Insight Magazine has a new article summarizing the impact of information technology on our war-fighting tactics, including how the concept of "swarming" is emerging in Iraq. High-octane stuff, especially for the unfortunate enemy on the receiving end.
This intricate orchestra of man, missile and metal, reaching the outskirts of Baghdad in less than five days, was possible only because of the quantum leap in computerized information technology that the U.S. military has applied to warfighting since the 1991 Persian Gulf War. The sheer size, scope and speed of modern warfare requires extensive computerization and networking among forces. With the old three-dimensional battlefield now the four-dimensional battle space of today, with time as an ever more-crucial factor, commanders require real-time "topsight" - a bird's-eye view made possible by wider bandwidth, greater computing power and more creativity than ever.
Network-centric warfare, in the infancy of implementation under Rumsfeld's transformation of the U.S. defense community into a coherent post-Cold War machine, goes against the typical top-down discipline of the military. It encourages more horizontal communications and networking, thus empowering lower-ranking officers. New military tactics are emerging, among them "swarming" - simultaneous, networked attacks reminiscent of swarms of insects, attacking an overwhelmed target from all directions and by land, sea, air and space.
Posted by Alan at March 31, 2003 12:14 PM