If you follow the conflicts in the Middle East, Vietnam, and modern battlespaces, the issue facing modern commanders is the difference between traditional forces and modern, guerrilla or insurgent forces. Traditional forces fight a war of strength, but insurgencies wage a war of attrition. There are three key components to fixing an asymmetrical situation- logistics, presence, and intelligence.
Logistics are very difficult in an asymmetric battlespace because of the key issue of space. Lines of supply are tempting targets because by crippling caravans you can rob your enemy of resources and force them to withdraw. The solvency to this issue dwells in options- as a military commander, the way to secure resources is to secure methods of acquisition. Land, air, and sea should all be accessible. There is a simply way to promote access, a basic premise dating back to the Roman Empire and even beyond- secure camps. If you can secure a foothold that your enemy cannot crush, you can free yourself from needing to fight a defensive campaign. The way to apply this concept is to establish military cities independent of civilian infrastructure- especially when fighting insurgents who use the civilian infrastructure to strike at bases and presences. These cities would optimally be established on coastlines away from civilian sites to prevent interference. Coastlines open a stable source of resources- sea. Inland bases need to be resupplied by ground convoys or more expensive air routes. Sea is both harder to target by a landlocked enemy, but also allows naval assets to be deployed. However, inland conflicts limit the availability of sea routes. Still the concept of isolated bases as centers of logistics is effective. Furthermore, these ought not be bases or outposts, but entire centers of combat, secured within a radius from civilian centers and monitored by UAV or satellite surveillance. Making an impenetrable foothold is both a boon to morale, but offers a fallback point if anything goes wrong. These centers ought be the largest presence a force deploys.
Presence is an important issue because large forces present tempting targets to ambushes, long range attacks, IEDs and traps. Furthermore, traditional presences are easy to track and difficult to move without alerting hostiles. An alternate presence method is using small, infantry or light vehicle oriented groups that comb the wilderness and engage from long distances. Whatever the situation, it is imperative to know the landscape of a region, and spread forces across various routes to limit the damage potential, and use air or fast ground assets to respond to threats. Slow land assets should be reserved for strategic strikes, and never moved in the open without light, fast cover and recon to insure their security. Drone forces are essential to winning an asymmetrical engagement because they are more disposable than soldiers. Drones can allow expedient movement to dangerous areas because they can soak explosive and armor piercing weaponry, and can pave the way for trained soldiers who can see insurgent reactions and eliminate unsettled or exposed insurgents who react to drones. Aerial recon and attack drones serve as great methods of securing potentially dangerous areas and surveying civilian areas. Land drones can sweep and clear without the risk of catching gunfire or triggering explosives, especially hardy models that can withstand blasts and light gunfire. In addition, deployed land assets should focus on being harder to touch- every vehicle destroyed or soldier killed can be exploited to bolster morale. Blast proof and durable light vehicles are essential to fast, light deployments, provided they can be given exits if the situation gets too tough. Heavy vehicles should always be attached a lighter, faster escort that can sweep the area. All vehicles should be designed to go off road, in order to avoid ambushes and IEDs that are staged along civilian routes. Infantry forces should be small and include marksmen and medics, with air support kept at hand to respond to overwhelming threats. Artillery should be established in safe locations to target any attacks on supply centers or bases, and to support attacks and forays. Engagement with civilian centers should be limited to avoid civilian casualties and the risk of hidden insurgents. Squads should be assigned to learning the terrain and moving off the paths to search for and destroy insurgents, as well as to watch civilian centers from a distance and strike from a range using snipers before heavy engagements begin.
Intelligence is vitally important, but infiltration takes time and is risky. An alternative is UAV and satellite surveillance. While these techniques can be expensive to maintain, a heavy intelligence presence can pay off by revealing enemy positions and warning of impending actions. This advanced warning will enable commanders to react to threats. Forces should also recon- with modern communication technology, there is no excuse for not using recon elements to relay situations on the ground. Light and fast vehicles should sweep ahead at high speeds and search for likely problems and situations, while moving at a speed that would make insurgent responses rushed and ineffective. Infantry squads should be prepared to operate for extended durations and scout positions before conflicts.
Asymmetrical conflicts can only be solved by using less force, not more. Nimble and spontaneous tactics and actions (with the foundation of good intelligence) will enable a larger traditional force to effectively counter a smaller, less centralized, modern force.
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