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Updated April 22, 2021
Defense Primer: Army Multi-Domain Operations (MDO)
As an operational concept, Multi-Domain Operations
(MDO) influence what types of weapon systems and
equipment the Army procures, what types and numbers of
soldiers are needed, and what type of training is required-
significant legislative concerns for Congress. In this regard,
an understanding of MDO could prove beneficial for
congressional oversight activities.
What Are Multi-Domain Operations
(MDO)?
According to the U.S. Army's Training and Doctrine
Command (TRADOC):
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,
deter adversaries and defeat 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 a December 2018 Army
publication titled The U.S. Army in Multi-Domain
Operations 2028. MDO was developed in response to the
2018 National Defense Strategy, which shifted the previous
focus of U.S. national security from countering violent
extremists worldwide to confronting revisionist powers-
primarily Russia and China-that are said to want to shape
a world consistent with their authoritarian model-gaining
veto authority over other nations' economic, diplomatic,
and security decisions. According to The U.S. Army in
Multi-Domain Operations 2028:
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
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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
all domains, that U.S. national security objectives should
be achieved.
How MDO Is Intended to Work
The Army's central idea is to prevail by competing
successfully in all domains short of conflict, deterring a
potential enemy. If deterrence fails, Army forces-along
with the Joint Force-are to do the following:
Penetrate enemy anti-access and area denial (A2/AD)
systems (layered and integrated long-range precision-strike
systems, littoral anti-ship capabilities, air defenses, and
long-range artillery and rocket systems) to enable strategic
and operational maneuver of U.S. forces.
Dis-integrate-disrupt, degrade, or destroy enemy anti-
access and area denial systems to enable operational and
tactical maneuver of U.S. forces.
Exploit the resulting freedom of maneuver to achieve
operational and strategic objectives by defeating enemy
forces in all domains.
Re-compete-consolidate gains across domains and force a
return to competition on favorable terms to the United
States and allies.
How Will MDO Change the
Organization of the Army?
As part of the release of The U.S. Army in Multi-Domain
Operations 2028, an Army official described to the media
that specific Army echelons will be given different
problems to address under MDO. Existing Divisions and
Corps will be tasked with fighting and defeating specific
components of the enemy's system. As such, the Army will
no longer organize or center itself on Brigade Combat
Teams (BCTs) as it did under previous National Defense
Strategies. Under the previous BCT-centered organizational
construct, Divisions and Corps had a limited warfighting
role, but under MDO, Divisions and Corps headquarters are
to return to their historic warfighting roles, in which they
employed subordinate units and allocated Corps- and
Division-level assets to support subordinate units.
According to the online magazine Breaking Defense, MDO
calls for the creation of Field Armies, an intermediate
command level between already established Theater
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