THE LAND, SPACE, AND CYBERSPACE NEXUS: EVOLUTION OF THE OLDEST MILITARY OPERATIONS IN THE NEWEST MILITARY DOMAINS Jeffrey L. Caton Over the last… [604447]

THE LAND, SPACE, AND CYBERSPACE NEXUS:
EVOLUTION OF THE OLDEST MILITARY OPERATIONS
IN THE NEWEST MILITARY DOMAINS
Jeffrey L. Caton
Over the last century, the domains of air,
space, and cyberspace have joined the traditional
warfighting domains of land and sea. While the
doctrine for land operations is relatively mature, the
doctrine for space and cyberspace continue to evolve
in an often unstructured manner. This monograph
examines the relationships among these domains and
how they apply to U.S. Army and joint warfighting.
It concentrates on the central question: How are U.S.
military operations in the newest domains of space
and cyberspace being integrated with operations in
the traditional domain of land? This inquiry is divided
into three major sections:
• Existing Doctrine: This section explores the
current state of joint and U.S. Army doctrinal
development for each of the domains of land,
space, and cyberspace (as of October 2016).
Note that this work was completed before the
April 2017 release of the Army Field Manual
3-12, Cyberspace and Electronic Warfare
Operations. The discussion assumes the
reader is familiar with the doctrine of land
operations, and thus it focuses more on the
newer and lesser-known domains of space and
cyberspace.
• Operations in Multiple Domains: This section
examines the concept of cross-domain synergy
and its ability to enhance globally integrated
operations. It also examines the existing
processes and entities defined in doctrine that
provide expertise and support to joint force
commanders.
• Future Operations: This section explores
probable future operating environments as
well as the resulting implications for U.S.
Army and joint force development. It also
identifies operational challenges that cut across
all domains. It includes recommendations for
Executive Summary
Strategic Studies Institute and U.S. Army War College Press
policymakers and senior leaders regarding the
future development and integration of space
and cyberspace doctrine.
By their very nature, military doctrine and
operations are works in progress. In general, the
current state of military doctrine in the relatively new
domains of space and cyberspace include adequate
means to support land-based joint operations.
However, knowledge of the nature of these new
domains is not intuitive and understanding their
unique characteristics and capabilities is still a
challenge for the military force writ large. Anticipated
future trends favor the decreased emphasis on
traditional large-scale land operations and increased
frequency and intensity of conflict in space and
cyberspace, perhaps even where these newer domains
may become preeminent for a given operation.
The joint staff’s pursuit of achieving cross-domain
synergy in planning and operations offers a credible
method to face some of the challenges of the future
joint force, but this will likely remain an evolutionary
vice revolutionary endeavor.
The scope of this study extends from current
doctrine toward the anticipated operational
environment over the next 20 years. Material
considered and presented here is limited to
unclassified and open source information; therefore,
any classified discussion must occur via another
venue. This monograph provides cursory summaries
and observations of over a thousand pages of official
joint and service documentation. Thus, it serves as a
synopsis with analysis of the important issues related
to joint operations in land, space, and cyberspace.
This information should allow senior policymakers,
decision makers, military leaders, and their respective
staffs to gain common understanding and professional
appreciation for the wide array of frameworks and

concepts as well as their interconnections. Of course,
the reader should always defer to the full text for
details and context.
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