The purpose of this book is to provide a broad outline for how a presentday western military might be reorganized to gift a modern or fourth generation war and in this it succeeds. Fifthgeneration air warfare may be conceived as comprising four parts. Fourth generation adversaries will be adept at manipulating the media to alter domestic and world opiniontelevision news may become a more powerful operational weapon than armored divisions some terrorists already know how to play this game. Furthermore, hybrid warfare is not a russian homegrown set of terms. The concept of fourth generation warfare as presented by lind et al. These are all important ideas that do not exist individually but rather function together as an integrated interdependent system of systems where the whole is greater than the parts. And if the us empire wants to try to keep its position as imperial hegemon, it is going to have to resort to allout, you know, just totally no holds barred fourth or fifth generation warfare. Wargaming fourthgeneration warfare the changing face of wargaming the naval war college wargaming department has been a leader in wargaming for the past 120 years. Fifth generation air warfare may be conceived as comprising four parts.
Lind and a team of united states political analysts to describe warfares return to its decentralized form. Maos long march and the hos wars in indochina are examples of 4gw. Fourth generation warfare 4gw is conflict characterized by a blurring of the lines between war and politics, combatants and civilians the term was first used in 1980 by a team of united states analysts, including paleoconservative william s. Understanding fourth generation war open pdf 300 kb rather than commenting on the specifics of the war with iraq, i thought it might be a good time to lay out a framework for understanding that and other conflicts. Lind rather than commenting on the specifics of the war with iraq, i thought it might be a good time to lay out a. Fourth generation warfare the threat america faces is not merely terrorism, which is only a technique. Fourth generation warfare 4gw claims that nonstate insurgencies. Fourth generation warfare and its challenges for the military and society.
The purpose of this book is to provide a broad outline for how a presentday western military might be reorganized to gift a. The fourth generation warfare handbook is a followon to my maneuver warfare handbook, which was published in 1985 and is still in print. In terms of generational modern warfare, the fourth generation signifies the nation states. Fourth generation warfare is not simply an argument for a new model of warfare. Someelementsin terroram appearto reflect the previously qoted canyovers from third generation warfare. Fourth generation operations are the evolution and extension of third and fourth generation warfare based on a change of tactics, technology, and combatants.
Over the last decade, theres been a lot of discussion of 4th generation warfare. Understanding fourth ipri journal generation warfare 89 xii. Powerpoint slideshow illustrating the four generations of war everything you always wanted to know about 4gw in one easy slide. Careful readers may have noted that first, second, and third generation warfare represented increasingly sophisticated ways for state armies to fight other state armies. The term fourth generation warfare 4gw was first used in an article of the marine corps gazette from 1989. Lind, to describe warfares return to a decentralized form. Jan 25, 2017 both are exponents of 4th generation war theory, namely the idea that war has been evolving through the centuries in successive generations. Fourth generation warfare directly attacks the will of the technologically advantaged opponent to continue the conflict. Are africas wars part of a fourth generation of warfare.
Fourth generation warfare and its challenges for the. This will be achieved by a combination of ongoing military defeats by fourth generation warfare forces, and the rise of counter power on a geopolitical level. Defining asymmetric wa r f a r e association of the. This is not just a problem, it is a dilemma one of several dilemmas marines will face in the fourth generation. Abstract the history of war is divided into five distinct eras starting from the mid 1640s. Jan 15, 2004 understanding fourth generation war by william s. In relatively short order, during world war ii the germans introduced thirdgeneration warfare, characterized by maneuver. In relatively short order, during world war ii the germans introduced third generation warfare, characterized by maneuver. On the former point, the us is now 05 in the 4gw conflicts that have been fought over the last quarter century somalia, afghanistan, iraq, libya, syria. Its practitioners seek to convince enemy political leaders that their strategic goals are either unachievable or too costly for the.
Hammes strategic forum f ourth generation warfare, which is now playing out in iraq and afghanistan, is a modern form of insurgency. Pdf fourth generation warfare and the clash of civilizations. This changes when we move on to fourth generation warfare, where one of the opponents is. Hammes, fourth generation warfare evolves, fifth emerges, p. Understanding fourth generation warfare 89 understanding fourthgeneration warfare and its relevance to pakistan khurshid khan and afifa kiran. The term was first used in 1989 by a team of united states analysts, including william s. Fourth generation warfare 4gw was first coined in 1989 by william s. With this dilemma constantly in view, fmfm1a lays out how to fight fourth generation war.
The theory of fourth generation warfare is not simply a military doctrine. In the late 1980s, fourth generation warfare 4gw theorists began to recognize a shift in warfare which they assumed was both in the character and nature of war. Merriamwebster defines warfare as military operations between enemies, an activity undertaken by a political unit as a nation to weaken or destroy another e. In this example, hammes uses the phrase netsandjets war to describe the second alternative form of fifth generation warfare he proposes. But all three are affected and to some extent changed by the fourth generation. First, second, and third generation wars historically were fought using clear methods. All three prior models of warfare involved military forces controlled by a conventional state. The only logical development of this idea is a direct attack on the essential elements of another culture itself. Fourthgeneration warfare is characterized by a blurring of the lines between war and politics, combatants and civilians. Rather than commenting on the specifics of the war with iraq, i thought it might be a good time to lay out a framework for understanding that and other conflicts. The fifth generation warfare notion wraps up networkcentric warfare, combat cloud, multidomain battle, and fusion warfare concepts. Three central ideas shape what we see as the emerging fourth generation. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading 4th generation warfare handbook.
And unfortunately, the kind of people we have running things in our rand corporation pentagon type areas. Fifth generation air warfare thinking the fifth generation air warfare concept is a powerful one but to be best applied needs to be understood. Fourth generation war marks the greatest dialectically qualitative change in the conduct of war since the peace of westphalia that ended the thirty years war in. The framework is the four generations of modern war. The genesis of an ideabased fourth genera tion may be visible in terrorism. Potential technologydriven fourth generation if we combine the above general characteristics of fourth generation warfare with new technology, we see one possible outline of the new generation. He previously had established the ideas of first, second and third generation warfare in the 1980s. Relies on the line and column as the primary formation and the smoothbore musket and bayonet as its primary weapon. To see more clearly where fourth generation warfare seems to be headed, we need to expand upon one of the alternatives we offered then. In recent years, military thinkers have been focused on fourthgeneration warfare that is, conflicts over ideas, waged by what author john robb calls adhoc warriors. Each of the methods used in each generation was an escalation or advancement.
Modern warfare evolves into a fourth generation by thomas x. Given that changes in these areas are apparent precursors to changes in warfare, we have to ask if the changes in society since the evolution of the third generation are sufficient to indicate that it is time for the fourth generation. In terms of generational modern warfare, the fourth generation signifies the nation states loss of their nearmonopoly on. Fight in a 4th generation insurgency, is approved for use by all branches of the k. Knowing when and how to fight in a 4th generation insurgency. Cusersgwilcoxdocumentsboydbill%20lind4gw%20original%20article %. Fourth generation warfare and its challenges for the military. Marine corps expeditionary warfare school in quantico, virginia, an activity sponsored by the central powers. Fifthgeneration warfare will result from the continued shift of political and social loyalties to causes rather than nations.
One important change is that while in the first three generations, strategy was the province of generals, the fourth generation gives us. One important change is that while in the first three generations, strategy was the province of generals, the fourth generation gives us the strategic corporal. However, third generation warfare was conceptually developed by the. Jun 29, 2016 fourth generation warfare 4gw was first coined in 1989 by william s. This changes when we move on to fourth generation warfare, where one of the opponents is something else. Two schools of thought have formed one touting 4gw as the latest in modern warfare, the other regarding 4gw as an adaption of classical lowintensity warfare methods to modern communications and propaganda methods. Jeff brown, the author of china rising, discusses the coronavirus epidemic, which he argues looks like a us biological warfare attack on china, as explained in jeffs conversation with a retired us special services guy who goes by the pseudonym, uriah heep. Lind posted on january 15, 2004 august 6, 2009 r ather than commenting on the specifics of the war with iraq, i thought it might be a good time to lay out a framework for understanding that and other conflicts. To understand this type of warfare, one must first define warfare in general.
The united states has arrested two refugees from the middle east on terrorism charges. Jul 31, 2017 the fifth generation warfare notion wraps up networkcentric warfare, combat cloud, multidomain battle, and fusion warfare concepts. This paper argues, primarily based on literature surveys, that warfare has changed fundamentally, and that the concept of fourth generation warfare is an acceptable descriptor of the. Understanding fourth ipri journal generation warfare 89. Pdf this paper examines the relevance of the ideas encompassed by fourth generation warfare 4gw in the context of warfare in africa. Fourth generation warfare 4gw is described by the authors as follows. Defining asymmetric wa r f a r e association of the united. For this reason, it receives numerous requests for gaming support from throughout the u. Fourthgeneration warfare is a direct assault on the political structures that guide warfare. Introduction to asymmetric warfare, fourth generation warfare, and maneuver warfare, gysgt bob howard, usmc. The two men who came to the us as refugees more than three years ago were arrested on federal charges in california and texas, officials said on thursday. It continues to be regarded as the nations premier center of its kind. Their ideas and publications triggered a captivating dialogue on how warfare was changing. Again, all these elements are present in third generation warfare.
Lind, to describe warfare s return to a decentralized form. The threat is fourth generation warfare, which is a vastly broader phenomenon. Fourth generation warfare 4gw, though as old as the history of war itself, has acquired a new character with. Peaceful use of ideological networks, such as ghandis march to the sea, are examples of 4gws peaceful cousin, fourth generation politics. Fourthgeneration warfare pentagon mavericks have been trying for decades to reorient military strategy toward a new kind of threatthe kind were suddenly facing in the war on terrorism. Like the other manuals in this series, it is a product of the fourth generation seminar at the u. Jeff is a cofounder of the bioweapon truth commission, which just got handed a whole lot more work by. Teaching 4gw concepts to the folks who are actually going to have to do it. Thiele and i taught for some years at the marine corps expeditionary warfare school. An interesting quick read lind has some reasonableseeming points to make about fighting counterinsurgency wars in a modern environment. Wargaming fourth generation warfare the changing face of wargaming the naval war college wargaming department has been a leader in wargaming for the past 120 years. Both are exponents of 4th generation war theory, namely the idea that war has been evolving through the centuries in successive generations.
This is not to say that terrorism is fourthgeneration warfare, but rather that elements of it may be signs pointing toward a fourth generation. I developed the framework of the first three generations generation is shorthand for dialectically qualitative shift in the 1980s, when i was laboring to introduce maneuver. Fourth generation wars ha ve now evolved, taking advan. Potential technologydriven fourth generation if we combine the above general characteristics of fourth generation warfare with new technology, we. Eversim announces the release in beg 2020 of a brand new game called 4th generation warfare 4gw simulates warfare in the 21st century, which, in addition to the direct opposition of military forces, now includes espionage, international politics, cyberwarfare, media manipulation, and trade wars. Fourth generation warfare as presented by lind et al. The new books origins lie in the fourth generation warfare seminar lt.
158 24 1190 329 1164 1076 1535 1147 194 1382 1025 1278 62 467 435 527 191 839 1200 81 900 1383 1135 1136 1110 740 1177 47 948 273