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If we acknowledge that the new principles of war are no longer “using armed force to compel the enemy to submit to one’s will,” but rather are “using all means, including armed force or non-armed force, military and non-military, and lethal and non-lethal means to compel the enemy to accept one’s interests.” – (Qiao Liang and Wang Xiangsui, PLA)
A state of armed conflict between different countries or different groups within a country is called war. From the day first the wars and conflicts exist in human history. Clash of interest is the cause of conflict or war. The states could not exist in isolation, they are interdependent, they have to interact with each other, in such interaction process, the powerful states exploit the weaker ones.
By the time of the advancement of technology, warfighting has also been changed. Defeating enemy is an ultimate goal which is achieved by applying, utilizing all resources and applying all means. Warfighting tactics have been transformed from simple to complex, from small to large scale wars. We are living in 5thgeneration warfare from 1sttravelling from 2nd, 3rd and 4th generation warfare now the less lethal but more destructive warfare era.
First-generation warfare depended on manpower, the largest number of warriors strong men fighting physically. In ancient times battles were fought with massed manpower using line and column tactics. The armies were uninformed, soldiers were governed by the state. Then comes the second generation of warfare, the invention of the breech-loading rifled musket meant longer range, greater accuracy, and faster rate of fire. Marching ranks of men straight into a barrage of fire from such weapons would cause tremendous rates of casualties, so a new strategy was developed.
The use of tanks, mechanized infantry, and close air support, the military were able to quickly break through linear defenses and capture the rear where the elements of 3rd generation warfare. The contributions of the third generation were based on the concept of overcoming technological disadvantage through the use of clever strategy.
The evolved form of insurgency warfare witnessed during the Chinese Revolution and later in Vietnam and Afghanistan has been called fourth-generation warfare. In fourth generation warfare, state fought with nonstate actors fighting for the interest of sponsoring state. All means of war fighting are utilized economic, social, political and military power is utilized to convince the enemy‘s political decision makers that their strategic goals are either unachievable or too costly for the perceived benefit. It is an evolved form of insurgency.
Evolution of 4thGeneration Warfare was comparatively quick and has been the dominant form of warfare for many years, it‘s time for 5th Generation Warfare to make an appearance. Things would be bad enough with just fourth generation opponents but as the research on global guerrillas has borne out, a new more dangerous generation is forming: potentially the 5th generation of warfare.
Fifth generation warfare will result from the continued shift in political and social loyalties to causes rather than nations. This century is all about biology, rising food demand and thus dependencies intensify by climate change.
Welcome to 5 Generation Warfare, It’s not physically violent but it’s culturally, socially, and economically destructive, which is the ultimate goal of any war: political defeat.4thGeneration War was network against the state. Think Al-Qaeda vs. America. 5th Generation War is network against the network, market against the market, community against community.
India, US, Afghanistan, NATO, Kashmir, War on terror, fundamentalists, sectarian divide, nuclear proliferation, derailed economy, corruption, food, and energy crisis, natural disasters, bad governance, water crisis, sub-national, Raymond Davis, Osama operation, and off late NATO attack on Salala check post. What else complexities are needed to define a nation right into the most complicated war in the world. Present day challenges for Pakistan are unprecedented among the nations. Pakistan is combating against own allies of one front on another front.
Are we in a 5thGeneration War?
In case, the right realization is there it will bring an outright response. This evolving generation of warfare demands something extra then routine strategic and military planning and preparation. Evolution of national strategy must take place, side by side with evaluating trends in warfare. National institutions like National Security Council (NSC) and Defense Cabinet Committee must evolve a mechanism which should provide constant feedback to these institutions. Independent think tanks like Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI) and Islamabad Strategic Studies Institute (ISSI) are best suited for the task.
Economic infrastructure should be able to defend itself against global recessions, enemies sabotage, and natural disasters. The economy should ensure a continuous supply of food and energy, as both will ensure sound economy in turn. It is recommended that DCC or NSC should also consider such matters as vital for country‘s defense and must suggest policy guidelines to all institutes, govt. departments and private sector as well.
Resources of a nation must not only be available in abundance but also be able to replace it with each other. For example, if the country is in the shortage of food, it’s military or Diplomatic resource should be able to ensure uninterrupted supply from other nations. Media policy and instrument has to be designed that it should ensure national interest and also appear as free and unbiased. A major chunk of this war is information warfare, media and its use have to be given due importance. Last but not the least, military muscle should be strong, flexible enough to absorb and respond to evolving trends in warfare.
As discussed above, the military muscle must be robust and strong enough to respond to emerging threats. There is a large debate among defense circles about conventional and unconventional responses. It is immaterial, whether the threat is conventional or unconventional we have to respond. Rather it is suggested that today 5thGeneration Warfare threats are conventions of the day and more focus be placed on these. Fifth-generation warfare will result from the continued shift of political and social loyalties to causes rather than nations. It will be marked by the increasing power of smaller and smaller entities and the explosion of biotechnology.
5th generation warfare truly is a nets-and-jets war. Whoever is first to recognize, understand, and implement a generational change can gain a decisive advantage. Conversely, a nation that is slow to adapt to generational change opens itself to catastrophic defeat.
To counter the fifth generation warfare threats we must identify them. The threats are not originated from religious extremism, but also from political and economic deprivation amongst the ethnic communities. In Baluchistan, Gilgit Baltistan and even in Sindh and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, the lack of development, poor access to health facilities and education, joblessness are generating frustrations.
The MQM under Altaf Hussain and the Baloch Liberation Front (BLF) under Allah Nazar Baloch were both culpable of violence rooted in this politico-economic deprivation. The state should wake up and address the economic and political injustices of all deprived communities through genuine political reforms that empower people at the local level. Infrastructural developments in communications, water supply, health and education with the focus on poverty elimination should be the key sectors of our national security policy. There should be zero tolerance for extremism and exploitation of people in the name of religion or ethnic division should be another key area of the strategy.
There should be reforms in madrasah syllabus and there should be registration along with control of funding be monitored. The state needs to wrest back the control of the mosques from the clerics. If in Turkey, Malaysia, and UAE the mosques and Friday sermons could be regulated why the same can’t be done in Pakistan. If we do not address the root cause and avoid the reforms, the statuesque will remain there.
The threat of the fifth generation war can only be countered through a bold and multi-dimensional national strategy, according to due weight to military and non-military components.
