

- #The operational art of war iv syrian civil war drivers#
- #The operational art of war iv syrian civil war professional#
Russian lessons about the changing character of war and the implications for the theory of victory in future wars largely fall into three categories: “new generation warfare,” enemy of the new formation, and implications for operational art. The paper argues that the insights that this lessons-learned process has produced could be categorized in three ways: (1) conceptualization of new forms of warfare and features of operational art, (2) force modernization around the reconnaissance-strike complex, and (3) the emerging concept of operations known as “the strategy of limited actions.” The paper elaborates on these main insights within each of these categories and then offers the summarizing remarks in its conclusion. 1 This paper highlights the main insights generated by this process. Finally, the lesson-learning process during and following the Syrian operation takes the concepts from the experience and injects them into the theoretical debate, which furthers the cycle of learning and transformation. These ideas then receive a reality check in actual military operations. First, the community’s theoretical discussions explore a variety of doctrinal ideas related to the changing character of war military exercises then refine these theoretical insights and introduce them into practice. The community has exhibited a recurring pattern of innovation. These transformations highlight the Russian culture of military innovation.īefore, during, and following the Syrian operation, which started in 2015, the Russian strategic community has been conceptually-intellectually in the most dynamic shape of the post-Soviet era.
#The operational art of war iv syrian civil war professional#
Lessons learned inform the development of military theory and transform concepts of operations, organizational structures, force build-up, and the professional conduct of the Russian military.
#The operational art of war iv syrian civil war drivers#
The subjects are interrelated: The operation in Syria became a point of reference for conceptualizing the changing character of war, and one of the main drivers of Russian military transformation. The paper has two goals: (1) to highlight how this learning process informs the current Russian military transformation, and (2) to illustrate the Russian culture of military innovations. This paper explores Russian lessons learned from the Syrian operation. The lessons learned from this experience have given light to a novel concept-the “strategy of limited action.” This strategy is an evolution of the sort of long-range power projection operations by a limited but self-sufficient grouping of combined arms forces. The Syrian campaign has offered an unprecedented experience in conducting an expeditionary operation.


Most military modernization efforts have been grouped around refining the intelligence, command and control, and fire capabilities of the reconnaissance strike complex. The notions of “Reconnaissance Strike Complex/Contour” - a combined arms system of systems which links together intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities, command and control, and precision standoff fires - have become a recurrent theme in Russian force build-up.

Russian lessons pertaining to the changing character of war and implications for the theory of victory fall into three categories: new type of warfare, new type of enemy, and the main implications for operational art.The Russian operation in Syria, which started in 2015, has become a main reference for understanding the changing character of war, and one of the main drivers transforming Russian military theory, concepts of operations, organizational structures, and force build-up.Masters Program in International Security Studies - MISS.Fellows / Joint Professional Military Education - JPME.Program on Terrorism and Security Studies (PTSS).Program on Cyber Security Studies (PCSS).Program on Applied Security Studies (PASS).European Security Seminar – South (ESS-S).European Security Seminar – North (ESS-N).European Security Seminar-EU-NATO Cooperation (ESS-EU/NATO).European Security Seminar – East (ESS-E).Program on Countering Transnational Organized Crime International Forum (CTOC-IF).Program on Countering Transnational Organized Crime (CTOC).
