A new concept of war? Not entirely....

There has been much talk recently that our armed forces are fighting a new type of war, for which they must adapt. But whilst many are aware changes are needed, few actually understand what those changes really should be. One thing is certain. The concept of 'smart war' is not suitable for nation building. The reality is nation building requires the maintenance of security as well as taking the active offensive against the enemy; it requires you to be everywhere at once and to hold ground. It is a manpower (more than firepower) intensive task.

Yesterday, Sky News featured a retired British general stating that the difference between old conventional war and modern nation building conflict was that in the past we defeated the nation then rebuilt it. Now we must rebuild whilst defeating insurgents; both things must happen in tandem. Whilst he is right about the twin strategy, he is wrong that it is a new concept or experience. It is an inevitable choice in conflicts where you are intervening in a nation’s internal strife and wish to gain support of a population. Unfortunately, that this retired general did not understand the timelessness of this, perhaps highlights the problem: some military and civilian planners are convincing themselves that everything about the current conflicts are new and are therefore stabbing in the dark.

In short, the problem with the current military and political leaders is not their failure to grasp modern concepts; rather it is that they ONLY grasp modern concepts.

The truth is, much of what can lead us to success is pretty conventional, perhaps even radically so. We need more boots on the ground to provide greater visibility, greater security and a greater sense of security. These must be organically linked with organizations able to distribute adequate aid and undertake reconstruction projects under the same command structure. A commander should be able to deploy in varying quantities any of these components to aid the overall mission. We also need aggressive combat forces who are able to seek out insurgents, but again an additional spare capacity of security and aid forces should be to hand to immediately move in their wake. Perhaps the most challenging area of this strategy is command, as it requires an extremely capable commander with broad understanding, able to blend civil and military planning.

To a certain extent, perhaps more from reaction than by design, attempts are being made to implement this model but, the concept of smart war has convinced many planners and politicians that it is not a manpower intensive job. Therefore, the most important element, personnel, has been kept to well below level where this model can actually succeed. It is also the one ingredient that politicians are frightened to supply.....