BLUF

This article argues that the US should use Net Assessment to understand how an adversary might use the electromagnetic spectrum to attack the US and how to counter such an attack.

Summary

US National Security Strategies are intended to:

  • Describe US security objectives and challenges.
  • Analyse government plans to use its national power in achieving its goals.
  • Provides an overview of where the government's tools are inadequate to meet its goals.

The article argues that Net Assessment (NA) might be usefully applied to analysing how an adversary might use the electromagnetic spectrum  (EM-spec) to attack the US. The article makes the following points:

  • NA involves evaluating trends in a competitors strategy over at least ten years and how adversaries might have interacted in the past.
  • NA can focus on the fundamental asymmetries*—e.g., China's fusing of its civilian and military EM-Spec technology.
  • The most significant risk is that the US might find itself badly disrupted across the EM-Spec and unable to respond appropriately.

Think about how Australia would defend itself against an attack on its civilian and military EM-Spec structure.

 

*Strategic asymmetries describe how one competitor differs from an-other.

Learn more about Net Assessment when applied to the electromagnetic spectrum

References