The 4th generation conflict and the evolution of irregular warfare

Abstract

As  a  consequence  of  profound  poli-tical,  economic,  psycho-social,  military and  scientific-technological  transforma-tions after the Second World War, the 4th Generation Warfare, differently from the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Generations, introduced the  presence  of  non  state  actors  on  the ideological-political   armed   confronta-tions that marked the second half of the 20th century. Its main characteristic was the  intensive  use  of  tactics,  techniques and procedures of irregular warfare, un-derscoring  subversion,  guerrilla  and  ter-rorism. When the Union of the Soviet So-cialist Republics (USSR) broke up and the Cold War ended, 4th Generation Warfare has,  unquestionably,  become  the  armed conflict of the 21st century. With the ad-vent  of  the  Islamic  radical  fundamenta-lism, transnational terrorism has become the  main  instrument  of  coercion  for  the diversified  kinds  of  non  state  organiza-tions  in  different  regions  of  the  world. This essay presents lessons learned from current  planning  and  conduct  of  opera-tions against irregular forces focusing  the strategic,  operational  and  tactical  levels, in different operational environments.