Information Warfare in Operation Desert

StormJack S. Michel20 April 2009

First DraftHow did advances in Information Warfare give

American military forces a significant advantage over their Iraqi opponent in Operation Desert Storm?

Problems…The Definition of Information Warfare

Turns out different people say different thingsWhose definition should I use?

Initial Research Question

Second (and Final) DraftHow does the United States military define

Information Warfare and how did American forces use this definition of Information Warfare to gain an advantage over their Iraqi opponent in Operation Desert Storm?

CommentsDecided to use the United States Military definition since

the U.S. is the force being studiedNo clear consensus exists within historians or academia

Problems…Have not changed question since this draft

Final Research Question

Interest? Why? I am a history major

Concentration in American history – coursework primarily in American war and conflict

I am a male War, tanks, and planes are

interesting Importance

Desert Storm was the first conflict where Information Warfare had a drastic effect on the outcome

War’s lessons and technologies can be applied elsewhere

“The integrated employment of the core capabilities of electronic warfare [EW], computer network operations [CNO], psychological operations [PSYOP], military deception, and operations security [OPSEC], with specified supporting and related capabilities to influence, disrupt, corrupt, or usurp adversarial human and automated decision making while protecting our own.”

DOD Information Operations Roadmap, 30. October 2003

Retrieved March 1, 2009 from Information Warfare site http://www.iwar.org.uk/iwar/

Defining Information Warfare (An Early Result)

In reference to “Information Operations” rather than “Information Warfare”

DoD Information Operations Roadmap created in 2003 and recently de-classified in 2006.Shows newness of subjectNo definition existed during Operation Desert

StormVery Broad

Includes Electronic Warfare, Computer Network Operations, Psychological Operations, Military Deception, and Operations Security.

Comments about the Official Definition

Dr. George Stein, professor at Air War College at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama, stated in 1995 “Information Warfare, in its largest sense, is simply

the use of information to achieve our national objectives.”

Vice-Admiral Arthur Cebrowski’s “Cornerstones of Information Warfare” definition made in 1997"Information Warfare is any action to Deny, Exploit,

Corrupt or Destroy the enemy’s information and its functions; protecting ourselves against those actions and exploiting our own military information functions".

Other Definitions of IW

Background Information of Desert Storm

Desert Storm is the name of the U.S. Operation that invaded Iraq between February 24 and 28, 1991 as part of the United Nation’s authorized invasion of Iraq following Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait in August 1990. It lasted 100 hours total before

President Bush called a ceasefire upon the liberation of Kuwait.

The entire conflict is known as the Persian Gulf War (or the First Gulf War). The United Nation’s coalition consisted of 34 countries in conflict with Iraq as the enemy.

There was a significant technological difference between the two sides.

Maps

Middle East in 1990Operation Desert Storm

24-28 February 1991

Website – The Information Warfare Site Very useful site with many documents relating to Information

Warfare (2009, February 15) IWS - The Information Warfare Site. Retrieved

March 1, 2009, from http://www.iwar.org.uk/index.htm

Book – The First Information War: The Story of Communications, Computers, and Intelligence Systems in the Persian Gulf War Could a book be any more perfect for meeting the subject?

Campen, A. D. (Ed.). (2002). The first information war: The story of communications, computers and intelligence systems in the Persian Gulf War. Fairfax, VA: AFCEA International.

Journal – “Military Theory and Information Warfare” from Parameters First Thing I *read* actually describing specific detailed use of

Information Warfare in Operation Desert Storm. Henry R., and Peartree C. (1998). Military theory and information

warfare. Parameters, 28 (3), Retrieved March 29, 2009, from http://www.carlisle.army.mil/USAWC/Parameters/98autumn/henry.htm

Source Evaluations

Website: Used Google Search query “Information Warfare in Desert Storm”

Very easy process due to ease of use of Google

Book: Used UNC online library catalog. Search query was “Information Warfare in the Gulf War”

I am used to navigating the Davis Library stacks for my history major so this was an easy process Title was perfect Used table of contents to determine book relevance Used “about the authors” section to determine credibility

Journal: Tried UNC e-resources Failure. Instead used Google Scholar with success. Two separate search queries: “Information Warfare in Desert

Storm” and “Information Warfare in the Persian Gulf” Second one worked to find article

Google Scholar was as easy to use as normal Google Passed the “looks test,” strong “about the authors” section, and

credibility of Parameters

How I Found These Sources

Offensive and Defensive Electronic jamming utilized by aircraft (Electronic Warfare) Iraqis could not effectively operate radar devices

or target American aircraftInformation Systems

Satellite uplinks providing real time connectivity JSTARS and AWACS aircraft and their information

systems controlled the air war and provided an unseen level of detail in radar/targeting

Sensor Equipment (Subdivision of Information Systems)Long range ground based sensor equipment able

to detect enemy way beyond line of sightSatellite imageryNight Vision – Iraqis were unable to see in the

dark

Some of the Results – Use of IW by U.S. Forces in Operation Desert Storm

Dealing with the multiple definitions of Information Warfare

Finding a Journal ArticleLuckily Google Scholar was helpful

Fitting findings into the official U.S. DefinitionIt is a broad definition, but also very specific

APA citationNot my normal style and hard to adapt from the

usualCreating a presentation not similar to the 15 or so

before this one It gets boring to hear about Boolean operators and

source evaluations after a certain number of times

Challenges

Much about Operation Desert Storm and Information Warfare

How to identify, analyze, and critique sources according to certain guidelines

APA Citation lesson

Lessons Learned

What is...?

Anything else about Desert Storm?

Questions?