From the facts of latest local wars, asymmetric operation has become a big trend of high-tech war. For the weak party, innovating on operational command theory and improving the effectiveness of operational command are the keys to win the battle.

First, asymmetric in time, which emphasizes early birds fighting against latecomers. Though the strong party will try every means to hide or disguise their combat attempts and actions, they will leave some clues behind them. Therefore, if the weak party can grasp the opportunity to take resolute actions, respond in advance, and attack the enemy before they make up their minds or their combat troops take action, then the weak party can disturb the commanding plan of the enemy and their attacking rhythm. For example, at the beginning of the Gulf War, when the US-led multinational forces were dispatching armed forces to the gulf region, if Iraq had launched an attack on their "vulnerable window" before the US heavy armaments arrived, then it should have taken the initiative in the operational command.

Second, asymmetric in action, which requires the faster party fighting against the slower one, that is, make multiple actions towards one action of the enemy. If one can manage to speed up the commanding rhythm of oneself, and launch a new action before the enemy can react towards one's former action, then one can disturb the commanding plan of the enemy, destroy its scheduled joint plans, and make the enemy attending to one thing and losing sight of another, and at last losing control over its army. Soon after the Gulf War had begun, the Iraqi army launched the battle of Khafji. At first, a mechanized infantry battalion of the Iraqi army took possession of Khafji. Then it followed up with attacks from two directions. When the US troops discovered the tendency of the Iraq, they counterattacked from three directions ahead of the Iraqi army, and defeated the attack of Iraq with one action. This battle showed that, if one has grasped the tendency of the enemy, and made several counterattacks at the same time before the enemy could make a new decision, then one could disturb the commanding procedure of the enemy.

Third, asymmetric in battle mode, it emphasizes on "the weak" to combat "the strong". In face of the enemy's hard beat on commanding system, it should enhance self-protection as well as using various non-substantiality confronting mode to disturb and destroy the normal playing of commanding effect. Through adjustment of the layout of commanding automation system to optimize the electrical environment and eliminate the electromagnetism interference and through all kinds of military cheating activities to provide false information to the enemy and let the decision-maker of the enemy to make wrong judgement on the situation. Through the publicity warfare, psychological warfare, diplomatic warfare and intimidatory action to exert pressure to the enemy and low down the confidence of the commander of the enemy. Through such methods as electronic warfare, information warfare and electromagnetism and computer virus to hacker invasion to exert "soft" beating on the commanding system of the enemy and get the initiative of the battlefield.

By Hou Huailin

（July 2, PLA Daily）

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