Journal of Strategic Security

No abstract provided.

A Taxonomy Of Radiofrequency Jamming And Spoofing Strategies And Criminal Motives, Tegg Westbrook

Journal of Strategic Security

This article provides a taxonomy of radiofrequency (RF) jamming and spoofing tactics and strategies associated with specific criminal objectives. This is based on the fact that the motivations and strategies of cyber-attackers – predominantly financial – is well-known, but the motivations behind specific electromagnetic interferences is lacking in the current literature. Previous research has also overlooked the motivations of other actors using jamming and spoofing devices.

The objective is to identify the most desirable spoofing and jamming strategies, likely targets, and likely motivations. The article finds that (a) previous literature on the subject overlooks a number of non-state actor motives, …

How Putin's Cyberwar Failed In Ukraine, Austen D. Givens, Max Gorbachevsky, Anita C. Biernat

Journal of Strategic Security

As Russian military forces surged across the Ukrainian border in February 2022, cybersecurity analysts shared predictions about the ways in which the Russian government would use cyberattacks to thwart Ukrainian defenses. Some government agencies and private sector organizations forecast that the Russians would launch a blitz of devastating electronic attacks against Ukrainian critical infrastructure targets, such as electrical power plants and air traffic control networks, crippling the country. While Russian cyberattacks have played a role in the conflict, their effects to date have been significantly less than what some analysts anticipated. But why? This article examines how analysts’ most extreme …

Modern Cognitive Operations And Hybrid Warfare, Yuriy Danyk, Chad M. Briggs

Journal of Strategic Security

Concepts of cognitive warfare and operations are explored in the context of hybrid warfare, including how cyber technologies promote greater asymmetric opportunities for influence, control, and undermining of one’s adversary. Research areas are analyzed in the interconnection with hybrid cognitive operations. The purpose of the article is to study the features and theoretical and applied substantiation of cognitive actions in cyberspace and through cyberspace and their possible consequences within the framework of hybrid conflicts.

Cyber Cases: The Picca Framework For Documenting Geopolitically Relevant Cyber Action, Chris Bronk, Nathan Jones

Journal of Strategic Security

This article presents a novel framework called the Policy Informative Cyber Case Analysis for cyberattack incidents. The aim of this framework is to provide a structured documentation and translational assessment tool for cyber incidents of geopolitical significance to a broader policy audience. The article discusses case study method as applied to cyber incidents, situates the framework amongst other useful methods, discusses the application of structured analytic techniques (SAT) such as “chronologies and timelines” and “devil’s advocacy,” presents the framework, and provides conclusions. Cyber incident cases, primarily the 2015 attack on the Ukrainian electric-grid is used throughout to elucidate the utility …

Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles: Current Types, Ordnance And Operations. By Dan Gettinger. Wien, Austria: Harpia Publishing, 2021., James M. Duggan, Ph.D.

Journal of Strategic Security

No abstract provided.

Military Advisors, Service Strategies, And Great Power Competition, Mike Anderson

Journal of Strategic Security

United States professional military advisors play a critical role across the spectrum of conflict within the various services’ strategies in support of the overall National Defense Strategy. In an era of great power competition, the role of advisory forces within the shadow of large-scale conflict, provide a crucial edge for the US military services fulfilling their strategic role. Within each of the services’ unique strategies - the Army’s multidomain operations, the Marine Corps expeditionary advanced base operations nested within the Navy’s broader littoral operations in a contested environment, and the Air Force’s forward projecting agile basing concept - advisors from …

The Russia Conundrum: How The West Fell For Putin’S Power Gambit – And How To Fix It. By Mikhail Borisovich Khodorkovsky With Martin Sixsmith. New York: St. Martin’S Press, 2022., Edward M. Roche, Ph.D., J.D.

Journal of Strategic Security

No abstract provided.

China's Strategic Devaluing Of American Social Capital, Garrett Martin

Journal of Strategic Security

The information technology era has opened a myriad of new battlespaces through which nations engage each other. China has advanced their “three warfares” doctrine – political warfare, public opinion warfare, and legal warfare – behind a robust and aggressive economic agenda. Direct financial investment and tightly controlled access to both their large consumer market and cheap labor force has given them considerable leverage in key sectors of American industry, particularly those in the communication sphere. The narrative crafting capabilities increasingly acquired by China are beginning to appear as genuine cultural hegemony. This indicates an ability to shape the American collective …

Russian Disinformation On Nato Expansion And The War In Ukraine, Cody Schuette

Journal of Strategic Security

Following years of grievances, Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022 and sparked the largest military conflict in Europe since World War II. Conversations between Soviet and Western leaders in the final days of the Cold War are at the center of the Kremlin’s justification for these actions. Russia claims the West exploited a weakened Russian state by rapidly expanding NATO in former Soviet and Warsaw Bloc nations, despite a promise not to expand. This research seeks to answer how Russia’s NATO-expansion justification for invading Ukraine is inconsistent with the historical record. Findings reveal that the West never provided assurances on …

Proposing Unique And Effective Policy Recommendations For Achieving A Lasting Two-State Solution, Charlotte G. Huck, Nicolle Martin, Eli Sperling

Journal of Strategic Security

The paper "Proposing Unique and Effective Policy Recommendations for Achieving a Lasting Two-State Solution" seeks to address the persistent hurdles in attaining peace in the Israel-Palestine conflict. The paper introduces a new policy proposal made up of initiatives focused on Economy and Sustainability, Education, and Regional Stability. It hypothesizes that achieving set targets in each of these areas would establish the circumstances on the ground necessary for achieving and sustaining a two-state solution. The proposal emphasizes strengthening an independent Palestinian national identity with an independent economy that can be created through economic ventures in tourism, agriculture, technology, and sustainable energy. …

Distinguishing Principled Beliefs From Causal Beliefs In American Foreign Policy, Leo Blanken, Justin Overbaugh

Journal of Strategic Security

We use the concepts of “principled beliefs” and “causal beliefs” to critically interrogate American foreign policy during the Post-Cold War era (1990-2016). This period was characterized by an American push to establish a globalized Liberal order that conflated principled beliefs (beliefs about what is normatively right and wrong) with causal beliefs (beliefs about the way the word objectively works) with pernicious consequences. We examine the sources of this conflation and offer recommendations to rectify this problem moving forward.

Taiwan’S Asymmetrical Defense: Policies And Alternatives, Shang-Su Wu

Journal of Strategic Security

In view of the increasingly serious threats by China’s rising military power, Taiwan has been compelled to adjust its strategy towards asymmetrical warfare owing to its inferior military capabilities. Taiwan does not have a better alternative to an asymmetrical strategy because it cannot return to a symmetrical strategy or move to a strategy centered on people’s war. Through its indigenous defense industry and an external arms supply by Washington, Taipei has built up considerable capabilities for sea denial against Beijing’s sophisticated platforms that are indispensable for thwarting invasion. These denial capabilities enhance the island’s defense, but Taiwan’s various conditions represent …

Creating Light At Tunnel’S End: Ukraine’S Post-War Urban Recovery, Russell W. Glenn

Journal of Strategic Security

The US response to Iraq’s recovery in the aftermath of 2003 Operation Iraqi Freedom suffered from an initial conclusion that it was the country’s petroleum infrastructure rather than its electrical networks that were in greater need of recovery resources. The resulting misallocation of resources delayed power restoration to much of the country and frustrated those in affected regions.

Whether the cause is war or a catastrophe sparked by Mother Nature, accurately identifying and correctly prioritizing post-disaster requirements is fundamental to an effective and efficient response. Ukraine has demonstrated a commendable ability to repair war damage even as conflict continues, but …

The Information Technology Army Of Ukraine And Cyber Warfare Doctrine, William D. Done

Journal of Strategic Security

The IT Army of Ukraine’s cyber operations in the Russia-Ukraine conflict has provided a novel approach to cyber warfare – that of a crowdsourced, volunteer, offensive cyber auxiliary force. Being the first group of its kind to be deployed in wartime, this article analyzes the operations conducted by the organization, its targeting, contributions to the group by non-state actors and entities, and the methods in which targets are attacked. This analysis was conducted using a comprehensive publicly available dataset documenting cyberattacks and provides insight into the organization’s operational effectiveness, showing that the IT Army has both been successful in its …

Decision Advantage: Intelligence In International Politics From The Spanish Armada To Cyberwar. By Jennifer E. Sims. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2022., Adam D.M. Svendsen

Journal of Strategic Security

This article provides an annotated review essay of Jennifer E. Sims’ book, Decision Advantage (2022). She communicates several valuable insights into how intelligence manifests in international affairs. Qualities are accomplished through Sims’ development of the concept and theory of ‘decision advantage’ in a variety of intelligence contexts, articulated via a series of different historical case studies ranging chronologically from the Spanish Armada to Cyberwar. Alongside acknowledging intelligence systems and engineering, notions of ‘intelligence power’ and ‘intelligence advantage(s)’ emerge as central, together with ideas of agility and adaptability amongst exponents. While undeniably forming a useful start, what Sims’ work ultimately discloses …

Cyber Rollback: Popular Resistance In The Cyber Age, Matthew J. Flynn

Journal of Strategic Security

“Cyber Rollback” presents a portion of the effort of civilians to seize a warzone in cyberspace and make it free of violence even when facing the risk of violence. That need stems from governments seeking to control or restrict online connectivity. In the continued civilian push back in the face of state oppression, lofty sensibilities of the right of expression online meet the reality of the consequence of such a mandate, the prospect of violence surfacing as an outgrowth of online freedoms clashing with the physical consequences of such activism. In setting cyber events that surface in Ukraine, Africa, China, …

Armed Violence In The Llanos Orientales Region Following The Signing Of The Peace Agreement With The Farc-Ep In Colombia, David Gómez Triana, Jerónimo Ríos

Journal of Strategic Security

A fundamental aspect in the study of the Colombian armed conflict is related to the violence produced in the country after the signing of the Peace Agreement with the FARC-EP guerrillas in November 2016. To this end, we attempt to analyze the transformation of the relationship between the perpetrators of violence and their territory, taking as a case study a region particularly affected by the conflict, as is Llanos Orientales (known in English as the Eastern Plains). Starting with a preliminary characterization of the most relevant armed groups – post-paramilitary groups, FARC-EP dissidents and ELN guerrillas – we attempt to …

Digital Influence Warfare In The Age Of Social Media. By James J. F. Forest. Santa Barbara, Ca: Praeger, An Imprint Of Abc-Clio, 2021., James J. Torrence

Journal of Strategic Security

No abstract provided.

We Are Bellingcat: Global Crime, Online Sleuths, And The Bold Future Of News. By Elliot Higgins, New York: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2021., John P. Sullivan, Ph.D.

Journal of Strategic Security

No abstract provided.

Strategy In An Uncertain Domain: Threat And Response In Cyberspace, Joe Devanny, Luiz Rogerio Franco Goldoni, Breno Pauli Medeiros

Journal of Strategic Security

Over the last decade, "cyber power" has become an increasingly prominent concept and instrument of national strategy. This article explores the nature of contemporary cyber power, focusing on how states should respond to "cyber uncertainty." Cases of cyber operations against Estonia, Georgia, and Ukraine, as well as cyber operations conducted (and suffered) by the United States, highlight the evolving role of cyber operations as an instrument of statecraft. Given the complexity of cyber forensics and the polluted information environment of the global public sphere, the public diplomacy of coordinated attribution statements cannot be expected to cut through conclusively or uniformly. …

Drug Wars And Covert Netherworlds: The Transformation Of Mexico’S Narco Cartels. By James H. Creechan. Tucson: The University Of Arizona Press, 2021., Sabrina S. Laroussi

Journal of Strategic Security

No abstract provided.

Never Mind Betrayal: America’S Indifference To The Kurds Is A Strategic Blunder, Jonathan Honigman

Journal of Strategic Security

Although they have proven themselves to be loyal and capable U.S. partners, America has refused to endorse either independence for Iraqi Kurds or autonomy for Syrian Kurds. That policy has been academically underscored by several Realism-based concepts including an offshore balancing approach to the Middle East. This paper argues that America can adjust to new realities in the region without having to forsake its worthwhile Kurdish partnerships. I first compare and contrast the costs of American support for Kurds and then refute the notion that Kurdish independence in Iraq or autonomy in Syria would cause instability or be nonviable. I …

Cultural Intelligence In The Study Of Intelligence, Brian L. Alcorn, Beth Eisenfeld

Journal of Strategic Security

Intelligence officers often interact in culturally diverse settings different from the settings in which they grew up. Yet, there is a lack of academic research about the integration of culture and the study of intelligence. Researchers have made Cultural Intelligence (CQ) measurable via the Cultural Intelligence Scale (CQS) and successfully applied it in the business world as a predictor of success in multi-cultural environments. This article describes an application of the CQS, using the Observer Report questionnaire to assess the memoirs of three successful intelligence officers to ascertain the degree that CQ applies to the success of officers in United …

A Comparative Analysis Of The "Mexican Drug Violence: Hybrid Warfare, Predatory Capitalism And The Logic Of Cruelty" And "The Rise Of The Narcostate (Mafia States), Daniel Argomedo Weisz

Journal of Strategic Security

No abstract provided.

Emotional And Rational Decision-Making In Strategic Studies: Moving Beyond The False Dichotomy, Samuel Zilincik

Journal of Strategic Security

It is common, though erroneous, to think of rational and emotional decision-making as being opposed to each other. The binary distinction originated in Western philosophy and subsequently spread to other fields, including strategic studies. Strategic studies scholarship has nurtured this binary in two mainstream traditions, classical strategic theory and the coercion school. The distinction is fallacious because all strategically relevant decisions are emotional, and many of these decisions can be rational. Abandoning the false dichotomy is necessary for the field to remain relevant and for strategists to better understand their choices and the decisions made by their adversaries. Accordingly, this …

Revisiting Domestic Intelligence, John P. Sullivan, Genevieve Lester

Journal of Strategic Security

This article looks at the evolution of US domestic intelligence prior to and since 9/11 in light of the Capitol attacks. It also reviews the literature and practice of intelligence reform in the context of foreign comparative experience (France, UK, Canada, Australia). It looks at the promise of fusion centers, cocontemporay domestic intelligence models, and the continuing need for domestic intelligence reform.

Additional Keywords: Domestic Intelligence, Intelligence Reform, Intelligence Fusion

Domains Of Peace: Cyberspace And The First Global Expression Without War, Matt Flynn

Journal of Strategic Security

The ongoing war in Ukraine appears to validate war as it always is. A look at the evolution of domains offers something different. When this step is taken, it becomes clear that humanity chooses the violence defining war. Cyber realities today reveal how technological innovation has stymied war, taking humanity into a pre-existing condition repudiating war and leaving cyberspace as the first global expression without war. Once accepting that truth, nations can contemplate the discovery of a domain offering an expression of peace as a cognitive battlespace overrides the physical application of use of force. This feat means peace finds …

Fifth Generation Warfare, Hybrid Warfare, And Gray Zone Conflict: A Comparison, Armin Krishnan

Journal of Strategic Security

Strategists have noted substantial changes in warfare since the end of the Cold War. They have proposed several concepts and theories to account for the fact that the practice of war has largely departed from a Clausewitzian understanding of war and the centrality of physical violence in it. Emerging modes of conflict are less focused on the instrumental use of force to achieve political objectives and are more centered on notions of perception management, narratives, asymmetry or irregular conflict, the adversarial uses of norms, and covert and ambiguous uses of force. This article aims to systematically compare three more recent …