The three articles in this special edition are a result of an intellectual and practical journey of more than three years. It was initiated as a result of the ambitious will to confront western confusion over the issue of how to currently plan and conduct military operations.
This is not a minor or simple issue but rather a very deep and complex one. The depth of the problem is illustrated by two decades of constant debate on ways to define the problem and the response. The complexity is the product of the notion that current military operations allegedly contradict western values, and nowadays military force structures and decision making processes.
These articles do not just intend to define the problem but to analyze its roots and present a solution that take into consideration the constraints and obstacles inherent to transformation.
In the first article, we wish to identify the concepts that are the main obstacles for the much needed critical analysis and paradigmatic shift in military doctrine. The essence of this article is the refutation of the concepts which are hindering this development.
In the second article, we try to define the concepts of operations that have been implemented in practice. Our basic approach is that current weapons are suitable enough to confront the challenge, and that real adaptation is needed in the approach to operations. The essence of transformation is a revised concept which realizes both a short term and long term vision.
In the third article, we define a simple point of departure for a transformative work plan that will bring the much needed response. This is crucial in order to emphasize that the implementation of our overall approach is possible and practical, and as theoreticians and practitioners we can back it.
We hope this Infinity Journal special edition will give a fresh perspective to a crucial debate.
We dedicate this publication to the memory of our beloved friend IDF Brigadier General Giora Segal, a military thinker and practitioner, and our partner in the post operational age journey. May his soul rest in peace.