Security and Stabilization: the Military

Contribution
UK revision of Joint COIN doctrine 1
 JDP 3-40
The National Security Strategy
“taking on a wide range of challenging
security and stabilisation tasks in
complex and demanding situations”

“strengthening the capacity within the

armed forces to work alongside
civilians for certain specific, short-
term reconstruction and development
tasks in hostile environments, and to
provide a stabilisation presence in the
immediate aftermath of a military
operation while sufficient security is
put in place to enable civilians to
deploy”
National Security Strategy March 2008
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What has Changed?

3
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What’s Changed/Changing?

Iraq and Afghanistan: learn and adapt from new insights (CA,
Money, Information, Intelligence, SSR).

Op BANNER (38 years): review and integrate classic insights.

Proliferation of fragile/failing/failed states.

Urbanisation (governance deficit and basic needs challenge).

States unable to monopolise violence (WMD).

Globalisation of insurgency/terrorism (home/away).

Multinational security/stabilisation operations (US led).

National sovereignty (interests/conditionality?)

‘Armed societies’ (multiple actors, power and authority
centres).

Hybrid conflict: toxic mix of ‘HIC and LIC’.

Flawed paradigm: UK needs new capabilities (US AD
decrease, Psyops increased by 129%, OPTAG/NTC)
 JDP 3-40
What’s Changed/Changing? (Cont.)

Issue of HN Sovereignty – post colonial world - we are not
the responsible power!

In almost all instances UK will be partner (junior?) in a
coalition.

The nature and spectrum of irregular actors mixed with
regional & global geopolitics has a more profound effect on
our own nation than ‘traditional’ insurgents.

Globalisation & Information age – growth & importance of
non-state influences – challenges state sovereignty.

Western Military forces are smaller. (less USA)

Changed legal frameworks.
 JDP 3-40
Key Ideas

Breadth of Military Roles in Security & Stabilization

Legitimacy - National, Coalition & HN

Dominant / Unifying Narrative (Strategic Communications)
– Influence - Engagement - Reconciliation
– Fires
– Information Operations

Stabilisation & HN Capacity Building
– Partnering at all Levels
– Money as a Weapon (Security Effect & Reconstruction)

Adapting Campaign Design & Campaign Planning Tools

Measured Response (Balancing Risk & Opportunity)

Use and Conduct of Detention Operations

Identifying Transitions

Learning, Adapting & Anticipating
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The Military Contribution

More than COIN.

Military Functions
Northern Ireland Iraq

Less than Nation Building.

Stability the Decisive Condition, the platform
without which the state cannot thrive and deliver.

Security an element – at times the key element –
of stability.

COIN an element – at times the key element – of
security.
 JDP 3-40
MT 4.5 MASD
MASD operations are likely to follow an Intervention operation or a PE
deployment. The security situation may vary from non-benign to limited
permissiveness, while compliance is likely to be highly variable and the
likelihood of disruption high. UK forces will normally be acting as part of a
coalition with responsibility to support the recognised governing entity.
These operations will tend to be complex and dynamic requiring a broad
spectrum of military effects. The intensity will be variable across the
theatre in time and space, characterised by a campaign to counter
irregular activity conducted initially by coalition forces, but handing off to
the developed local security forces as soon as practicable. These
operations will require a high degree of force protection. The widest
range of coordinated stabilisation and reconstruction is to be expected,
ranging from security assistance for civilian personnel through to, and
including, limited reconstruction activity delivered by UK forces and
extensive capacity building for local security forces. Engendering a
secure environment through localised consent will allow NGOs and
OGDs to take on the majority of this activity. These operations are likely
to be enduring in nature.
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Scope

BDD

JDP 3-40
Allies OGDs/
IAs

LWC
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Why security & stabilization?

A description of security:
Security describes the safety of a state or organisation and its protection
from internal and external threats. At the operational level it is the
provision and maintenance of the operating environment that affords the
necessary freedom of action, when and where required, to achieve
objectives. Armed forces, together with indigenous security forces,
provide the major contribution to security. The term encompasses:

Protection of the state: local populace, civilian agencies & key institutions
by preventing or containing (threats of) violence.

Delivering armed force or the threat of legal use of violence to compel

adversaries to submit to one’s will.

The contribution to the immediate and sustained provision of human

security (as defined in BDD).
 JDP 3-40
Why security & stabilization?

A description of stabilization:
Stabilization is the summary term for the essential processes (military,
political and developmental) that are required to establish peace and
security and to put in place a political settlement that sets out to produce
a legitimate government in fragile, failed or recovering states.

The term applies to pre-conflict, conflict and post-conflict settings.

Stabilization activities encompass actions undertaken by, or in co-

ordination with, indigenous national authorities, mandated authorities or
other civil agencies, in order to bring about a safe environment. Civilian
multi-agency involvement in stabilising a crisis is impossible without
adequate security and the provision of a permissive environment.
 JDP 3-40
Structure

Chapter 1 - The operating context

Chapter 2 - Security & stabilization: principles and sectors
Chapter 3 - Intelligence & understanding
Chapter 4 - Strategic communication & military influence
Chapter 5 - Campaign planning considerations
Chapter 6 - Execution & assessment
Chapter 7 - Engagement & reconciliation
Chapter 8 - Learn & adapt
Chapter 9 - Education & training
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Timeframe
 JDP 3-40
Timeframe

WIDER ENGAGEMENT

Issue
Conference Ratification
Conception Boot Draft
Camp Red
Revision Teaming
& single
authorship Review
Early discussions

Expert review Issue

Study Draft

Mar 08 May 08 Jul 08 Sep 08 Nov 08 Jan 09 Mar 09 May 09

 JDP 3-40
Examples of Wider Engagement


Academia - Oxford, KCL, Exeter, RMAS

OGDs - FCO, DFID, SU

Joint Organisations - PJHQ, Def Academy

Land Forces - LWC, ARRC

NGOs

Allies - JFCOM, PKSOI

Recently returned commanders

Past exponents - Frank Kitson

Media - Con Coughan (Daily Telegraph)
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Key Issues


The requirement for coherence

The need for wide engagement

The desire not to be fixed by current operations

The balance between seeking perfection, and
timeliness
JDP 3-40 Security & stabilization:
the military contribution

JDP 3-40