Asymmetric Threats Essay - 1958 Words

Currently there are several definitions of asymmetric threats listed throughout the internet as well as other literature. The definition that best sums up the meaning in my view is leveraging unconventional tactics against a superior opponent with the goal of disrupting the willingness to achieve the operational objectives. The most common and current example of this would be the insurgency tactics used in Iraq and Afghanistan. The United States must not assume those tactics and strategies will only be used abroad. The same asymmetric threats our country’s security initiative is facing are the same challenges are seaports are facing. Some examples of the potential asymmetric threats the United States seaport faces are nuclear weapons,†¦show more content†¦The impact of a chemical environment would also lessen the dominance of a United States military operation. The United States military is commonly known to operate both deployment and re-deployment operations a t specific ports of embarkation and debarkation; making targeting for a chemical attack fairly simple. Like chemical weapons, biological weapons are easy to obtain, but the area covered by such an attack is fairly small and limited. The most effective area to use a chemical weapon on a seaport would be the operation center of that port due to the limited damage it will cause to the infrastructure. The psychological effect of VX or Sarin would devastate any port operation and to trace the origin of the agents would prove to be very difficult. The most common vulnerabilities to seaports exist due to the geographical location and the amount of activity surrounding most seaports. Highways, railways, and joining waterways create many security issues and make larger seaports terrorist strategic targets. The sheer size of the sea requires numerous resources and assets from agencies such as the United States Coast Guard. The task of monitoring and securing seaports is an international challenge because the United States trade goods with various countries. Security standards vary from country to country causing any substandard port to become anShow MoreRelatedThe Nature of Warfare1074 Words   |  4 Pagesnon-traditional actors abide by the same set of international standards and rules of law. The United States can no longer expect to face a purely conventional threat. As a result, the U.S. military must be prepared to conduct both regular and irregular warfare successfully, although irregular warfare is more challenging a nd poses a greater threat to U.S. strategic objectives. All conflicts contain elements of both regular and irregular warfare and the nature of the conflict can easily shift betweenRead MoreThe Rise Of Asymmetric Warfare1928 Words   |  8 Pages Question: Analyze the rise of asymmetric warfare. Provide illustrations and assess how it has reshaped behaviors and outcomes. The â€Å"asymmetry† in asymmetric warfare is an inherently relational concept. It refers to an irregular conflict that is distinct by the relative dissimilarity between opponents’ in battle. The asymmetry is derived from the character of warfare and dictated by the difference in relational power amid warring sides. This asymmetry has tended to be in terms of status and organization;Read MoreU.s. National Security : The World s Largest Country Essay1129 Words   |  5 PagesEast over the last fifteen years, many in the United States (US) are unfamiliar with the threat more conventional nation-states pose to the country’s national security. China, Iran, and Russia are seen as the three biggest threats to U.S. national security. Although Russia does not dominate the intelligence disciplines of HUMINT, OSINT, and cyber, its strengths in SIGINT, IMINT, and MASINT make it the biggest threat to the US. HUMINT Russia’s HUMINT program is slightly behind China’s, but slightly aheadRead MoreThe Security of the Unnited States1309 Words   |  5 Pagesnumerous multi-dimensional threats, that undermine global stability. The definition of IW as stated in the Multi-Service Concept for Irregular Warfare follows, â€Å"A form of warfare that has as its objective the credibility of and/or the legitimacy of the relevant political authority with the goal of undermining or supporting that authority. Irregular warfare favors indirect approaches, though it may employ the full range of military operations and other capabilities to seek asymmetric advantages, in orderRead MoreThere is a general discord among stakeholders on the definition of irregular warfare and where the800 Words   |  4 Pagesand strategy. Department of Defense Directive 3000.07, defines irregular warfare as: â€Å"a violent struggle among state and non-state actors for legitimacy and influence over the relevant population(s). Irregular warfare favors indirect and asymmetric approaches, though it may employ the full range of military and other capacities, in order to erode an adversary’s power, influence, and will.† This definition is broad and has led many military leaders to simply describe irregular warfare as anythingRead MoreAsymmetric Warfare Is An Inherently Relational Concept1854 Words   |  8 PagesThe â€Å"asymmetry† in asymmetric warfare is an inherently relational concept. It refers to a relative dissimilarity between opponents’ in battle, derived from a difference in relational strength amid warring sides. This asymmetry has tended to be in terms of status and organization; means and resources, goals and objectives; and strategies and tactics. The relationship between the belligerents in today’s conflicts varies in many tactical, strate gic and operational levels, which has come to be perceivedRead MoreDefensive Cyberspace Initiatives Essay1553 Words   |  7 Pagesincreasingly larger asymmetrical threat to U.S. national security interests. Historically, military victories have been achieved through direct physical confrontation. However, future military victories will not be demarcated by physical confrontation, but instead on the effectiveness of a state’s offensive cyber warfare tactics and its defensive cyberspace initiatives. The single most defining variable of the United States’ Global War on Terror has been the reemergence of asymmetric warfare. For the firstRead MoreTaking a Look at Regular Warfare1136 Words   |  5 Pagesextensive communications, intelligence capabilities and fighter jets with large payloads. It is also very difficult to deploy regular forces to areas that are highly sensitive to our being there. Our irregular forces are incredibly adept at finding threats from terrorists or insurgents that are entwined in a local population. They are a quick and decisive use of prejudicial power. Conversely, since the modern battlefield is without lines, â€Å"Big Army† or â€Å"Big Navy† are protected by the operators thatRead MoreThe Wars At The End Of The Cold War1617 Words   |  7 Pagesanalyze Sun Tzu theories and its relevance nowadays. The nature of the war remain unchanged after thousands of years; however, its character changed and it will continue mutable in the future according of the new technological environment and new threats. These changes have had influence in the states and non-states to employ different methods. These methods changed the traditional warfare to ‘hybrid† wars or wars of the fourth generation. The armed conflicts between the leading powers countriesRead MoreEssay about The Nature of War: Clausewitz1374 Words   |  6 Pagesof irregular warfare include security force assistance, counterinsurgency, unconventional warfare, foreign internal defense, peace keeping, stability operations, and counter-terrorism. Hybrid threats combine aspects of both conventional and irregular forms of warfare. Regular, irregular, and hybrid threats all describe the different characters of war that exist within the enduring nature of war. Historically, the United States has most often engaged in irregular wars since its conception. Robert