Pierce POW Presentation

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Strategic Implications of Virtual Warfare
by Captain Terry C. Pierce USN
Explaining Virtual Warfare as a Strategic
Disruptive Innovation
Principles of Warfare Culminating Seminar 13
April 2005
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Principles for the Employment of all Elements of
National Power
Question
How will senior military leaders integrate the
elements of power (diplomatic, informational,
military, and economic) to achieve a disruptive
innovation in the Global War on Terror ?
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A New Typology for Defining Technology Doctrine
Reinforced Components
Architectural Innovation
Incremental Innovation
Blitzkrieg Carrier Warfare Amphibious
Warfare Continuous Aim Gunfire
Weapon and system upgrades
Linkages Unchanged
Linkages Changed
Modular Innovation
Radical Innovation
Effect on Linkages
Analog to digital Ships steering system
Submarines Aircraft Carriers VM-22 Osprey
Overturned Components
Effect of Components
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Trajectory Performance Sustaining Innovation

• Sustaining improves performance of
• established warfighting methods along an
• established trajectory that the warfighters
• currently value.

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Trajectory Performance Sustaining Innovation

Performance Excess
Progress due to sustaining technologies.
Warfighting Performance
Demands of Warfighting (Performance requirements
of warfighting.)

Performance Gap
Time
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Trajectory Performance Disruptive Innovation

• Disruptive innovation improves performance along
  a trajectory path that traditionally has not been
  valued.

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Trajectory Performance Disruptive Innovation
Progress Due to Sustaining Technologies
Warfighting Performance
Demands of Warfighting (Performance requirements
of warfighting)
Trajectory of Disruptive Innovation
Disruptive Innovation
Time
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Disruptive InnovationNovel Linkages of Existing
Components

• Linear Armored Warfare
• Tanks Aircraft Mobile
  Troop Carrier

Aircraft
Linkage
Linkage
Blitzkrieg
Mobile Troop Carrier
Tanks
Linkage
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Sustaining vs. Disruptive Innovation Linear vs.
Non-Linear Armored Warfare
CAPABILITIES
Sustaining Innovation
Demands of Warfighting
New Performance
Linear Armored Warfare
Non-Linear Armored Warfare Germany
British
Disruptive Innovation
1920
1916
1940
TIME
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Points to Ponder

• Disruptive and sustaining constructs correlate to
  what Williamson Murray calls the revolutionary
  and evolutionary phenomena of innovation.
• 90 percent of innovations are sustaining in
  nature and most senior military leaders are adept
  at championing these innovations.
• 10 percent of innovations are disruptive in
  nature and most senior military leaders are not
  adept at championing these innovations.

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Strategic Environment
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Beneath the Changing Surface, a Core of Ideas and
Relations
War is a product of thought.
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The Core is Described by Linkages Between
Elements and Core Relations
The Paradox of Familiar Character and Continual
Surprise
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Domains of War
Location Virtual

• Level 3
• Virtual Domain

Lead Technology
Precipitation Technology

• Level 2
• Embedded Domain

Separation Technology SOF/ SWARM Warfare
Embedded (separate)
Combined Effects Warfare
Net-Centric Warfare

• Level 1
• Traditional Domain

Separated (force combat)
Combat Attrition/ Maneuver Warfare
Proposition Enemies under pressure retreat to
more asymmetric levels
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Trajectory Performance of Virtual Warfare A
Disruptive Innovation
Sustaining Technologies American Way of War
Warfighting Performance
Demands of Warfighting (Performance Requirements
of Warfighting)
Disruptive Innovation Virtual Warfare
Disruptive Innovation
Time
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Implications of Sufficient Structure View of GWOT

• Need for Disruptive Innovation to Combat the
  Virtual Domain
• Virtual Domain new dimension of Place
• Precipitation Force requirement
• Simultaneity Force requirement
• Coalition Warfare Must Include the Virtual Domain

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Questions?