By Rana Danish Nisar
From ontologically to contemporary, the paradigm shift and transformation has been seen in the advancement in technology particular arms & munitions equipment, warfare techniques and strategies, artificial intelligence, privatization of wars, grey zones warfare, irregular, symmetric and asymmetric wars, cyber terrorism etc.
Today’s war is not like the previous one, not even the same as the previous decades. Unquestionably, it’s a journey from Kinetic to non-kinetic wars,from conventional to non-conventional but horrible wars. With the aim to start the understanding about 5th generation warfare, the present piece of writing will try its best to give a brief but understandable synoptic review on the common understanding about the previous versions of warfare before explaining 5th generation warfare.
During the ancient times, armies tried to fight with swords and other very short range weapons. Those types of wars were fought with swords, lancers, knives, grinderies, little guns and sharp boondoggles. Categorically, those wars were fought really in the larger battlegrounds as well as trenches and away from the burgess, towns, villages and from anthropological living. The above mentioned describes shortly the 1st generation of warfare. Moving ahead, in the 2nd generation of warfare, the hotheaded and volatile weapons were used by the offensive as mindsets against each other. The history has witness about the catastrophic statistics of World War I. there were approximately 20 million deaths along with 21 million wounded. (1) Moreover, the estimated cost of World War I was roughly 32 Billion US$ which was 52% of gross national product at the time. (2)
The WW I is a shining example of 2nd generation warfare. With the advancements in Air as well as Naval munitions along with Army orientated weapons, the tragedy of war was entirely changed which is commonly known as 3rd generation war. The naval and air forces were playing their domineering roles besides the ground armed troops. The nuclear catastrophe in Japan’s twin cities “Nagasaki and Hiroshima”, which is ordinarily remembered as a turning point of WWII in the favor of Allied forces. The Korean War 1950, Indo-China war 1962, Indo-Pakistan war 1965 and Indo-Pakistan 1971 wars respectively are the living graphics of the 3rd generation. The 4th generation warfare can be traced during the 70s era, when the proxy war, psychological wars, propagandas were the part of bloody power politics and the fragment of war strategies. The “Kao Plan ” and military as well as economic assistance to “Mukti Bahini (Bangladesh Forces)” by India against Pakistan is the blooming episode of India-Pakistan relations history. The consequences were horrible as the dissolution of Eastern Wing of Pakistan. The Vietnam War and the role of “Ho Chi Minh” will be remembered by the globe. The 4th generation warfare could be said as “Hybrid Wars” in which the innocent people/civilians are funded economically and with numerous other resources and trained with new warfare strategies, tact and thoughtfulness against the formal armies.
The inauguration and rise of Taliban and development of Pamphlets in the favor of “Taliban” during the 1970s and 1980s era against the Soviet invasion in Afghanistan is the proper example of “Hybrid war”. Now, the 21st century is the 5th generation warfare era. In very simple words, it is the silent Poison which can damage the roots of the enemy without telling them. In this generation of warfare, all the previous techniques can be practiced with the aim to accomplish the desired desire. It has no doubt now, that today warfare and power-politics have been totally changed owing to rapid transformations i.e. “Geo-security, Geo-economics, Geo-strategic, Hypersonic missiles, supersonic missiles, Terrorism, Nuclear terrorism, socio-economic warfare, cyber-terrorism, Digital terrorism, Digital threats, Biological threats, biological terrorism, tactical nuclear nukes, digital suicides, ultra smart and advance munitions, Pro-max digital weapons, WMD ruses, Demographic warfare, psychological warfare, media terrorism, economic based terrorism, finical based terrorism, networking terrorism, modern space battlefields, ocean battlefields, Proliferating intelligence terrorism and many mores”. John Mearsheimer inks that in this anarchic world of International politics, it is better to be Godzilla than Bambi because in the time of emergency and if you dial the number 911, no one will rescue in the debauched times even will not pick up the call. Quietly, John disagrees with Waltz ‘thoughts of security maximization and “Status-quo” wisdom but “Power Maximization”. The history has witness that states are power maximizer rather than security maximizer. The more you are powerful, the security is by-product consequently.
With the rise of 5th generation warfare, Pakistan has multiple challenges vis-à-vis India particularly. With the other objectives, this type of warfare has the aim to demoralize the targeted army and innocent nation. Indeed, this warfare follows the notion of “Whosever, howsoever, wherever and whatever” and implements this wisdom on the innocent nations and tries to do “brain-washing” against their own beloved state. Interestingly, 5th generation war is utterly undeclared, impromptu, spontaneous, very jumbled and chaotic and undisciplined with more catastrophic.
Moreover, this warfare has the power to organize the artificial orientated natural tragedies, disasters and cataclysm. The main purpose of this warfare is to make hatred rift among the state institutions and nations, particularly among the army and their beloved civilians, destabilize the economy, formulate proxies and devaluation of the state’s currency on global markets and inter-state banks. In addition, the artificial shortage of basic necessities of life, economic and financial sanctions, diplomatic isolation at global and regional level are also the part of this 5th generation poison. Pakistan is facing serious challenges as mentioned above. In the context of conventional and kinetic orientated warfare/threats, No doubt Pakistan has a serious traditional security threat vis-à-vis India. India is much more powerful militarily as compared to Pakistan. There’s no comparison between 10 billion US$ and 70 billion US$ defense budget. Moreover, Indian is largest arms importer with the acquisition of advance weapons i.e. Drones, UAVs, S-400 defense system, Hypersonic, supersonic missiles etc. According to SIPRI, both countries Pakistan and India are acquiring more and more nuclear nukes but Indian has more advanced technology in nuclear weapon context i.e. ICBMs and Indian nuclear weapons are more progressive.
In a non kinetic war context without any doubt, India is fighting surely, confidently and assertively a 5th generation war against Pakistan, with the aim to undo Pakistan. The Indian intelligence named RAW is playing its role via digital and computerized numerical data sharing confidential and strategic information with the motive to create chaos in Pakistan. There are millions of fake accounts on Facebook, Instagram and whatsapp groups where they are doing “Brain-washing” of innocent civilians. They are creating and spreading fake news via the media regarding the shortage of food, defaming political leaders, denigrating army officials etc. they are creating a huge gap among armed forces and civilians and establishing hatred sentiments in the heart of people against their enemy.
By using the terrorism card, India is trying its best to defame Pakistan regionally and globally and try its best to isolate Pakistan diplomatically. The Indian global diaspora is singing hate songs against Pakistan on a global level. The FATF sanctions, IMF loans restrict conditions for Pakistan are the output of Indian diaspora efforts.
Here, Pakistan needs radical reforms domestically and for external borders. Moreover, diplomatically, Pakistan should revisit its foreign policy regarding neighboring countries, regional and global level. The Pakistan academic intellectuals should aim to publish patriotic publications which could be helpful to raise the wisdom of nationalism and patriotism among nations. Additionally, PEMRA should regulate all social applications and ban all electronic media which have doubts that either they are trying to defame their beloved country.
The intelligence agencies should also monitor the fake social accounts and banking accounts regarding the arrival of black money and money laundering. Apart from the character assassination, the media should play its role to uplift country’s positive character and must show the positive aspect of the country. The political leaders and parties should avoid defaming each other and avoid creating political polarization in the country for their own fable interests. The democratic values should be promoted which can build-up integration and love among the masses and consequentially create a harmonious environment and protection of internal sovereignty.
(1) World War I casualties- Centre Europeen Robert Schuman”, http://www.centre-robert-schuman.org (accessed date May 20, 2022)
(2) The Economics of World War I”, NBER, January 01, 2005, https://www.nber.org/digest/jan05/economics-world war-i (accessed date May 20, 2022).
Rana Danish Nisar – The author is a PhD (International Relations) Student at the School of Politics and International Studies (SPIS). He holds Mphil in (International Relations), Masters in (Pakistan Studies), and Masters in (International Relations) degrees. He won acceptance Harvard Project for Asian and International Relations HPAIR (USA), 2017. His research interests are broadly in South Asian Affairs, South Asia Geo-Politics, India-Pakistan Relations, South Asian Nuclear Politics, US and South Asia, Indian Ocean, Security studies, South Asian developments studies.
(The views expressed in this article belong only to the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of World Geostrategic Insights).