- g LEARNING ACTIV g The Upcoming Operational Environment The Joint.Operating Environment 2035 predicts that for the foreseeable future, U.S. national interests will face challenges from both persistent disorder and states contesting international norms. As the Joint Force respondsto adversaries contesting international norms in either competition or armed conflict, it will conduct operations in an emerging operational environment shaped by five interrelated characteristics: . « Adversaries are contesting land, air, maritime, space and cyberspace domains . e EMS. and the information environment and U.S. dominance is not assured « Smaller armies fight on an expanded battlefield that is increasingly lethal and hyperactive « Nation-states have more difficulty in imposing their will within a politically, culturally, technologically, and : strategically complex environment 2 e Near-peer states more readily compete below armed conflict, making deterrence more challenging According to TRADOC PAM 525-3-1, these characteristics allow adversaries, particularly near-peer threats such as China and Russia, to expand the battlefield in time (blurring the distinction between peace and war), in domains (land, air, maritime, space, and cyberspace), and in geography (now extended into the homeland) to create tactical, operational, and strategic stand-off. Where Are We Going? _ _ . . Another important characteristic of the emerging operational environment is its urban nature. The strat.eglc = v farces will have to conduct operations within denserban terraln The _ imnortance of cifies anipeests that Arm
