This Means War MDO: It's a terrible concept
Feb 18, 2026
Franz Stephan Gady, Austrian defence analyst and advisor on modern warfare, and Amos Fox, former US Army officer turned researcher and author, critique Multi-Domain Operations. They pick apart MDO’s conceptual flaws and origins. They debate its resource assumptions, limits against China, effects on command, and whether it fits European and tactical realities.
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MDO Is Not Fit For Purpose
- Multi-domain operations (MDO) is not fit for purpose in its current form and contains many gaps.
- Amos Fox says MDO needs major revision or redefinition to be useful across levels of war.
From Focused Idea To Overbroad Doctrine
- MDO began as a focused response to Russia in Europe but morphed into an all-purpose concept.
- Amos Fox explains acceleration and expansion diluted its original coherence and utility.
MDO As An Attractive Shortcut
- European militaries gravitated to MDO because it promised technological fixes and avoided attritional commitments.
- Franz says MDO appealed as a way to win decisively in an initial phase without accepting large manpower or sustainment costs.