TESTING THE UNASSAILABLE CORE: UNITED STATES’S STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION IN RESPONSE TO RECENT UNSAFE AND UNPROFESSIONAL INCIDENTS AT SEA
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Authors
Bancroft, Olivia K.
Subjects
strategic communication
public relations
information operations
incidents at sea
unsafe
unprofessional
United States
China
Iran
Russia
naval
credibility
information
influence
persuade
actions
narrative
messaging
defense
national security
strategic ambiguity
public relations
information operations
incidents at sea
unsafe
unprofessional
United States
China
Iran
Russia
naval
credibility
information
influence
persuade
actions
narrative
messaging
defense
national security
strategic ambiguity
Advisors
Mabry, Tristan J.
Date of Issue
2024-06
Date
Publisher
Monterey, CA; Naval Postgraduate School
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Abstract
After an unsafe or unprofessional incident at sea, the United States’s resulting strategic communication can make the difference between tension and conflict escalation. However, the effectiveness of strategic communication can be difficult to measure. This thesis tests Christopher Paul’s “Unassailable Core” model to measure strategic messaging effectiveness. The Unassailable Core features four key pillars: inform, influence, and persuade; clear objectives; coordination and deconfliction; and actions communicate. The model is applied as a framework to evaluate strategic communication after three cases: a June 2023 incident in the Taiwan Strait between the USS CHUNG-HOON (DDG-93) and a PRC destroyer; an August 2023 interaction in the Strait of Hormuz between the USS BATAN (LHD-5) and several Iranian Revolutionary Guard assets; and a March 2023 episode over the Black Sea involving a U.S. Air Force MQ-9 drone and two Russian SU-27 fighter jets. Ultimately, the Unassailable Core emerged as a valuable tool for assessing the effectiveness of strategic communication efforts by highlighting specific successes and deficiencies in publicly-released communication, especially after consideration of foreign antagonists’ responses. Future research could test the model on other contentious incidents involving the U.S. military, including but not limited to humanitarian and disaster relief missions.
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Thesis
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Distribution Statement
Distribution Statement A. Approved for public release: Distribution is unlimited.
Rights
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.