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Shock and Awe?
Command and Control Research Program ^ | Dec 1996 | Harlan K. Ullman and James P. Wade

Posted on 03/21/2003 3:10:48 AM PST by William McKinley

[snip]

Elements Rapid Dominance Decisive Force
Objective Control the adversary's will, perceptions, and understanding Prevail militarily and decisively against a set of opposing capabilities defined by the MRC
Use of Force Control the adversary's will, perceptions, and understanding and literally make an adversary impotent to act or react Unquestioned ability to prevail militarily over an opponent's forces and based against the adversary's capabilities
Force Size Could be smaller than opposition, but with decisive edge in technology, training, and technique Large, highly trained, and well-equipped. Materially overwhelming
Scope All encompassing Force against force (and supporting capability)
Speed Essential Desirable
Casualties Could be relatively few in number on both sides Potentially higher on both sides
Technique Paralyze, shock, unnerve, deny, destroy Systematic destruction of military capability. Attrition applicable in some situations


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Your Opinion/Questions
KEYWORDS: rapiddominance; shockandawe
As I am watching tanks and Bradley fighting vehicles and hummers travel freely and quickly in Iraq, I was finding myself simply amazed. It then dawned on me that while we are all expecting "Shock and Awe" to be a massive display of firepower, I started to wonder if what we are seeing right now is actually part of the Shock and Awe campaign. Freeper Interesting Times yesterday posted the link I used here, and Shock and Awe is part of the Rapid Dominance strategy. Notice the differences with simply using decisive force.

Could it be that all this technology broadcasting what we are doing is part of the plan, to paralzye, shock, and unnerve the Iraqi enemy?

1 posted on 03/21/2003 3:10:48 AM PST by William McKinley
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To: William McKinley
"Shock and Awe" is modern day blitzkrieg but done from the air.
2 posted on 03/21/2003 3:12:29 AM PST by dennisw
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To: dennisw
Having read the paper that I linked above, I did not see in it anywhere that definition of "Shock and Awe".
3 posted on 03/21/2003 3:16:15 AM PST by William McKinley (You're so vain, you probably think this tagline's about you)
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Shock and Awe?

More like "Look up and crap your drawers"


4 posted on 03/21/2003 3:36:00 AM PST by spectr17
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To: William McKinley
The B-52's are up from the UK this morning; just wait, pop your popcorn, and enjoy a great showtime!
5 posted on 03/21/2003 3:37:11 AM PST by mhking (Let's enjoy a great showtime!)
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Comment #6 Removed by Moderator

To: mhking
The B-52's are up from the UK this morning; just wait, pop your popcorn, and enjoy a great showtime!

I heard on Fox that there's a growing belief that if Saddam's not dead, he's close to it. I also heard that a deadline for surrender has been given, and if not met, we return to the initial military plan.

(The deadline is probably to give the Iraqis time to consult with the French on the best way to accomplish total and complete surrender.)

7 posted on 03/21/2003 3:45:46 AM PST by Right_in_Virginia (May God bless President Bush and our troops)
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To: EricOF
The more I read this paper, the more I am convinced that instead of what we are seeing being instead of Shock and Awe, it is part of the Shock and Awe campaign. I am sure a massive display of force may yet come, particularly when the armor gets to Baghdad, but check out this excerpt, and consider it in the context of the first strike aimed at Saddam:
The fifth example is named after the Chinese philosopher-warrior, Sun Tzu. The "Sun Tzu" example is based on selective, instant decapitation of military or societal targets to achieve Shock and Awe.

8 posted on 03/21/2003 4:30:55 AM PST by William McKinley (You're so vain, you probably think this tagline's about you)
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A subset of the Sun Tzu example is the view that war is deception. In this subset, the attempt is to deceive the enemy into what we wish the enemy to perceive and thereby trick, cajole, induce, or force the adversary. The thrust or target is the perception, understanding, and knowledge of the adversary. In some ways, the ancient Trojan Horse is an early example of deception. However, as we will see, the deception model may have new foundations in the technological innovations that are occurring and in our ability to control the environment.

9 posted on 03/21/2003 4:33:50 AM PST by William McKinley (You're so vain, you probably think this tagline's about you)
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To: Interesting Times
Thanks for posting the link to this yesterday.
10 posted on 03/21/2003 4:34:50 AM PST by William McKinley (You're so vain, you probably think this tagline's about you)
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To: William McKinley
Yours is a thoughtful comment. I think we might just be able to execute a relatively bloodless war.
11 posted on 03/21/2003 4:37:41 AM PST by Movemout
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To: William McKinley

I started to wonder if what we are seeing right now is actually part of the Shock and Awe campaign. Shock and Awe is part of the Rapid Dominance strategy.

Correct. I read "Shock and Awe -- Achieving Rapid Dominance" yesterday morning and there are a lot of S&E operations that do not engage in violent combat. The behind the scenes S&E aren't well suited to television -- a lot to explain and asks people to think.

12 posted on 03/21/2003 4:46:49 AM PST by Zon
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To: William McKinley
"Shock and Awe". We will soon be adding this to the pile with other terms such as "Gravitas", "24/7" and "at the end of the day". Thanks media.
13 posted on 03/21/2003 5:56:43 AM PST by Hatteras (The Thundering Herd Of Turtles ROCK!)
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To: William McKinley
I think this is exactly what we're seeing.

It's a new, high-tech implementation of an ancient concept:

In the practical art of war, the best thing of all is to take the enemy's country whole and intact; to shatter and destroy it is not so good. So, too, it is better to recapture an army entire than to destroy it, to capture a regiment, a detachment or a company entire than to destroy them.

Hence to fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting.

-- Sun Tsu.

14 posted on 03/21/2003 6:08:07 AM PST by Interesting Times (Eagles Up! Join the Rally for America...)
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To: William McKinley
Actually, my daughter made me aware that "shekinah" (pronounce it aloud) means "A visible manifestation of the divine presence" as described in Jewish theology. (Google it) This oughta really stir up a sh*t storm!
15 posted on 03/21/2003 9:42:36 PM PST by Harold Hill (I always think there's a band, kid)
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