Military Review English Edition May-June 2016

Old Generation Warfare The Evolution— Not Revolution—of the Russian Way of Warfare Maj. Nick Sinclair, U.S. Army T he post-Cold War honeymoon with Russia is over. Russia’s seizure of the Crimea and the subsequent conflict to annex the Donbas imperils the legitimacy of the NATO alliance. U.S. allies on NATO’s eastern flank foresee the same aggression occurring in their countries and, having endured Moscow’s suzerainty for over a half century, these nations prefer freedom to vassalage. Consequently, U.S. military professionals must reacquaint themselves with the Russian way of warfare. The U.S. Army Operating Concept defines Russia as a “competing power” and a “harbinger of future conflict.”1 Moreover, the National Security Strategy speaks of the United States leading the effort toward “countering Russian aggression.”2 Russian Way of War One element of Russian resurgence that captivates Western defense circles is the emergence of new generation warfare (NGW). However, there is evidence to suggest that Russian actions are not new at all, but altogether consistent based on historical precedents. Russia has adapted its traditional 8 methods—not created entirely new ones— based on political, economic, informational, and technological changes in the operational environment.3 Analyzing the ends, ways, and means of NGW shows historical consistencies with Russian approaches to warfare combined with adaptations based on the current operational environment. Strategic Ends In April 2014, Janis Berzins wrote a well-received paper for Latvia’s National Defense Academy in which he defined Russian NGW. In his paper, Berzins argues that one aspect of Russia’s military strategy is “doctrinal unilateralism, or the idea that successful use of force results in legitimacy.”4 Russian desires for security are manifested by the expansion of their borders into areas where they perceive threats or instability. A few prominent Russian experts note that the Russian mindset is “the best May-June 2016 MILITARY REVIEW

Military Review English Edition May-June 2016 | Page 10