{"id":12873,"date":"2019-01-16T21:23:49","date_gmt":"2019-01-16T21:23:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/uncategorized\/2019\/01\/16\/chinas-first-steps-before-going-to-battle\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T17:57:12","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T17:57:12","slug":"chinas-first-steps-before-going-to-battle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/c2-comms\/2019\/01\/16\/chinas-first-steps-before-going-to-battle\/","title":{"rendered":"China\u2019s first steps before going to battle"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before engaging in a battle that features carriers or fighter jets, China will try to gain an advantage in the information sphere and to reduce confidence in the military systems of its adversaries, such as GPS and sensors, a new Department of Defense report asserts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <a href=\"http:\/\/www.dia.mil\/Portals\/27\/Documents\/News\/Military%20Power%20Publications\/China_Military_Power_FINAL_5MB_20190103.pdf\" target=_blank>new report, released<\/a> by the Defense Intelligence Agency, provides an assessment of the Chinese military and states that China views controlling the \u201cinformation domain\u201d as a prerequisite for victory in modern war. This tactic is essential for countering outside intervention in a conflict.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/cyber\/2017\/06\/07\/dod-s-assessment-of-china-s-information-capabilities\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"202\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/china-computers.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">DoD&#8217;s assessment of China&#8217;s information capabilities<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">DoD released its annual assessment of China&#039;s military capabilities.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">More broadly, the People\u2019s Liberation Army\u2019s concept of the information domain and information operations includes \u201cthe network, electromagnetic, psychological, and intelligence domains.\u201d The Chinese version of the \u201cnetwork domain\u201d and corresponding \u201cnetwork warfare\u201d is similar to the U.S. concept of the cyber domain and cyberwarfare, the report said. To improve in these areas, the Chinese created the Strategic Support Force in 2015 and reorganized many of these disciplines under this single entity. This structure includes all information related capabilities such as cyber, space, communications, electronic warfare and psychological operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The agency\u2019s report mentions PLA military writings that detail the effectiveness of information operations and cyberwarfare in modern conflicts. The PLA suggests targeting adversary\u2019s command and control and logistics networks to deter the enemy\u2019s ability to operate during the early stages of a conflict.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/c2-comms\/2017\/03\/22\/breaking-down-chinas-electronic-warfare-tactics\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"191\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/635919176591424321-philippine-us-militaryjpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Breaking down China\u2019s electronic warfare tactics<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Russia has garnered attention with its advanced electronic warfare capability, and China has upped its game in this space as well.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The report also cites an authoritative source identifying an adversary\u2019s command-and-control system as \u201cthe heart of information collection, control, and application on the battlefield. It is also the nerve center of the entire battlefield.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In addition, the Strategic Support Force also could be responsible for research, development, testing and fielding of certain \u201cnew concept\u201d weapons, DIA said, to include directed energy and kinetic energy weapons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pentagon leaders have taken notice of this reorganization, and in some cases made corresponding moves to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/it-networks\/2017\/12\/05\/why-the-marine-corps-needed-a-new-deputy-commandant\/\" target=_blank>better align information-related capabilities under one entity<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/your-military\/2017\/12\/05\/why-the-marine-corps-needed-a-new-deputy-commandant\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"190\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/CoverStory_2.jpg_c5b84d.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Why the Marine Corps needed a new deputy commandant<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The Marine Corps has reorganized its leadership and forces to reflect a new reality: that information will play an outsized role in any future conflict.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In August 2018, Gen. John Hyten, commander of U.S. Strategic Command, said U.S. commands must be better integrated and noted the structure of the Strategic Support Force. China has organized space, counter space, cyber, offensive cyber, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance in the same command because they understand the need to integrate information, he <a href=\"https:\/\/www.c4isrnet.com\/show-reporter\/dodiis\/2018\/08\/14\/to-win-future-conflicts-combatant-commands-must-be-integrated\/\" target=_blank>said<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><b>Cyber capabilities<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to a senior defense official, the Chinese see cyberspace as critical to the information environment. Pentagon leaders have previously assessed that the Strategic Support Force, could be the first steps toward creating a cyber command for China, mimicking some organization aspects of U.S. Cyber Command.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Chinese military leaders merged their military and cyber capabilities together with their electronic warfare and space capabilities because they wanted to more effectively disrupt adversaries in a time of conflict, the U.S. official said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">DIA\u2019s report also points to three areas in which the Chinese military could use cyber capabilities to support military operations. They include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8211; Relying on cyber reconnaissance to better plan cyber attacks,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8211; Establishing information dominance in the early stages of a conflict to constrain an adversary\u2019s actions or slow information warfare activities,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8211; Expecting that cyber will act as a force multiplier when coupled with conventional capabilities during a conflict.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A new report released by the Defense Intelligence Agency explains why the Chinese military could target command and control systems before any conflict begins.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":32906,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":8,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":{"10":{"categories":["pentagon","asia-pacific","global"],"primary_category":"pentagon"}}},"categories":[8,106,29,32],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3268],"class_list":["post-12873","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-c2-comms","category-daily-brief","category-home","category-newsletters"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"EYAVPIZO2VF3HMEHD72VTXQ3ZQ","arc_canonical_url":"\/c2-comms\/2019\/01\/16\/chinas-first-steps-before-going-to-battle\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented 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