Disinformation has battlefield repercussions, Melbourne Uni academic says

By driving a wedge between civilians and the military, or by publicising misleading intelligence, disinformation can have widespread battlefield repercussions, according to one Melbourne University academic.

Dr Morgan Saletta, senior research associate at Melbourne University’s Hunt Laboratory for Intelligence Research, recently called for organisations to increase their understanding of disinformation, observing the impact that information operations can have on battlefield operations.

“Disinformation can critically impact the relationship between local civilian populations and land forces in both combat and non-combat operations,” Dr Saletta said.

“Disinformation can also have lasting impacts on the reputation of Defence Forces.”

According to the researcher, disinformation has played an essential role in shaping the modern battlefield, including during the recent invasion of Ukraine where the West honed their operations to reduce the impact of Russian influence.

Disinformation has also been employed to conceal the intentions of governments and militaries, enabling them to gain battlefield successes.

Dr Saletta evidenced the recent highly publicised counteroffensive in Ukraine’s south, which was crafted in order to distract the Russian government from a counteroffensive in the country’s north.

The researcher also evidenced a 2019 wargame in which participants — “bikini” trolls — were used to “lure” soldiers into dates and away from their post.