Full-spectrum dominance also known as full-spectrum superiority, is a military entity's achievement of control over all dimensions of the

battlespace Battlespace or battle-space is a term used to signify a military strategy which integrates multiple armed forces for the military theater (warfare), theatre of operations, including aerial warfare, air, information warfare, information, ground w ...

, effectively possessing an overwhelming diversity of resources in such areas as terrestrial, aerial, maritime, subterranean, extraterrestrial,

psychological Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Its subject matter includes the behavior of humans and nonhumans, both consciousness, conscious and Unconscious mind, unconscious phenomena, and mental processes such as thoughts, feel ...

, and bio- or cyber-technological warfare. Full spectrum dominance includes the physical battlespace; air, surface and sub-surface as well as the

electromagnetic spectrum The electromagnetic spectrum is the full range of electromagnetic radiation, organized by frequency or wavelength. The spectrum is divided into separate bands, with different names for the electromagnetic waves within each band. From low to high ...

and information space. Control implies that freedom of opposition force assets to exploit the battlespace is wholly constrained.

US military doctrine

As early as April 2001 the

United States Department of Defense The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD, or DOD) is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government charged with coordinating and superv ...

defined "full-spectrum superiority" (FSS) as:
:The cumulative effect of dominance in the air, land, maritime, and space domains and information environment, which includes

cyberspace Cyberspace is an interconnected digital environment. It is a type of virtual world popularized with the rise of the Internet. The term entered popular culture from science fiction and the arts but is now used by technology strategists, security ...

, that permits the conduct of joint operations without effective opposition or prohibitive interference. The doctrine of Full Spectrum Operations replaced the prior one, which was known as AirLand Battle. AirLand Battle had been taught in one form or another since 1982. The United States military's

doctrine Doctrine (from , meaning 'teaching, instruction') is a codification (law), codification of beliefs or a body of teacher, teachings or instructions, taught principles or positions, as the essence of teachings in a given branch of knowledge or in a ...

espoused a strategic intent to be capable of achieving FSS state in a conflict, either alone or with allies, Joint Vision 2020, U.S. Department of Defense by defeating any adversary and controlling any situation across the range of military operations. The stated intent implies significant investment in a range of capabilities: dominant maneuver, precision engagement, focused logistics, and full-dimensional protection.

Criticism

Critics of US imperialism have referred to the term as proof of the ambitions of policymakers in the US and their alleged desire for total control.

Harold Pinter Harold Pinter (; 10 October 1930 – 24 December 2008) was a British playwright, screenwriter, director and actor. A List of Nobel laureates in Literature, Nobel Prize winner, Pinter was one of the most influential modern British dramat ...

referred to the term in his 2005

Nobel Prize in Literature The Nobel Prize in Literature, here meaning ''for'' Literature (), is a Swedish literature prize that is awarded annually, since 1901, to an author from any country who has, in the words of the will of Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel, "in ...

acceptance speech '' Art, Truth and Politics'':Harold Pinter Nobel lecture 2005
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I have said earlier that the United States is now totally frank about putting its cards on the table. That is the case. Its official declared policy is now defined as "full spectrum dominance". That is not my term, it is theirs. "Full spectrum dominance" means control of land, sea, air and space and all attendant resources.

Metaphorical use

Full spectrum dominance is used in a number of non-military fields to describe a comprehensive tactical effort to support a strategy. In marketing, full spectrum dominance may refer to an integrated campaign that takes into account reaching an audience across a wide variety of platforms and media to guarantee visibility and reinforcement. That might include simultaneous integration of online promotions with direct marketing, public relations, social media and other tactical marketing vehicles.

US military doctrine

Criticism

Metaphorical use

See also

References

Further reading