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The term Fifth-Generation War has become a favorite acronym in Pakistan with media, politicians etc , without the majority imbibing its true meanings,partially due to its evolving nature & the fact that the theoretical construct often neglects insights about the enduring nature .
In order to gain an insight into its concept and the changing character of war, it is imperative to refer to earlier generations of warfare. While the first three generations of warfare were clearly delineated, the Fourth Generation Warfare (4GW) obscures more than it explains.
The term was first used in 1989, after the demise of the Cold War era, by US analysts to describe warfare’s return to a decentralized form. Fifth Generation Warfare , once thought to be a generation too far in scope, has arrived & is irreversibly changing the dimensions of war.
In its definition, non-state warriors fight nation states out of sheer frustration without clear political objectives.The definition impedes an otherwise broad spectrum concept of warfare by confining its attributes to non-state actors, frustration & void in political objectives.
It could be foreign sponsored by an ideological movement with well-defined political objectives and the motive besides frustration could be self-generated or instigation like in the case of “Arab Spring” of 2011 (concept driven by @MeFixerr’s speech at #mediaactivists seminar)
In addition to the manner in which it expands the basic elements of war, 5GW has three distinct characteristics:Potential to achieve supra-combinations, blur the boundaries that have traditionally restricted warfare within a specified political range and ....
... And It’s Ability to limit the role of modern combined arms mechanized force in future conflict. 5GW is confronting Pakistan with an evolving strategic paradigm, a new type of war, where the enemy is not a defined entity but a movement and as a war of ideas against ideology .
Because war is a social institution that evolves along with changes in societies, political entities and technologies, if Pakistan is to maintain its security,we must also look beyond the war on terror and prepare ourself for the ascension of 5GW.
Some plausible manifestations in the context of Pakistan could be the use of media to propagate against the State & its institutions, cyberattacks, fake news, social media, money laundering, secessionist movements in Baluchistan, sectarian strife by raising slogans like blasphemy
The primary objective of these activities is to mar the credibility of the State, create a wedge between Army & the Executive, create mass unrest and portray Pakistan unsafe for foreign investment and as a failed state.
There is an urgent need to revive the national spirit, fervor and the Ideology of Pakistan, local governments should provide channels of communications and implementation of reform policies & need to be empowered at the grass root levels by improving governance & accountability
Data in today’s world is a National Asset. We have no safeguards for the protection of data and hence the need to take measures to secure data and turn it into an important cog in policy-making.
Cyber-warfare provides easy disruption options for the malfunctioning of government and financial institutions without detection of the originators hence Cyber Security needs to be worked on.
Media Management both through internal principles, ethics and censorship of news against national interests / institutions can also help us mitigate the challenges & wholesome analyses of the threats in the spectrum of 5GW, Hybrid Warfare to streamline response parameters.
Maddrassas Reforms & Curriculum Is already on the plate for the very first time in this country, This is again a very good step to counter modern warfare. Pakistan is facing multiple threats to its sovereignty both by internal elements and hostile external factors.
These challenges call for a wide ranging discourse for an in-depth understanding of this ever evolving threat spectrum and gearing up all elements of national power to mount a potent response.
