I didn't see the report. Were they referring to the “OODA” Loop. This is a term coined by Col John Boyd. OODA is Observe, Orient, Decide, Act. Your OODA loop has to be faster that the bad guy’s. It’s even better if you can “get inside” his loop. For example, if I take away his ability to observe (camouflage, radar jamming etc) , he can never act.
Strategy of a Fighter Pilot
Yup. I believe it was Boyd they were talking about.
I was teaching tactics to Marine Lt.'s in the mid-late 80's, and the OODA loop was just becoming big. We drilled in how important it was to give subordinates flexibility, to communicate effectively, and to make fast decisions. That's how you screw up the other guy's loop.
One huge advantage we have is our decentralizaed decisionmaking. When commanders have latitude to act as they see fit without always getting approval first, they short-circuit the OODA loop and gain a tremendous advantage. Most countries simply can't do that because their troops aren't sufficiently trained, or they lack a culture of initiative at the lower level. That gives us a huge tactical advantage against most potential foes.