The Joint Force in a Contested and Disordered World

Anticipating that more adversaries around the world, to include both state and non-state actors,
will develop advanced capabilities to threaten critical U.S. interests in cyberspace, the Joint Force
must be prepared to conduct Cyberspace Disruption to attack adversary assets and impede their
ability to adversely affect the unrestricted use of cyberspace by the United States. Offensive cyber
operations will impose costs on adversaries by identifying and exploiting their cyber
vulnerabilities, and may include distributed denial of service attacks, targeted cyber denial
measures, and actions to physically impair military systems through cyberspace. Additionally, the
Joint Force may conduct proportional cross-domain operations to physically damage an
adversary’s cyber infrastructure, using weapons operating in other domains to suppress enemy
cyber defenses and specifically strike their critical cyber infrastructure. Furthermore, these
operations should be coupled with defensive cyber efforts to block adversary responses, and might
include the use of autonomous or semi-autonomous cyber defense systems or the activation of war
reserve networks when peacetime networks are unavailable.
The future security environment will feature well-organized states or even powerful non-state
entities seeking to take advantage of weak and fragile states. In certain situations, the United States
might want to prevent an adversary from violating the integrity of a state or block an adversary
from benefitting from an already shattered state or region. Therefore, the Joint Force may conduct
Defense Support to Stabilization to disrupt an adversary attempting to take advantage of a
disordered state or region. These missions might focus on strengthening local partners by isolating
and degrading adversary proxy forces through unconventional warfare or targeted strikes and raids.
Furthermore, the Joint Force might conduct blocking operations designed to impede the sources
of external influence, control, and support to local proxies. This may include the enforcement of
multi-domain exclusion zones, the use of cross-border punitive raids, or military support to a local
resistance movement opposing the targeted adversary. Finally, these missions may also include
activities to prevent adversaries from seizing and using fissile materials and warheads, and
chemical/biological agents and precursors.
Impose Change and Enforce Outcomes
In the most dangerous cases, some adversaries will pursue strategic goals
that are intolerable to the United States. In these cases, the Joint Force will
force compliance by adversaries to a new and sustainable equilibrium
protected by the United States, its allies, and partners. When the United
States decides to impose change and enforce preferred outcomes, the
military tasks associated with this enduring strategic goal are:
Compel. To employ the Joint Force to force an adversary to mentally
or physically submit to U.S. preferences, priorities, and arrangements.
Destroy. To employ the Joint Force to render adversary capabilities
physically unusable or to cause its political or military structures to
cease to exist as a distinguishable entity.
The Joint Force must be prepared to fully defeat adversaries directly
threatening the United States or the global system of allies, rules, and
norms that it supports by ensuring that they are no longer willing or able
to present a threat to U.S. interests. Consequently, the Joint Force will
Figure 9. Missions to
Compel or Destroy
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