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[wikipe] Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia Search [ ] Search * Create account * Log in [ ] Personal tools * Create account * Log in Pages for logged out editors learn more * Contributions * Talk Contents move to sidebar hide * (Top) * 1History * 2Characteristics * 3See also * 4References [ ] Toggle the table of contents Fifth-generation warfare [ ] 2 languages * l`rby@ * Zhong Wen Edit links * Article * Talk [ ] English * Read * Edit * View history [ ] Tools Tools move to sidebar hide Actions * Read * Edit * View history General * What links here * Related changes * Upload file * Special pages * Permanent link * Page information * Cite this page * Get shortened URL * Wikidata item Print/export * Download as PDF * Printable version From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Warfare conducted without the use of lethal force [220px-Guardsmen_train_for_cybe]United States Cyber-guards during training in preparation for cyberwarfare. Fifth-generation warfare (5GW) is warfare that is conducted primarily through non-kinetic military action, such as social engineering, misinformation, cyberattacks, along with emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and fully autonomous systems. Fifth generation warfare has been described by Daniel Abbot as a war of "information and perception".^[1] There is no widely agreed upon definition of fifth-generation warfare,^[2] and it has been rejected by some scholars, including William S. Lind, who was one of the original theorists of fourth-generation warfare.^[3] History[edit] The term 'fifth-generation warfare' was first used in 2003 by Robert Steele. The following year, Lind criticised the concept, arguing that the fourth generation had yet to fully materialize.^[4] In 2008, the term was used by Terry Terriff,^[5] who presented the 2003 ricin letters as a potential example, but stated that he was not entirely sure if it was a fifth-generation attack, claiming "we may not recognize it as it resolves around us. Or we might look at several alternative futures and see each as fifth generation."^[5] Terriff argued that while fifth-generation warfare allows "super-empowered individuals" to make political statements through terrorism, they lack the political power to actually have their demands met.^[6] Characteristics[edit] Alex P. Schmid said that fifth-generation warfare is typified by its "omnipresent battlefield", and the fact that people engaged in it do not necessarily use military force, instead employing a mixture of kinetic and non-kinetic force.^[7] In the 1999 book Unrestricted Warfare, by colonels Qiao Liang and Wang Xiangsui of the People's Liberation Army, they noted that in the years since the 1991 Gulf War , conventional military violence had decreased, which correlated to an increase in "political, economic, and technological violence", which they argued could be more devastating than a conventional war.^ [8] On the contrary, Thomas P. M. Barnett believes that the effectiveness of fifth-generational warfare is exaggerated, as terrorism conducted by individuals, such as Timothy McVeigh or Ted Kaczynski, lacks the support of more organized movements. This was seconded by George Michael, who noted that in the United States, gang violence was responsible for far more deaths than lone wolf terrorist attacks.^[9] L.C. Rees described the nature of fifth generation warfare as difficult to define in itself, alluding to the third law of science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke - "any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."^[10] See also[edit] * Counterinsurgency * New generation warfare * Radicalism (politics) * Subversion References[edit] 1. ^ Abbott, Daniel (2010). The Handbook of Fifth-Generation Warfare . Nimble Books. p. 20. 2. ^ Michael, George (2012). Lone Wolf Terror and the Rise of Leaderless Resistance. Vanderbilt University Press. p. 156. 3. ^ Abbott, Daniel (2010). The Handbook of Fifth-Generation Warfare . Nimble Books. p. 125. 4. ^ Abbott, Daniel (2010). The Handbook of Fifth-Generation Warfare . Nimble Books. p. 209. 5. ^ ^a ^b Terriff, Terry (2008). Global Insurgency and the Future of Armed Conflict. Routledge. p. 42. ISBN 9780415413572. 6. ^ Terriff, Terry (2008). Global Insurgency and the Future of Armed Conflict. Routledge. p. 50. ISBN 9780415413572. 7. ^ Schmid, Alex (2011). The Routledge Handbook of Terrorism Research. Routledge. p. 167. 8. ^ Michael, George (2012). Lone Wolf Terror and the Rise of Leaderless Resistance. Vanderbilt University Press. p. 157. 9. ^ Michael, George (2012). Lone Wolf Terror and the Rise of Leaderless Resistance. Vanderbilt University Press. p. 166. 10. ^ Abbott, Daniel (2010). The Handbook of Fifth-Generation Warfare . Nimble Books. p. 15. * Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title= Fifth-generation_warfare&oldid=1174258782" Categories: * Cyberwarfare * Military doctrines * Military operations by type * Psychological warfare * Social engineering (political science) * Warfare by type * 21st-century conflicts Hidden categories: * Articles with short description * Short description matches Wikidata * This page was last edited on 7 September 2023, at 09:15 (UTC). * Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 4.0 ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia(r) is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. * Privacy policy * About Wikipedia * Disclaimers * Contact Wikipedia * Code of Conduct * Developers * Statistics * Cookie statement * Mobile view * Wikimedia Foundation * Powered by MediaWiki * Toggle limited content width