CRS INSIGHT
The U.S. Army and Multi-Domain Operations
January 17, 2019 (IN11019)
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Andrew Feickert
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Andrew Feickert, Specialist in Military Ground Forces (afeickert@crs.loc.gov, 7-7673)
What Are Multi-Domain Operations (MDO)?
According to the Army
:
Multi-Domain Operations (MDO) describes how the U.S. Army, as part of the joint force [Army, Navy, Air Force, and
Marines] can counter and defeat a near-peer adversary capable of contesting the U.S. in all domains [air, land, maritime,
space, and cyberspace] in both competition and armed conflict. The concept describes how U.S. ground forces, as part
of the joint and multinational team, deters adversaries and defeats highly capable near-peer enemies in the 2025-2050
timeframe.
MDO provides commanders numerous options for executing simultaneous and sequential operations using surprise and
the rapid and continuous integration of capabilities across all domains to present multiple dilemmas to an adversary in
order to gain physical and psychological advantages and influence and control over the operational environment.
Why Did the Army Adopt MDO?
MDO is described in detail in "The U.S. Army in Multi-Domain Operations 2028." MDO was developed in response to
the 2018 National Defense Strategy, which shifts the previous focus of U.S. national security from countering violent
extremists worldwide to confronting revisionist powers—primarily Russia and China—who are said to "want to shape a
world consistent with their authoritarian model—gaining veto authority over other nations' economic, diplomatic, and
security decisions." The Army contends:
China and Russia exploit the conditions of the operational environment to achieve their objectives without resorting to
armed conflict by fracturing the U.S.'s alliances, partnerships, and resolve. They attempt to create stand-off through the
integration of diplomatic and economic actions, unconventional and information warfare (social media, false narratives,
cyber-attacks), and the actual or threatened employment of conventional forces. By creating instability within countries
and alliances, China and Russia create political separation that results in strategic ambiguity reducing the speed of
friendly recognition, decision, and reaction. Through these competitive actions, China and Russia believe they can
achieve objectives below the threshold of armed conflict.
Army leadership believes that if the Army—in conjunction with the other Services—prevails in these "competitions" in
