Introduction

Abstract

This book offers a multidisciplinary treatment of targeting. Historically, destruction of enemy forces and equipment has been the primary, albeit not exclusive, means of securing ultimate victory. Today, after a long evolutionary process and enabled by technological developments, the contemporary effects-based approach in targeting aims to achieve specified effects on and beyond the battlefield. It involves ‘affecting’ a variety of intended audiences through a combination of military and other means and methods of warfare which vary from classic military kinetic lethal actions, such as employing bombs, guns or torpedoes, to ‘unorthodox’ non-military, non-kinetic and non-lethal activities like financial actions, lawfare and information operations. This volume comprises three parts. Part I explores the context of targeting, covers the evolution of targeting and explains the current targeting process and characteristics. Part II offers an overview of the legal and ethical constraints on targeting as an operational process. Part III surveys contemporary issues in targeting such as the potential advent of autonomous weapon systems, ‘non-kinetic’ targeting, targeting in multinational military operations and leadership decapitation in counter-terrorism operations. It is intended for use in military training and educational programmes, as well as in Bachelor and Master degree-level courses on topics such as War Studies and Strategic Studies.