Month: December 2023

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DOMINATING THE SKIES

 

“Air control can be established by superiority in numbers, by better employment, by better equipment, or by a combination of these factors.”

– Carl Andrew Spaatz

 

Air control is essential and a fundamental principle for the effective employment of air power.

 

Air dominance is a generic term meaning dominating the domain of the air.  It is like saying that Nadal or Djokovic are dominating the tennis circuit or Tiger Woods is dominating the golf world. In the context of air warfare, the genesis of this term started with the United States when they started their F22 program and the fifth generation F-35 aircraft, calling it air domination fighter, claiming that the aircraft has technology so superior that it’ll dominate the skies. USA has named its next sixth generation program as the New Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program. USA has been dominating the skies for years with superior technology, which is now being challenged by China with its fifth and sixth-generation aircraft and systems.

 

“To have command of the air means to cut an enemy’s army and navy from their bases of operation and nullify their chances of winning the war.”

– Giulio Douhet

 

Command of the air and Control of the air, are terms indicating the prevailing state in the air war i.e. which side is getting the better off the other one. Both terms are loosely used interchangeably, but there is a subtle difference regarding the level. It is not the fighter aircraft alone, that contributes toward commanding or controlling the skies, it is the entire gambit of air power. These terms indicate the freedom to use the medium of air to own advantage and denial of the same to the enemy.

 

Air Supremacy, Air Superiority, and Favourable air situation are three terms that indicate the degree of command and control. They are indicative of three factors i.e. volume of airspace, duration, and extent of possible enemy interference.

 

Air Supremacy is when the entire airspace (own and enemy) is under its control for the entire duration of hostilities and the enemy is not able to interfere in any way with operations. Most of the US air wars have been against enemies that are weak in air war capability and the US forces have been able to achieve and maintain air superiority.

 

Air Supremacy is achieved when the entire enemy air power is neutralised, and the entire enemy air power is not able to use the medium of the air. Achieving air supremacy is a sort of strategic objective that needs a dedicated counter-air campaign.

 

Air superiority exists when the area is somewhat limited geographically and does not cover the entire air space,  time-wise it may be restricted to a few hours or days and the enemy may be able to interfere to some extent  (not to a prohibitively high extent).

 

Favourable Air Situation is the lowest level of control, influencing much smaller areas, for a limited duration and with a higher (not high enough to jeopardise the success of own missions) degree of enemy interference. It is like a tactical umbrella.

 

The degree to which the control of air can be achieved largely depends upon the differential in air power of the two opposing sides.

 

It needs to be decided and specified clearly in the objectives.

 

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COGNITIVE WARFARE

 

Cognitive warfare is not only an attack on what we think.

It is an attack on our way of thinking. 

 

Pic: Courtesy Internet

 

 

The human mind is the paramount battleground in modern warfare and cognitive warfare has emerged as an unparalleled domain.

 

Defining Cognitive Warfare. Cognitive Warfare is a psychological strategy that focuses on altering how a target population thinks and through that how it acts. This strategy intends to gradually influence the targeted public’s beliefs, opinions, and perceptions about a subject, such as an event, a politician, a government, or an ideology in general. It is the weaponisation of public opinion, by an external entity, to influence public and governmental policy and destabilise public institutions.

 

Genesis. Cognitive warfare is a development that has emerged from prior related non-kinetic forms of warfare, such as PsyOps operations and Information Warfare. Information warfare is aimed at manipulating what people believe to be true and thereby swaying public perceptions. A more organised and advanced form of information warfare is cognitive warfare.

 

Catalysts. Cognitive warfare relies heavily on new communication and information technologies, notably AI.

 

Key features

 

    • Cognitive warfare targets the entire population (as opposed to merely military ones in wartime).

 

    • Its focus is on changing a population’s behaviour by way of changing its way of thinking rather than merely the provision of discrete bits of false or misinformation in respect of specific issues.

 

    • It relies on sophisticated psychological techniques of manipulation by harnessing the new channels of public communication, such as social media, upon which populations have become increasingly reliant.

 

    • It aims to destabilise institutions, especially governments, though often indirectly by way of initially destabilising cognitive institutions, such as news media organisations.

 

    • Cyber warfare categories including cyber conflict short of war, cyber terrorism, cybercrime, and cyber espionage, etc can be classified as covert cognitive warfare.

 

    • Cognitive warfare so far consists of activity that is more aptly characterised as short of war.

 

    • One problem with cognitive warfare is the problem of attribution and deniability.

 

    • Covert cognitive warfare is (more or less) by definition unlawful (at least in the nation-state against which it is directed).

 

    • Cognitive warfare is likely to be more successful in certain prevailing circumstances like destabilising effects of war, economic depression, pandemics, and other disasters or a pre-existing polarised society.

 

Countering Cognitive warfare

 

    • Legislation to hold mass social media platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter, legally liable for illegal content, such as incitement and hate speech, on their platforms.

 

    • Mandatory licensing of mass social media platforms.

 

    • Licences to be conditional on the content on their platforms being compliant with the minimum epistemic and moral standards determined and adjudicated by an independent statutory authority established by the government.

 

    • Lawful content which, nevertheless, fails to meet these minimum epistemic and moral standards, to be liable to removal by social media platforms, under the adjudications of the above-mentioned independent statutory authority.

 

    • Communicators of politically significant content on mass media channels of public communication who have very large audiences, e.g., greater than 100,000 followers, to be legally and publicly identified.

 

The People’s Republic of China has incorporated cognitive warfare and related strategies into their operations.

 

What is our status?

 

Coming up: A detailed article on the subject

 

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WHAT NEXT AFTER SIXTH-GENERATION AERIAL PLATFORMS

 

Pic Courtesy: Internet

Predicting the specific features of future aerial platforms involves speculation, but based on current trends and technological advancements, several potential features could be considered for future aircraft and drones.

 

    • They would be made of Nano-tech with adaptive and morphing structures, allowing for dynamic changes in shape and aerodynamics.

 

    • They would be able to morph between many aerodynamic forms depending on the manoeuvre being attempted. This could improve overall efficiency and manoeuvrability.

 

    • They would be made using lightweight and strong materials, such as advanced composites and nanomaterial, for increased durability and performance.

 

    • They would be able to fly up to and in outer space (upper Stratosphere or lower Mesosphere).

 

    • They would be highly responsive with hypersonic speed capability.

 

    • They would have a VR cockpit concept, letting the pilot see what the targeting pod sees.

 

    • They would have Advanced Sensor Technologies, such as improved imaging systems, sensors for environmental monitoring, and enhanced data fusion capabilities for better situational awareness.

 

    • They will present a 360-degree spherical view with no blind spots.

 

    • They will be armed with Directed Energy Weapons.

 

    • They would have energy shields/cloaking devices for self-protection.

 

    • They would have advanced voice-activated controls.

 

    • “Dog fighting” will be replaced by terms like “Archerfish combat” or “Bombardier Beetle Combat”.

 

    • They would be remotely piloted or AI-controlled. They would be highly autonomous with improved decision-making capabilities.

 

    • They would be highly energy efficient with the use of alternative fuels, improved propulsion systems, or even the integration of renewable energy sources.

 

    • They may use high energy-to-weight ratio fuels (e.g. liquid methane).

 

    • They would be fully stealthy with low radar, visual, noise, and electromagnetic signatures.

 

    • They would be capable of operating individually or collaboratively as a swarm.

 

Actual features of future aerial platforms will depend on a variety of factors, including technological breakthroughs, military and strategic priorities, and budget considerations. Continuous advancements in fields like materials science, artificial intelligence, and aerospace engineering are likely to play a crucial role in shaping the capabilities of future aerial platforms.

 

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Disclaimer:

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