Shock and Awe: Achieving Rapid Dominance

Shock and awe (technically known as rapid dominance) is a military doctrine based on the use of overwhelming power, dominant battlefield awareness and maneuvers, and spectacular displays of force to paralyze the enemy's perception of the battlefield and destroy its will to fight. The doctrine was written by Harlan K. Ullman and James P. Wade in 1996 and is a product of the National Defense University of the United States.

Ullman and Wade identify four vital characteristics of rapid dominance:
1) Near total or absolute knowledge and understanding of self, adversary, and environment;
2) Rapidity and timeliness in application;
3) Operational brilliance in execution; and
4) Near total control and signature management of the entire operational environment.

Shock and awe is most consistently used by Ullman and Wade as the effect that rapid dominance seeks to impose upon an adversary. It is the desired state of helplessness and lack of will. It can be induced, they write, by direct force applied to command and control centers, selective denial of information and dissemination of disinformation, overwhelming combat force, and rapidity of action.

The doctrine is presented here in an authoritative edition, meticulously edited and formatted for Nook.