MOSAIC WARFARE AS A NEW ART OF WAR?

ROKVIĆ Vanja (Associate Professor, University of Belgrade – Faculty of Security Studies, Belgrade, Serbia), vanjarokvic@fb.bg.ac.rs

In this paper, the author examines Mosaic Warfare (MW) as a doctrinal concept that emerged in response to the complex and asymmetrical environment shaped by disruptive technology and complexity in the post-Cold War period. With its integration of individual combat platforms and decentralised decision-making through artificial intelligence, MW forms a cohesive force package akin to a mosaic. This approach, which emphasises complexity, flexibility, and speed as tools of advantage, introduces significant doctrinal innovations. However, the author argues that MW cannot be viewed in isolation. Instead, it must be analysed and understood as an evolutionary post–Cold War framework— advancing and integrating critical elements from Network-Centric Warfare (NCW), Multi-Domain Operations (MDO), and Decision- Centric Warfare (DCW). The paper raises the question: Are these new concepts products of the postmodern era, or do they represent a continuation of the centuries-old tradition of the art of war? The author’s use of a comparative and theoretical approach is highlighted, as it situates MW within the broader continuum of classical military thought, drawing from the strategic legacies of Sun Tzu, Clausewitz, and Boyd. Particular emphasis is placed on how MW reinterprets enduring concepts such as deception, friction, and decision-making speed under conditions of complexity and asymmetry. The author concluded that MW is not a complete departure from these classical principles but rather a reinterpretation and evolution in postmodern warfare.

Keywords: Mosaic warfare; decision-centric warfare; artificial intelligence; chaoplexic warfare; postmodern warfare