Understanding NATO Strategic Communications

LTC Rita LePage

22 October 2014

2

REFERENCES

• PO (2009) 0141, NATO StratCom Policy, 29 Sep 09

• MCM-0085-2010 Revised, NATO Military Concept for Strategic Communications, 11 Aug 10

• IMSWM-0051-2011, NATO Strategic Communication Military Capability Implementation Plan (CIP), 21 Feb 11

• SHAPE ACO Directive (AD) 95-2, StratCom, 21 May 12

3

Emergence of StratCom in NATO

The Information Age

Global Economy

Interlinked networks

Information is as critical as energy and capital

Global Audience

Real-time 24 X 7 news cycle; Blogs; Satellite TV; Smart Phones

Waning control over information movement / access

Global Society

Information crosses borders and creates groups

Erosion of traditional Nation-state system

4

Emergence of StratCom in NATO

Key Factors

- maturing of internet-based comms

-video, net-based, access

- connectivity: social media as ‘force multiplier’

- ‘actions’ speak louder than ‘words’ philosophy

- understanding actions have comms impact

… therefore…

- need for comms coord function at strategic level

- examine, analyze, coordinate all elements

5

Key Factors (cont’d)

- increasingly complex op environment (COIN)

- increasingly saturated info battle-space - increasingly sophisticated insurgent comms - maturing NATO Info Ops capacity & capability

- maturing NATO PsyOps capacity & capability

Emergence of StratCom in NATO

6

Definition – NATO StratCom Policy

The coordinated and appropriate use of NATO

communications activities and capabilities –

Public Diplomacy, Public Affairs (PA), Military

Public Affairs, Information Operations (Info Ops)

and Psychological Operations (PSYOPS), as

appropriate – in support of Alliance policies,

operations and activities, and in order to

advance NATO’s aims.

~ PO(2009)0141, dated 29 Sep 09

7

Definition: ACO Directive

In cooperation with NATO HQ, the coordinated

and appropriate use of Military PA, Info Ops and

PSYOPS which, in concert with other military

actions and following NATO political guidance,

advances NATO’s aims and operations.

~ AD 095-002, 21 May 12

8

StratCom … what is it?

StratCom is a mechanism of influence!

Influence spectrum ranges from:

“inform” as the most “indirect” form to “coerce” as the most “direct” form of influence

9

StratCom is about…

• understanding & engaging audiences to advance

interests & objectives by affecting perceptions, attitudes,

beliefs & behaviours

• aligning actions, images, words to support policy and

planning, to meet overarching strategic objectives

• all operations and activities have a critical

communication component because everything NATO

says and does, or fails to say and do, has intended and

unintended consequences, with intended and unintended

audiences

10

Required Capabilities

1) Coordinate IA with other military

actions

7) Develop / disseminate messages

based on Narratives

5) Detect, translate effects of SC

efforts of friendly, neutral or

adversarial parties

3) Assess, produce, maintain

knowledge on audiences’

perceptions, etc.

4) Assess, produce, maintain

knowledge on complex social

communication systems like the

Media, SM

6) Estimate effects of actions on

perceptions, etc.

2) Coordinate IA with agencies /

partners

9) Document NATO ops & exercises

and disseminate info in real time

8) Develop / disseminate info to

influence approved audiences

11

StratCom requires…

…an organizational culture attuned to the

information environment and a recognition that

StratCom, as a way to achieve information effects,

consists of many capabilities that are an integral

part of the commander’s arsenal.

12

Information Environment (IE)

The physical, virtual and cognitive space in which

information is collected, processed, perceived,

disseminated and acted upon. It consists of

individuals, organizations and information systems

as well as the information itself.

13

Mindset

Under a StratCom MINDSET, the

success of the mission is directly

related to our level of

understanding of the environment

we are in!

14

Behavioural Dynamics Institute

15

Instruments of Power

U.S. Military Doctrine

INFORMATION

MILITARY

DIPLOMACY ECONOMIC

NATO AJP-3.10

16

“Mechanics” of StratCom

Matching Words and Deeds

D

E

Strategic

Communication

Elements of

National Power

Lethal and

I

M

Nonlethal

S

C

Target

Audience(s)

Policy

Feedback

Feedback

I

I

I

I

17

Comms Disciplines

Info Ops

PsyOps Public Affairs

Intent Coord activities to

create desired effects

on will, understanding

and capability

Influence perceptions,

attitudes and

behaviour

Improve public

awareness &

understanding: enhance

credibility

Audience

Adversaries, potential

adversaries and other

NAC-approved parties.

NAC-approved target

audiences within the

area of operations

Allied, International,

Regional, Local &

Internal

Scope

Kinetic & Non-Kinetic

EW, PsyOps, Mil

Deception, KLE, CNO

NATO owned or

controlled media

outlets and means of

communication

Non-Kinetic Media,

Internet, Internal

Communications

18

Communications “then”

Adversary /

Parties to Conflict

Population

Theatre

Own Population,

International Community

Own Soldiers

PD PA

Info Ops

PSYOPS Mil PA

“Social Media”

“Media”

19

StratCom “Now”

PD PA

Info Ops

PSYOPS Mil PA

“Social Media”

“Media”

StratCom

Consistent

Communication

20

Coordination

21

AIM of NATO StratCom

Ensure NATO audiences, in nations or within a

region where the Alliance operates, friendly or

adversarial receives truthful, accurate and timely

information, allowing them to understand and

assess NATO’s actions and intentions. This also

seeks to deter aggression and promote NATO’s

aims and objectives …

~ NATO Military Concept for StratCom, 27 Jul 10

22

StratCom Aims

StratCom aims to affect perceptions,

attitudes and beliefs of key publics in support

of Strategic / Political / Military objectives

Is in the domain of the mind, will and emotion

This is the cognitive domain in which

perceptions affect attitudes and behaviours

23

The Pol / Mil Nexus

All aspects of NATO activities have a critical

communications component. StratCom is not an adjunct

activity but an inherent part of the planning and conduct

of all military ops and activities. As part of the

overarching political-military approach to StratCom, the

vision is to put Strategic Communication at the heart of

all levels of military policy, planning and execution…

~ NATO Military Concept for StratCom, 27 Jul 10

24

The Pol / Mil Nexus

Everything NATO and its partners say, do, or fail to do

and say, has intended and unintended consequences.

Every action, word, and image sends a message, and

every member is a messenger.

Every operation, even the smallest tactical engagement

can have StratCom consequences, and unintended

audiences are unavoidable in the global info

environment…

~ NATO Military Concept for StratCom, 27 Jul 10

25

MINDSET

CNN -- U.S. troops pulled down a giant statue of Iraqi Pres Saddam Hussein hours after tanks rolled into Baghdad …Before the statue fell, a Marine draped a U.S. flag over the head of the statue… …a gesture that drew a muted reaction from the crowd, gasps in a Pentagon briefing room, and anger from a commentator on the Arabic news network.

The Guardian -- A soldier climbed up the jib, hooked the

chain around Saddam's neck, and produced a US flag, which

he draped over the Iraqi leader's head.

… an Iraqi commentator on the BBC was aghast, and you

could almost hear the shouts from CentCom's PR

department in Qatar: "Get that flag down, now!"

26

Marine: Flag a symbol of liberation, not occupation

Thursday, April 10, 2003 Posted: 1912 GMT ( 3:12 AM HKT)

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- A U.S. Marine told CNN Thursday

he meant no disrespect when he draped an American flag

over the face of a statue of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein

in a central Baghdad square before the Marines tied the

statue to a tank recovery vehicle and pulled it down.

Many Arabs both in and out of Iraq were displeased with the

display Wednesday before the Marines toppled the statue,

saying the act came too close to declaring a U.S. occupation

of Baghdad.

But Cpl. Edward Chin told CNN's Paula Zahn that the display

of the American stars and stripes, and the subsequent

removal of that flag and hanging of a pre-Gulf War Iraqi flag,

were "more like a symbol that we were here to give (Iraqis)

their country back."

Chin: Iraqis were "exhuberant"

VIDEO

CNN's Paula Zahn

talks with Cpl. Edward

Chin, a U.S. Marine

who placed an American flag on a

statue of Saddam Hussein.

27

Military Implications

Military planners seeking to integrate StratCom

into operational planning from the earliest stages,

as called for in the NATO StratCom Policy, must

also consider the communication impact of the

critical operational non-lethal and lethal elements

of military ops…

~ NATO Military Concept for StratCom, 27 Jul 10

28

Military Planning

The major challenge is to expand the planning

culture so that non-kinetic tools and the

cognitive domain are consistently and

completely addressed in every planning

problem and throughout each phase of

execution.

29

SUMMARY

StratCom is a mindset and a process

StratCom is COMMAND LED!

StratCom is a fundamental and inseparable aspect of

planning – narrative could (should?) lead operational

planning & execution

All mil actions & words effect the Info Environment –

the environment in which perceptions matters and

StratCom is key

Words and actions must be consistent (say-do gap)

30

Commander Quotes on StratCom:

Adm Mike Mullen, Chairman, US Joint Chiefs of Staff

“We’ve come to believe that messages are something we

can launch downrange like a rocket, something we can

fire for effect …

We need to worry a lot less about HOW to communicate

our actions and much more about WHAT our actions

communicate.”

Questions?