Slashdot Mirror
UK Sets Up Internet-Savvy Army Unit
An anonymous reader sends word that the UK Army is establishing a dedicated unit for fighting wars in the information age. The 77th Brigade will specialize in non-lethal, psychological operations that involve the internet and social media. The army says it's learned through its operations in Afghanistan that there are fights to be won not just on the battlefield, but online as well. "In some senses it's defensive - trying to present the case from this side against opponents who hold many of the cards. We've seen with Islamic State, its incredible capability on the net, Facebook, Instagram and all the rest." The new unit will "try to influence local populations and change behavior through what the Army calls traditional and unconventional means." The army also stressed that they're looking for ways that citizens with the right skills could work alongside the 77th Brigade.
This is my sockpuppet. There are many like it, but this one is mine.
My sockpuppet is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life.
My sockpuppet, without me, is useless. Without my sockpuppet, I am useless.
really need to recruit Private Browsing for this unit.
Every war these days depends on public opinion, both local and foreign. Without it, there are no recruits and there is no funding. If you can eliminate those, you've disposed of a lot of potential enemy combatants without bloodshed.
Supporter of the +1 Over Dramatic mod option. In memory of apk.
I'll say this... being a cyberwarrior is probably the best job if you can get it. I mean... the worst that can happen is some LEET HAXOR could PWND you... :P
So instead of your head popping like a ripe melon because some sniper shot a lead slug through your face... you just get a little nerd rage at the enemy, take another sip of your caffeinated beverage of choice and carry on.
I've decided to stop wasting my time responding to AC trolls/sockpuppets... so if you want a response from me... login.
In honor of the WWII 79th Armoured Division, that contained all the special purpose vehicles that were so useful during D-Day and beyond.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
Even though I'm a libertarian and generally oppose this kind of thing, I understand why this is needed.
Over the last 20 years the landscape of warfare has changed dramatically, probably more so than any other period in history. The age of nation-states waging war against nation-states is largely over. Now we're basically seeing inter-state civil wars. That is, regular civilians picking up arms for a cause not tied to a given state, and declaring war against other civilians that aren't of any specific state.
By civilians I mean they don't wear a uniform and they don't fly a specific flag, meaning they don't fit any definition of a soldier according to any international laws.
Islamic terrorists are only one such belligerent, you've also got eco terrorists and the occasional (and pretty rare these days) communist who is still hell bent on violent liberation of the proletariat, and then the anti-abortion fanatics.
What you said is certainly true, and has been for a long time. Now, psyops is even more important. The US and UK could have turned Iraqi cities into glass parking lots very quickly, if they decided to do mass bombings like WWII. Germany had serious air defenses, yet the allies utterly destroyed large sections of major cities. Undefended Iraqi cities would be like bombing fish in a barrel. Destroying the enemy is no longer considered an allowable goal, though. The new goal is to persuade the general population to see things our way.
You don't win friends by exploding them. Hardware can remove the existing leadership, but the rest is PR.
... propaganda.
It little behooves the best of us to comment on the rest of us.