A Dutch vehicule movement rolls down the road during Joint Viking 2017 .
Which Epistemology ?
Within the scope of any war studies , epistemology represents the sources of knowledge related to current planning .
Diagram 2- Relationship through the 4 analytical level
12 LAND POWER
For the terrain walk , these are :
-The comprehensive context : What are the relevant drivers to assess the daily life in the studied area ? -Geography : What are the human and terrain factors by country or region ? -History of war : Do studies of 19th Century ’ s Wars , WWI , WWII and Cold War in the studied areas offer a useful vision or a burden to the planners ? -The conduct of war : How relevant are the principles of war facing the dawn of hybrid warfare or the information age ? And how this terrain walk could help to better understand the three essentials in fighting ( first underlined by Colonel J . F . C . Fuller in 1923 ): Move , Strike and Protect , and needs to be upgraded with Influence today .
So what ?
As a student of war and a military critic , any planner should consider that this tour is only the starting point to a better understanding of the current issue : How to protect the studied area facing hybrid and cyber threats ? Methodology and Epistemology are the two drivers to progress in a relevant terrain walk and cross-staff working group .
John R . Allen . Former Commander of the NATO International Security Assistance Force ( ISAF ) and U . S . Forces in Afghanistan .
“ Planning is really the hallmark of any large military formations , and it ’ s typically a weakness in new formations and new armies .”
John R . Allen