Evaluating the U.S. Military's Development of Strategic and Operational Doctrine for Non-Lethal Weapons in a Complex Security Environment

<p>The end of the Cold War gave rise to a complex security environment resulting in a fundamental shift of focus from unrestricted warfare against a well-defined enemy towards a wide variety of military operations other than war (MOOTW) characterized by urbanized terrain joint expeditions non-state actors and asymmetric threats. However it is in exactly this kind of complex environment that non-lethal weapons (NLWs) can make major contributions by enabling more effective political-military strategies and potentially changing the nature of war itself. To date no joint doctrinal guidance on NLWs has been published. As a result of a lack of NLWs doctrine there is an increased risk that NLWs supporting activities develop inefficiently haphazardly and possibly ineffectively. Thus the central question is whether service publications or doctrine training leader development organization materiel and soldier support (DTLOMS) exist which provide the US Government's or services' policies and goals of its application of NLWs in a complex security environment? Four major areas are analyzed: military doctrine's role in shaping future technologies the purpose of joint doctrine the dynamics of MOOTW and peace support operations (PSOs) and finally services as well as joint implementation and exploration of NLWs doctrine.</p><p>This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore you will see the original copyright references library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world) and other notations in the work.</p><p>This work is in the public domain in the United States of America and possibly other nations. Within the United States you may freely copy and distribute this work as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.</p><p>As a reproduction of a historical artifact this work may contain missing or blurred pages poor pictures errant marks etc. Scholars believe and we concur that this work is important enough to be preserved reproduced and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.</p><br>