Warfare, Unconventional

Unconventional warfare (UW) is the use of military force in ways that are typically unexpected and nontraditional. Often, governments consider it advantageous to execute military actions in a manner that is deniable or that can achieve strategic effects without requiring full-scale, conventional warfare. This is the role of UW. UW options have become more prevalent in a world that is increasingly more interconnected through media, electronic communications, economic systems, and reliable intercontinental air travel. Typically, the more limited collateral damage of UW options can assuage wider conflict.

Background

Unconventional warfare is a relatively modern institution, though its origins can be traced back centuries. Perhaps one of the earliest recorded uses of UW was in the ancient Greek tale of the Trojan horse, wherein the walls of Troy ...

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