Submit a Manuscript to the Journal
International Journal of Intelligence and CounterIntelligence

For a Special Issue on
Intelligence in Asymmetric Conflict

Russia and China are increasingly pursuing asymmetric strategies and tactics to achieve national objectives while avoiding the expense and consequences of conventional military engagements with a peer or superior forces. This includes the use of irregular or proxy forces, public opinion influence campaigns that have mis- and disinformation, attempts to revise the existing global norms and standards states are expected to follow, efforts to reduce cohesion in possible adversaries, and sowing doubt about attribution and the correct, proportional, responses or deterrents. Their low signal strength makes detection and analysis difficult.

In militaries, asymmetric conflict is conducted through special operations. This includes covert missions crossing international boundaries, psychological and influence operations, training, reconnaissance, relationship building or disruption, and sabotage. Special operations intelligence may teach how the intelligence community can approach asymmetric conflict. Similarly, the rest of the intelligence enterprise may have tools, methods, and information that could assist special operations intelligence or be used in new ways for asymmetric conflict between great powers.

This special issue welcomes papers that address the following questions:

• How can intelligence provide awareness, warning, and estimative analysis for asymmetric conflict? Is this solely a function of data and analysis?
• Are there elements of special operations intelligence used to increase intelligence community effectiveness in asymmetric conflict? Similarly, are there elements of non-special operations intelligence to improve special operations intelligence? What are they, what benefit, and how might this integration happen? This ranges from training, education, and workforce management, to equipment, data, analysis, relationships, culture, organization, or other items.
• Are there aspects of intelligence for special operations, or intelligence-at-large, that require new thinking or re-design? If so, why, what are they, and how should they be fixed?
• Can existing intelligence definitions, authorities, roles, and responsibilities cope with asymmetric conflict? If so, how can they be applied? What changes are needed, and how might this be done? What can liberal societies do to ensure that their defining values and civil and human rights remain intact?
• Information is central in asymmetric conflict, including mis- and disinformation, speed of transmission, degrees of group and individual belief, and sheer volume. How can intelligence provide its consumers with valuable insights in the face of this reality? This can include data, analysis, intelligence/consumer relationships, mutual understanding, partnerships, or other issues.

We expect this special issue to be published online in Winter 2022 and a hardcopy to be released in early 2023.  Manuscripts should be 4,000 to 8,000 words, Chicago Style format.

Editors: Dr. Alessa and CDR James Valentine, USCG (Ret)

Submissions, proposals or questions: Contact James Valentine [email protected]

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