Center of gravity in the asymmetric environment applicable or not?
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Authors
Kelly, Rodney D.
Subjects
Advisors
Grahlman, Richard
Date of Issue
2006-06
Date
Publisher
Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School
Language
Abstract
The military concept of a Center of Gravity (COG) in conflicts, introduced by Carl von Clausewitz in the 1820s, is now an element of numerous military doctrines that planners draw on in designing strategies for winning wars. Over the last twenty-five years, the concept has become increasingly central to U.S. warfare doctrine. The world has changed a great deal since the introduction of COG. And in today's asymmetric environment, in which non-state actors use unconventional tactics, it is becoming extremely difficult to apply the COG concept. The primary reason for this difficulty is that non-state actors do not operate as a unitary body, which makes it difficult to target a COG that would lead to a decisive victory. The purpose of this thesis is to analyze both conflicts in which state-sanctioned militaries' applied the COG concept and conflicts in which non-state actors used asymmetric tactics. The thesis attempts to determine the applicability of COG in an asymmetric environment. If the Center of Gravity concept is determined inapplicable, then the U.S. military must either redefine it or create a new means to deal with this new type or warfare.
Type
Thesis
Description
Series/Report No
Department
Organization
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Identifiers
NPS Report Number
Sponsors
Funder
Format
viii, 65 p. ;
Citation
Distribution Statement
Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.