Great Encyclopedia of Junior Military Knowledge

Author: Xiong Shaohua
Compiler/Origin Country:
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2003-01-01
Features: The second information technology revolution has brought human society into the information age. The achievements of the information technology revolution were first applied to the military. From weapons, platforms, networks to systems, informatization has been continuously upgraded, leading to the emergence of digital and informationized battlefields, ultimately triggering a new military revolution. The outcome of this new military revolution has shifted the nature of war from mechanized warfare in the industrial age to information warfare in the information age. Information warfare manifests in operational forms at the strategic, operational, and tactical levels, known as information operations or information actions, which are referred to as information warfare during wartime. The content of information warfare includes intelligence confidentiality, electronic warfare, cyber warfare, physical destruction, psychological warfare, military deception, and special information operations. The forms of information warfare include information reconnaissance, information offensive, and information defensive operations. The goal of information warfare is to gain information superiority on the battlefield to achieve victory in the main combat. The U.S. military's operation against the Taliban in Afghanistan and Al-Qaeda's "anti-terrorism" campaign exhibited very clear characteristics of information warfare. The U.S. military's information superiority allowed a special forces contingent of over 1,000 personnel to swiftly dismantle the experienced and well-trained Taliban and Al-Qaeda forces. This fact eloquently proves that information is the primary battlefield resource, and information is combat power. Information superiority on the battlefield can offset a million troops, which is the value, significance, outcome, and essence of information warfare. Currently, the research and practice of information warfare by foreign militaries are continuously expanding in depth and breadth. They are developing informatization across four levels: weapons, platforms, networks, and systems (battlefields), with parallel progress. In terms of weapon informatization, for example, cruise missiles are approaching a low-altitude flight height of 15 meters above sea level, with speeds accelerating toward hypersonic 7–8 Mach; radar characteristics are evolving toward stealth, and navigation mechanisms are improved to GPS + inertial navigation multi-mode composite guidance, enabling cruise missiles to change their targets mid-attack during penetration, unlike the past terrain-matching guidance, which was set months in advance and could not be changed on the spot. In terms of platform informatization, for example, the high-manoeuvrability of fifth-generation combat aircraft, combined with helmet-mounted targeting systems and all-around launch capabilities for air-to-air missiles with an effective range exceeding 100 kilometers, creating an 80-kilometer radius area where enemy aircraft cannot escape. These advancements will bring about significant changes in future air combat, posing severe challenges to air forces worldwide. At the network level, the Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC) based on the network-centric warfare concept connects various platforms in the air, sea (surface and subsurface), land, and even outer space into a dynamic network information family through ultra-wideband digital data links, enabling information sharing through fused threat situation maps. Even if a platform does not activate its radar, it can "see" incoming missiles at long range and prepare to intercept them, giving rise to the revolutionary air combat form known as "silent attack." The emergence of CEC marks the shift from platform-based operations to network-based operations, representing another leap in battlefield characteristics. In the past, the elite army of the Qing Dynasty's China suffered a against the Eight-Nation Alliance in the Battle of Palikao in Beijing, which was based on "cold weapons" and was defeated by operations based on "hot weapons." During World War II, Germany's armored divisions broke through France's Maginot Line, achieving a decisive victory based on platform operations over weapon-based operations. Today, if we fail to recognize the transition from platform-based operations to network-based operations and remain passive in preparing for information warfare, we will once again pay a heavy price in Chinese history. This is the current situation of rapidly developing information warfare in the world, whether we like it or not, we must face it. To address the challenges of the new military revolution and information warfare, and to popularize new military knowledge among the youth, we have organized some military experts to compile this book, "White Dolphin Teenager's Military Knowledge Encyclopedia," with a focus on information warfare. The book begins by introducing modern military affairs and military thought, followed by information warfare weapons, platforms, networks, and systems. However, due to the high level of specialization and academic complexity involved in information processing technology and equipment, this book does not cover these aspects at this time.