Editor’s Note (A 2024 Retrospective): When this piece was published in January 2017, Ukraine was already becoming a crucible for modern warfare as Russian-backed separatists engaged in both kinetic and cyber conflict. The article’s emphasis on Ukraine as a testing ground for the next generation of warfare proved prescient in the wake of the full-scale Russian invasion that began in February 2022.
What was once speculation about the merging of cyberwarfare with large-scale military operations has become a stark reality on the battlefield in Kyiv and across Ukraine. The 2022 Russian invasion underscored the interconnectedness of cyber and physical domains, with Russian forces conducting cyberattacks on Ukrainian infrastructure in tandem with missile strikes and ground incursions. As predicted, internet blackouts, GPS (Global Positioning System) jamming, and disinformation campaigns became common preludes to major offensives, demonstrating that digital disruption is as critical to modern operations as artillery fire.
Author Norwood’s foresight regarding the importance of integrating new tactics alongside technology has proven invaluable. Ukrainian forces, with substantial Western support, have innovated rapidly, marrying manpower, cyber capabilities, and advanced technology to resist and even counter Russian aggression. From employing small-unit drone warfare to leveraging artificial intelligence (AI)-driven targeting systems, Ukraine has exemplified the hybrid nature of contemporary battlefields.
Moreover, the suggestion that cyber expertise could become a full-time MOS for military forces aligns with the realities faced by both Ukrainian defenders and NATO allies today.
Cyber defense is no longer a support role—it is a frontline capability.
The West’s ability to observe and learn from Ukraine’s adaptation to Netwar and cyberwar has proven critical to future preparedness, solidifying Norwood’s argument that Ukraine is “an opportunity waiting to be explored.”
What was seen in 2017 as a potential birthplace for the next kind of war has, barely a decade later, now become the epicenter of a conflict that is reshaping the very principles of warfare.
Check out Norwood’s piece below.
Editor’s Note (A 2024 Retrospective): When this piece was published in January 2017, Ukraine was already becoming a crucible for modern warfare as Russian-backed separatists engaged in both kinetic and cyber conflict. The article’s emphasis on Ukraine as a testing ground for the next generation of warfare proved prescient in the wake of the full-scale Russian invasion that began in February 2022.
What was once speculation about the merging of cyberwarfare with large-scale military operations has become a stark reality on the battlefield in Kyiv and across Ukraine. The 2022 Russian invasion underscored the interconnectedness of cyber and physical domains, with Russian forces conducting cyberattacks on Ukrainian infrastructure in tandem with missile strikes and ground incursions. As predicted, internet blackouts, GPS (Global Positioning System) jamming, and disinformation campaigns became common preludes to major offensives, demonstrating that digital disruption is as critical to modern operations as artillery fire.
Author Norwood’s foresight regarding the importance of integrating new tactics alongside technology has proven invaluable. Ukrainian forces, with substantial Western support, have innovated rapidly, marrying manpower, cyber capabilities, and advanced technology to resist and even counter Russian aggression. From employing small-unit drone warfare to leveraging artificial intelligence (AI)-driven targeting systems, Ukraine has exemplified the hybrid nature of contemporary battlefields.
Moreover, the suggestion that cyber expertise could become a full-time MOS for military forces aligns with the realities faced by both Ukrainian defenders and NATO allies today.
Cyber defense is no longer a support role—it is a frontline capability.
The West’s ability to observe and learn from Ukraine’s adaptation to Netwar and cyberwar has proven critical to future preparedness, solidifying Norwood’s argument that Ukraine is “an opportunity waiting to be explored.”
What was seen in 2017 as a potential birthplace for the next kind of war has, barely a decade later, now become the epicenter of a conflict that is reshaping the very principles of warfare.
Check out Norwood’s piece below.
Will Cyberwar Tie Into Ground Warfare?
Ukraine is the setting for what is a giant experiment of the next generation of warfare. Many of the West’s previous understandings of combat and war still weigh heavily in its planning. The US spends and allocates resources toward whatever is necessary to adapt to the future of war. However, much of the focus is on technology alone. But should this be an opportunity to look at new tactics alongside technology, too? A sort of emphasis on Men, Weapons, Equipment, and Computer software.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense is beginning to develop standards of practice for cyber defense. However, many pro-western websites have been brought down.
The Russian-backed separatists wage cyberwar on Ukrainian institutions, sometimes daily. It might not be far into the future when internet blackouts are accompanied by large invading forces.
It’s only a matter of time until the Special Forces Qualification Course adds an MOS (Military Operational Specialty) just for cyber defense and warfare on top of the existing Communications Sergeant. Understanding cyber will require full-time work in a field that’s constantly innovating and changing.
Cyberwar and “Netwar” have been topics of discussion since the 1990’s. Included is the opening excerpt from a paper entitled “Cyber, Netwar, and the Future of Cyberdefense.”
“Over twenty years ago, Arquilla and Ronfeldt warned that both “Netwar” and “Cyberwar” were coming, and could impact the 21st century security landscape as significantly as combined arms maneuver warfare had impacted the security landscape of the 20th. Since that time, the concept of cyberwar has received great attention, while the parallel concept of Netwar has languished, even as its salience to global security has continued to grow. This paper suggests that just as cyber defense organizations have been required to confront cyberwar, netwar organizations, or netwar-savvy Cyberdefense organizations, are increasingly needed to counter Netwar.”
Why Ukraine Matters
Right now, there’s limited stated interest from the President-elect (Donald Trump was also the incoming president at the time of writing) and his national defense team concerning Ukraine. But Ukraine is an opportunity waiting to be explored. Ukraine is a major NATO non-ally and of strategic concern to the US and Europe.
For Europeans, the current debacle presents an existential threat to other NATO allies and European allies, such as Germany and France. For the US, the future of Ukraine is a problem the US will inherit. More importantly, it could be the birthplace of the next kind of war perfected by the Russians and no one else.
The US and its NATO allies cannot improve our understanding of the future of war without practicing it. Ukraine provides, via the Ukrainian soldiers, an opportunity to observe, learn, and implement new strategies of warfare in the digital age.
We’ve nearly perfected close-quarters combat and special operations tactical raids. But war and the strategies of our foes will adapt and move forward.
Napoleon innovated warfare, which propelled and aided him toward conquering.
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