Modern warfare iswarfare that diverges notably from previous military concepts, methods, andtechnology, emphasizing howcombatants must modernize to preserve their battle worthiness.[1] As such, it is an evolving subject, seen differently in different times and places. In its narrowest sense, it is merely a synonym forcontemporary warfare.
In its widest sense, it includes all warfare since the "gunpowder revolution" that marks the start ofearly modern warfare, but other landmark military developments have been used instead, including the emphasis of artillery marked by theCrimean War, themilitary reliance on railways beginning with theAmerican Civil War, the launch of the firstdreadnought in 1905, or the use of themachine gun,aircraft,tank, orradio inWorld War I.[2]
In another sense, it is tied to changingconventional warfare, includingtotal war, andindustrial,mechanized, andelectronic warfare. It can describe warfare resulting from the use or threats ofweapons of mass destruction, includingchemical,biological,radiological, andnuclear warfare.[3] It can describeasymmetric warfare, involvingviolent non-state actors,guerilla warfare,low-intensity conflict, andcounter-insurgency.[4] It can also describe the expansion of warfare to new domains, includingspace warfare andcyberwarfare, as well aspsychological warfare andinformation warfare.[5]
Some argue that the changing forms ofthird generation warfare represents nothing more than an evolution ofearlier technology.[6]
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Aerial warfare is the use ofmilitary aircraft and other flying machines in warfare. Aerial warfare includesbombers attacking enemy concentrations orstrategic targets;fighter aircraft battling for control of airspace;attack aircraft engaging inclose air support against ground targets;naval aviation flying against sea and nearby land targets;gliders,helicopters and other aircraft to carryairborne forces such asparatroopers;aerial refueling tankers to extend operation time or range; andmilitary transport aircraft to move cargo and personnel.
A military situation in which twobelligerents of unequal strength interact and take advantage of their respective strengths and weaknesses. This interaction often involves strategies and tactics outside conventional warfare.
Biological warfare, also known as germ warfare, is the use of any organism (bacteria, virus or other disease-causing organism) or toxin found in nature, as a weapon of war. It is meant to incapacitate or kill enemy combatants. It may also be defined as the employment of biological agents to produce casualties in man or animals and damage to plants or material; or defense against such employment. Biological warfare involves the intentional release of living pathogens either in their naturally occurring form, for example the diseased corpses of animals, or in the form of specific human-modified organisms.
Chemical warfare is warfare (associated military operations) using the toxic properties of chemical substances to incapacitate or kill enemy combatants. Chemical warfare nerve agents are potent anticholinesterase compounds deliberately formulated to induce debilitating effects or death during wartime hostilities. A key need for both community emergency preparedness, and restoration of military installations where agents have been processed and/or stored, is access to concise and timely information on agent characteristics and treatment, as well as health-based exposure guidelines derived in a clear manner by contemporary methods of data analysis.
Electronic warfare refers to mainly non-violent practices used chiefly to support other areas of warfare. The term was originally coined to encompass the interception anddecoding of enemyradio communications, and the communications, technologies, andcryptography methods used to counter such interception, as well asjamming, radio stealth, and other related areas. Over the later years of the 20th century and early years of the 21st century, this has expanded to cover a wide range of areas: the use of, detection of, and avoidance of detection byradar andsonar systems,computer hacking, etc.
Fourth generation warfare (4GW) is a concept defined byWilliam S. Lind and expanded byThomas X. Hammes, used to describe thedecentralized nature of modern warfare. The simplest definition includes any war in which one of the major participants is not a state but rather a violent ideological network. Fourth Generation wars are characterized by a blurring of the lines between war and politics, combatants and civilians, conflicts and peace, battlefields and safety.
While this term is similar to terrorism and asymmetric warfare, it is much narrower. Classicalinsurgencies and theIndian Wars are examples of pre-modern wars, not 4GW. Fourth generation warfare usually has the insurgency group or non-state side trying to implement their own government or reestablish an old government over the one currently running the territory. The blurring of lines between state and non-state is further complicated in a democracy by the power of themedia.
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Ground warfare involves three types of combat units:infantry,armor, andartillery.
Infantry in modern times would consist ofmechanized infantry andairborne forces. Usually having a type ofrifle orsub-machine gun, an infantryman is the basic unit of an army.
Armored warfare in modern times involves a variety ofarmored fighting vehicles for the purpose of battle and support.Tanks or other armored vehicles (such asarmored personnel carriers ortank destroyers) are slower, yet stronger hunks of metal. They are invulnerable to enemy machine gun fire but prone to rocket infantry, mines, and aircraft so are usually accompanied by infantry. In urban areas, because of smaller space, an armored vehicle is exposed to hidden enemy infantry but as the so-called "Thunder Run"[clarification needed] at Baghdad in 2003 showed, armored vehicles can play a critical role inurban combat. In rural areas, an armored vehicle does not have to worry about hidden units though muddy and damp terrain have always been a factor of weakness for tanks and vehicles.
Artillery in contemporary times is distinguished by its large caliber, firing anexplosiveshell orrocket, and being of such a size and weight as to require a specialized mount for firing and transport. Weapons covered by this term include thehowitzer,cannon,mortar, andfield gun (collectively calledcannon artillery,gun artillery ortube artillery) androcket artillery. The term "artillery" has traditionally not been used for projectiles with internalguidance systems, even though some artillery units employsurface-to-surface missiles. Recent advances in terminal guidance systems for small munitions has allowed large caliber shells to be fitted with precision guidance fuses, blurring this distinction.
Guerrilla warfare is defined as fighting by groups ofirregular troops (guerrillas) within areas occupied by the enemy. When guerrillas obey thelaws and customs of war, they are entitled, if captured, to be treated as ordinaryprisoners of war; however, they are often treated by their captors asunlawful combatants and executed. The tactics of guerrilla warfare stress deception and ambush, as opposed to mass confrontation, and succeed best in an irregular, rugged terrain, and with a sympathetic populace, whom guerrillas often seek to win over or dominate by propaganda and reform. Guerrilla warfare has played a significant role in modern history, especially when waged by Communist liberation movements in Southeast Asia (most notably in theVietnam War) and elsewhere.
Guerrilla fighters gravitate toward weapons which are easily accessible, low in technology, and low in cost. A typical arsenal of the modern guerrilla would include theAK-47,RPGs, andImprovised explosive devices. The guerrilla doctrines' main disadvantage is the inability to access more advanced equipment due to economic, influence, and accessibility issues. They must rely on small unit tactics involving hit and run. This situation leads tolow intensity warfare,asymmetrical warfare, andwar amongst the people. The rules of Guerrilla warfare are to fight a little and then to retreat.
Propaganda
Propaganda is an ancient form of disinformation concerted with sending a set of messages aimed at influencing the opinions or behavior of large numbers of people. Instead of impartially providing information, propaganda in its most basic sense presents information in order to influence its audience. The most effective propaganda is often completely truthful, but some propaganda presents facts selectively to encourage a particular synthesis, or gives loaded messages in order to produce an emotional rather than rational response to the information presented. The desired result is a change of the cognitive narrative of the subject in the target audience.
Psychological
Psychological warfare had its beginnings during the campaigns ofGenghis Khan through the allowance of certain civilians of the nations, cities, and villages to flee said place, spreading terror and fear to neighboring principalities.Psychological actions have the primary purpose of influencing the opinions, emotions, attitudes, and behavior of hostile foreign groups in such a way as to support the achievement of national objectives.
Information
Made possible by the widespread use of the electronic media during World War II,Information warfare is a kind of warfare whereinformation and attacks on information and its system are used as a tool ofwarfare. Some examples of this type of warfare are electronic "sniffers" which disrupt international fund-transfer networks as well as the signals oftelevision andradio stations. Jamming such signals can allow participants in the war to use the stations for amisinformationcampaign.
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Naval warfare takes place on the high seas (blue water navy). Usually, only large, powerful nations have competent blue water or deep water navies. Modern navies primarily useaircraft carriers,submarines,frigates,cruisers, anddestroyers for combat. This provides a versatile array of attacks, capable of hitting ground targets, air targets, or other seafaring vessels. Most modern navies also have a largenaval aviation contingent, deployed fromaircraft carriers.[dubious –discuss] In World War II, small craft (motor torpedo boats variously called PT boats, MTBs, MGBs,Schnellboote, or MAS-boats) fought near shore. This developed in theVietnam War into riverine warfare (brown water navy), in intertidal and river areas.Irregular warfare makes this sort of combat more likely in the future.
Network-centric warfare is essentially a newmilitary doctrine made possible by theInformation Age.Weapons platforms,sensors, andcommand and control centers are being connected through high-speed communication networks. The doctrine is related to theRevolution in Military Affairs debate.
The overall network which enables this strategy in theUnited States military is called theGlobal Information Grid.
New generation warfare is a Russian military theory of unconventional warfare based on theGerasimov doctrine which prioritizes the psychological and people-centered aspects over traditional military concerns, and emphasizes a phased approach of non-military influence such that armed conflict, if it arises, is much less costly in human or economic terms.
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Nuclear war is a type of warfare which relies onnuclear weapons. There are two types of warfare in this category. In a limited nuclear war, a small number of weapons are used in a tactical exchange aimed primarily at enemy combatants. In a full-scale nuclear war, large numbers of weapons are used in an attack aimed at entire countries. This type of warfare would target both combatants and non-combatants.
Space warfare is the hypothetical warfare that occurs outside theEarth's atmosphere. As of 2025, no wars have been fought here yet. The weapons would includeorbital weaponry andspace weapons. High valueouter space targets would includesatellites,military satellites andweapon platforms. Notably no real weapons exist in space yet, though ground-to-space missileshave been successfully tested against target satellites. As of now, this is purelyscience fiction.
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