Publications
Parameters, 38/3, Autumn 2008, pp.18-25
The US Army, US Marine Corps, and other observers have also concluded that EBO:
* Assumes a level of unachievable predictability.
* Cannot correctly anticipate reactions of complex systems (for example, leadership, societies, political systems, and so forth).
* Calls for an unattainable level of knowledge of the enemy.
* Is too prescriptive and overengineered.
* Discounts the human dimensions of war (for example, passion, imagination, willpower, and unpredictability).
* Promotes centralization and leads to micromanagement from headquarters.
* Is staff, not command, led.
* Fails to deliver clear and timely direction to subordinates.
* Uses confusing terminology and is difficult to understand
The Israel Defense Forces' (IDF's) use of EBO during the Israeli- Hezbollah conflict in the summer of 2006 is informative. Other critical warfighting functions, such as campaign design and planning, combined arms training, command and control (C2) relationships, and so forth, were overlooked or neglected in favor of EBO operating principles designed to create a consciousness of victory for friendly forces and a cognitive perception of defeat for enemy forces. In Technology and training are key enablers to gain advantages over our adversaries, but no amount of technology or training will enable us to accurately predict reactions of complex systems.
Keywords: IDF; Second Lebanon War
* Assumes a level of unachievable predictability.
* Cannot correctly anticipate reactions of complex systems (for example, leadership, societies, political systems, and so forth).
* Calls for an unattainable level of knowledge of the enemy.
* Is too prescriptive and overengineered.
* Discounts the human dimensions of war (for example, passion, imagination, willpower, and unpredictability).
* Promotes centralization and leads to micromanagement from headquarters.
* Is staff, not command, led.
* Fails to deliver clear and timely direction to subordinates.
* Uses confusing terminology and is difficult to understand
The Israel Defense Forces' (IDF's) use of EBO during the Israeli- Hezbollah conflict in the summer of 2006 is informative. Other critical warfighting functions, such as campaign design and planning, combined arms training, command and control (C2) relationships, and so forth, were overlooked or neglected in favor of EBO operating principles designed to create a consciousness of victory for friendly forces and a cognitive perception of defeat for enemy forces. In Technology and training are key enablers to gain advantages over our adversaries, but no amount of technology or training will enable us to accurately predict reactions of complex systems.
Keywords: IDF; Second Lebanon War
The opinions expressed in INSS publications are the authors’ alone.