Page 50 - MDSL Final

MARITIME DOCTRINE OF SRI LANKA
Conflict

Conflict occurs as one potential outcome of political
competition between human wills, and can rapidly
escalate into armed hostilities between adversaries in the
international system. Between the diametrically opposite
categories of war and peace, nations remain in a constant
state of competition, characterised by a wide range of
direct, indirect, accommodating, coercive, engaging and
deterring behaviours. Competition can escalate into open
conflict with little warning. Competition and conflict can
also occur between non-state entities acting against one
another, against a government and/or as a proxy for other
nation-states.

A spectrum of conflict has been developed which describes
the full range of political behaviours from stable peace
through to competition, irregular conflict to overt war
between nation-states. The spectrum of conflict provides a
conceptual foundation to aid understanding of the nature
of conflict between adversaries, informing the development
and prosecution of military operations. An informed
comprehension of the nature of conflict that exists or
may exist between protagonists informs the formulation
of strategic objectives and guides operational design to
achieve those objectives.

Australian Army Land Warfare Doctrine 3-0, Operations,
2018

A conflict is a situation in which violence is either manifested or
threatened. It is a struggle or a clash between contending wishes. A
conflict could be inter-state which is between states or intra-state which
is within states or among people. In analysing the causes of conflict this
can be broadly broken down into two main categories as follows:

32 To Nurture a Stable Environment at Sea