Non-Kinetic Shaping Operations: The Soviet Information Campaign Supporting the Invasion of Afghanistan

摘要

The information campaign that the Soviet Union conducted in support of the 1979 invasion of Afghanistan, is a historical example of how information operations can shape the battlefield and set the conditions for tactical and operational level victory. On December 27th 1979 the Soviet Union initiated their first, and last, military operation outside the Soviet Bloc when they invaded the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. Soviet-Afghan relations started in 1919 and as the Cold War developed, Afghanistan became vital to the national security of the Soviet Union, In 1978 Afghanistan was in turmoil and a revolution against the Marxist-Leninist regime threatened to overthrow the government and end Soviet influence in the area. The Soviet Politburo felt threatened by the United States as well as by the Islamic fundamentalist movement that had already taken root in Iran and Pakistan. They came to the determination that military intervention was necessary for them to maintain their sphere of influence and protect their Central Asian border. Following a combined air-ground invasion and a coordinated deception effort the Soviet 40th Army executed a coup de main in the capital city to replace the ruling government. Coordinated and synchronized attacks confused and disoriented the Afghan army so they were incapable of mounting a defense. Within 48 hours the Soviets achieved their operational objectives with minimal casualties. In the background, an' information campaign helped to shape the strategic and operational environment surrounding the invasion. The Soviets used information and propaganda initially to gain domestic support and diminish the international opposition to their actions. They also used information in conjunction with active measures to deceive the government and Army of Afghanistan and achieve operational and tactical surprise that was critical to the success of the invasion. The Soviet Union had effectively used Information Operations (IO) to shape the battle.