Control Warfare: Inside the OODA Loop

Abstract : Control warfare is an emerging concept for attacking the command structure that controls a state's instruments of power. It differs from command and control warfare in its independent focus for fighting war; it is not necessarily an adjunct to conventional attrition warfare, it is potentially a replacement for it. Currently, control warfare suffers from a lack of definition, especially regarding aspects of human and organizational behavior. This paper proposes that John Boyd s OODA Loop model is an accurate depiction of both behavior and the command and control process. As such, it serves as the foundation for prosecuting control war. The OODA Loop also suffers from a lack of definition, however. This exposition outlines the psychological and behavioral support for the OODA Loop, and then examines some of the ways in which Boyd believed it could be used in war.