In the Information Age, nation-states compete in the space between peace and declared conflict. The most significant instrument of national power in this space is information. Russia is more able to dynamically operate in the Information Environment (IE) than the United States. Russia leveraged the information instrument of national power in Crimea and Eastern Ukraine to set conditions for overt military action. Russian New Generation Warfare activities in Ukraine from 2013-2017 frame threats the United States faces from Russia in the IE, both in the gray zone and in the event of large-scale combat operations. The fundamental problem facing the Department of Defense is its ability to support a whole-of-government approach to competition with Russia in the IE because the DoD has not adequately framed what constitutes information operations and the IE. Capability gaps related to doctrine, organization and leadership education also contribute to the DoD's inability to compete with Russia in the IE. Reforms in these three areas can significantly improve the DoD's understanding of information and operating in the IE.

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