Guard against the "White Elephant Effect", Cognitive Battle in the "Post-Truth Era", Cloud Training,
Issue 38, 11 July 2022
I. Military and Warfare
A. Narrative Contest: The Cognitive Battle in the "Post-Truth Era"
This article by Mao Weihao and Tan Dongyang (affiliation unknown) is about cognitive warfare in the post-truth era.
Key points made by the authors are:
"Post-truth era" refers to an era in which people put their emotions before the truth and use emotions to guide their cognitive response.
In traditional warfare, guns are used to destroy the enemy's body. In cognitive warfare, the narrative is used to change people's minds.
The contest around "narrative" has become necessary in the cognitive domain battlefield in modern society. "The same fact, different expressions" has become an essential manifestation of cognitive warfare.
In the cognitive domain, the carriers of all information, such as language, words, sounds, images, etc., under the carefully woven narrative structure, may become "cannonballs fired at the mind", achieving complex effects.
Three strategies for narrative
Setting up the background (第一个策略是背景衬托): Setting up background sets up expectations.
Provide numbers (第二个策略是提供数字): Narrative supported by data is considered more believable.
Characterizing problem (第三个策略是问题定性): Characterizing a problem determines many of people's subsequent thoughts and behaviors.
How to deal with the "post-truth era"?
Stick to logic
Retrospective motivation (think into the other party's original reason)
Restore truth
B. "Intelligent training ground" to Sharpen Air Defense Skills
PLA Daily reported that a brigade of the 73rd Group Army used simulation equipment to innovate training methods. As noted, the 73rd Group Army brigade has closely adhered to its mission and tasks, deepened scientific and technological training, and has strived to build an "intelligent training ground" since this year.
The article quotes the brigade leader introducing the upgraded simulation training system to accurately focus on weak links, realize the diversification of battlefield situations, and implement accurate assessments. The article cites that the simulation system is equipped with more than ten kinds of battlefield environments, such as jungles and islands, and can simulate more than 20 kinds of targets. They also opened up the links of various types of simulated training equipment, such as missiles and radars, so as to integrate the chain of command, action chain, and support chain and promote the sharing of simulated battlefield situation resources, standard compatibility, and interconnection, speed up the shift for actual combat training and speed up scientific and technological training.
C. Cloud Trainings and Online Drills
An army engineering brigade reportedly conducted 'cloud training.' This is most likely part of PLA's informatization drive. The army engineering brigade reportedly completed the online learning, offline training, and cloud-based discussions, online learning, offline training, and cloud-based discussions.
Nanjing Campus of the Army Artillery Air Defense Academy also reportedly conducted online drills using a "comprehensive simulation training system."
Another report in ST Daily also talks about a similar exercise being conducted by a brigade of the Army. This article cites that 90% of the scientific research results have been translated into combat effectiveness.
D. Guard against the "White Elephant Effect"
The article in PLA Daily warns that weapons and equipment construction must guard against the "white elephant effect." This is an important article that cautions about the fallacy of getting lost in imaginary and unrealizing weapons and equipment. The author has used the Indian folktale of the "white elephant" to highlight the error of pursuing impossible goals.
The author warns that the most technologically advanced weapon does not mean it will be the best. The best weapon is the one that fulfills combat requirements. It is also important to decide what to develop, when, and how much to develop. The article mentions some projects of the US military which were abandoned since it was impossible to realize them. For example, the US military suspended projects such as the "Comanche" helicopter and the Army's "Future Combat System" because of changes in operational requirements and the possibility of technological realization.
According to the author, system support is a notable feature of information warfare and a significant feature of the modernization of weapons and equipment. Hence, one must attach importance not only to firepower but also to information power. Thus, one must develop advanced leading battle equipment and build supporting support equipment. The author also emphasizes making up for the shortcomings of the weapon equipment system, improving and optimizing the system structure, and speeding up the weapon equipment development.
Lastly, the author emphasized using equipment when needed. Only when officers and soldiers frequently use weapons and equipment in an environment close to actual combat, they will know whether the weapons and equipment are helpful or not.
E. Clearing the New' Fog of War'
In traditional warfare, the 'fog of war' (Zhànzhēng míwù 战争迷雾) refers to uncertainty due to the lack of military information. Over the years, this fog of war was reduced. However, the advanced technological applications, especially AI, are again increasing the 'fog of war' on the battlefield. In an article in PLA Daily, authors Huang Chengwu and Zhang Jian write about the 'fog of war' and ways to clear it. They emphasize that improving the commander's ability to manage uncertainty has become the key to the war's outcome.
Authors highlight that in information-based and intelligent warfare, the "fog of war" has not disappeared due to changes in warfare, combat style, and accusation methods.
The emergence of new "fog of war" such as "cognitive fog", "information fog", and "digital fog" has made the battlefield more confusing and confusing.
The article further states that in modern warfare, the balance of battlefield transparency is generally tilted towards the side that has the advantage of big data technology. The party with the technological advantage can not only achieve "one-way transparency" but also create a new and more complex "fog of war" due to its technological superiority. (现代战争中，战场透明的天平在总体上向大数据技术占优势的一方倾斜。拥有技术优势的一方，不但能够实现“单向透明”，而且能够凭借技术优势制造新的更为复杂的“战争迷雾”。)
Suggestions for commanders:
Insist on tempering good psychological quality and excellent fighting skills
Deal with chaos without panic, and use the greatest certainty to cope with various uncertainties
Strengthen the identification, processing, analysis, and judgment of intelligence information
Make creative decisions on the basis of rational thinking and careful judgment
Continuously evaluate and update plans based on the situation
Additional Reading
A brigade of Rocket Army conducted an exercise; testing operation in standalone mode
The brigade reportedly explored a new model of modular formation command and independent support of launch pads.
The article reports Si Jianping (司建平) as the political commissar of the brigade.
II. InfoBytes
Fog of war
In traditional warfare, the 'fog of war' (Zhànzhēng míwù 战争迷雾) refers to uncertainty due to the lack of military information. These days, the fog of war is caused due to excessive information, information overload, information redundancy, information expansion, etc. Thereby making it difficult for commanders to process and utilize information, seriously affecting the quality and efficiency of decision-making.
III. SinoSync
A. Action Plan for Digitalization to Help the Consumer Goods Industry
On 2nd July, China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) released Action Plan for Digitalization to Help the Consumer Goods Industry "Three Products (2022-2025)" [数字化助力消费品工业 "三品" 行动方案（2022－2025年）] (PDF of the plan in Chinese). The strategy has some safety measures too. For example, the strategy includes strengthening organization and implementation, strengthening policy support, promoting standardization, cultivating talent, etc.
Highlights stated in the main objectives of this strategy:
Significantly enhanced innovation capability (创新能力显著增强 )
Deepen integration and development of the new generation of digital technology and the consumer goods industry, and consolidate technical foundation.
The penetration rate of digital enterprise management, the penetration rate of digital R&D and design tools, and the proportion of enterprises applying e-commerce should exceed 80%.
Enhanced integrated innovation and integrated application capabilities of crucial links such as intelligent design, flexible manufacturing, and supply chain collaboration
Accelerated digital transformation of the consumer goods industry.
Improve level of supply (供给水平明显提高 )
Improve technological innovation system with enterprises as the main body.
Manufacturing demonstration factories, building 200 well-known brands with a scale of 10 billion, and continuous improvement of product service quality and customer satisfaction.
Optimization of development ecology (发展生态持续优化 )
Promote the point-to-face, demonstration-led improvement and create 50 "three-product" strategic demonstration cities.
Develop public service capabilities such as platform-based design, personalized customization, networked collaboration, and service-based extension, cultivate 50 digital service platforms, and promote 300 typical cases of application scenarios with strong demonstration and driving effects.
Key tasks highlighted in the strategy:
"Increase varieties" using digitalization (数字化助力 "增品种").
Promote digital R&D and design to promote iterative product updates (推广数字化研发设计促进产品迭代更新).
Promote personalized customization and flexible production, reshape product development and production mode (推进个性化定制和柔性生产重塑产品开发生产模式).
Promote digital greening and synergize to expand the supply of green consumer goods (推动数字化绿色化协同扩大绿色消费品供给)
"Improve quality" using digitalization (数字化助力 "提品质")
Increase digital transformation and empower enterprises to improve quality and efficiency (加大数字化改造力度赋能企业提质增效).
Strengthening the construction of traceability system to help boost consumer confidence (加强追溯体系建设助力提振消费信心).
Deepen smart supply chain management and improve industrial chain collaboration efficiency (加深智慧供应链管理提升产业链协同效率).
"Creating a brand" using digitalization (数字化助力 "创品牌")
Leveraging digital technology to build a well-known brand (借力数字技术打造知名品牌).
Taking advantage of digital transformation to nurture cutting-edge products (借势数字变革培育新锐精品).
Using digital services to create new advantages for regional brands (借助数字服务塑造区域品牌新优势).
The strategy also mentions some projects.
Innovation capability improvement project (创新能力提升工程)
Digital Design Capability Improvement Project (数字化设计能力提升工程)
Digital Green Collaborative Ability Improvement Project (数字化绿色化协同能力提升工程)
Quality control capability improvement project (质量管控能力提升工程)
Smart Supply Chain Management Capability Improvement Project (智慧供应链管理能力提升工程)
Additional Reading
Megha Pardhi is a Research Analyst at The Takshashila Institution. She tweets at @pardhimegha21.