CHALLENGES IN USING IRS STRUCTURES IN UNCONVENTIONAL OPERATIONS IN THE CURRENT SECURITY CONTEXT
CHALLENGES IN USING IRS STRUCTURES IN UNCONVENTIONAL OPERATIONS IN THE CURRENT SECURITY CONTEXT

Author(s): Cristian-Octavian Stanciu, Valeriu-Adrian Jianu
Subject(s): Politics / Political Sciences, Politics, Security and defense, Military policy, ICT Information and Communications Technologies
Published by: Carol I National Defence University Publishing House
Keywords: Intelligence; Surveillance; Reconnnaissance; Unconventional operations;
Summary/Abstract: The unpredictability of the security environment, amplified by the current conflict in Ukraine, increasing presence of unconventional operations in modern conflicts, create the premises for a real challenge in the use of ISR structures in support of decision-makers at all levels. The current Russian-Ukrainian conflict demonstrates the existence of a broad unconventional approach both before and during the conduct of classical military action. The acceleration of the deteriorating economic relations between the Euro-Atlantic states on the one hand and the Russian Federation on the other, but also the effects of the pandemic will contribute to the continuation of tensions between the two blocs, as these appear to have an economic, energetic, sanitary and social agenda to surpass the moment and redirect and channel their own resources towards solving problems of an internal nature. The definition of unconventional operations is a topic of debate for military theorists in all modern armies, the line between conventional (classical) and unconventional (non-classical) being increasingly difficult to achieve. For ISR elements, the combination of hybrid, asymmetric, network-based, mosaic-type information operations is a turning point in trying to change the paradigm of information support in all confrontational environments, in the current security context. The diversity of unconventional operations, the permanent emergence of new features and different approaches of some state or non-state actors, represent a real challenge for ISR structures, both from a national and allied perspective. The unpredictability of the security environment, amplified by the current conflict in Ukraine, the increasing presence of unconventional operations in modern conflicts, create the premises for a real challenge in the use of ISR structures in support of decision-makers at all levels. The current Russian-Ukrainian conflict demonstrates the existence of a broad unconventional approach both before and during the conduct of classical military action. The acceleration of the deteriorating economic relations between the Euro-Atlantic states on the one hand and the Russian Federation on the other, but also the effects of the pandemic will contribute to the continuation of tensions between the two blocs, as these appear to have an economic, energetic, sanitary and social agenda to surpass the moment and redirect and channel their own resources towards solving problems of an internal nature. The definition of unconventional operations is a topic of debate for military theorists in all modern armies, the line between conventional (classical) and unconventional (non-classical) being increasingly difficult to achieve. For ISR elements, the combination of hybrid, asymmetric, network-based, mosaic-type information operations is a turning point in trying to change the paradigm of information support in all confrontational environments, in the current security context. The diversity of unconventional operations, the permanent emergence of new features and different approaches of some state or non-state actors, represent a real challenge for ISR structures, both from a national and allied perspective.

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