Cognitive warfare

The basic idea behind fifth-generation warfare is that in the modern era, wars are not fought by armies or guerrillas, but in the minds of common citizens. 5th-Gen warfare is an extension of Asymmetric and Insurgent Warfare strategies and tactics, whereby both conventional and unconventional military tactics and weapons are incorporated and deployed, including exploitation of political, religious and social causes. This new gradient of warfare uses the internet, social media and the 24 hour news cycle to change cognitive biases of individuals and/or organizations. It can be conducted by organized or unorganized (ergo decentralized) groups; it may be led by nation states, non-nation state actors and organizations, non-governmental organizations or even individuals. A key characteristic of 5th Gen warfare is that the nature of the attack is concealed. The goal is to disrupt and defeat opponents by creating new cognitive biases.

The 5GW Hand book goes on to define fifth generation warfare as:

• A war of information and perception;
• Targets existing cognitive biases of individuals and organizations;
• Creates new cognitive biases;
• Is different from classical warfare for the following reasons:

1. Focuses on the individual observer / decision maker
2. Is difficult or impossible to attribute
3. Nature of the attack is concealed

For each successive decade beginning with the 1990s, US Presidents had announced additional decades long projects involving the brain, with 2000-2010 being the Decade of Behavior Project, followed by mapping of the brain, artificial intelligence, etc. all organized and funded through the Office of Science and Technology Project (OSTP) and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Medical, military and scientific research was part of a long range plan to extend MK-Ultra’s mind control* to the population at large under the cover of medical science, and was simultaneously connected to the development and funding of the pharmaceutical industries research and development of new brain-altering drugs.

(**MKUltra is the code name of an illegal human experimentation program designed and undertaken by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The experiments were intended to develop procedures that could be used in interrogations to weaken individuals and force confessions through brainwashing and psychological torture. MKUltra used numerous methods to manipulate its subjects' mental states and brain functions, such as the covert administration of high doses of psychoactive drugs (especially LSD) and other chemicals, electroshocks, hypnosi sensory deprivation, isolation, and verbal and sexual abuse, in addition to other forms of torture.)

By 2024, NATO’s Allied Command Transformation was developing the Cognitive Warfare Concept to combat disinformation and defend against cognitive warfare. This initiative aimed to understand and counteract adversaries’ efforts to manipulate public opinion and disrupt decision-making processes. The concept outlined strategies to enhance NATO’s cognitive resilience, protect military capabilities, and strengthen public trust. It also integrated cognitive warfare considerations into NATO’s defense planning and capability development, ensuring preparedness in an information-influenced environment.