Operational Warfare

1. Operational Warfare Joint Forces Staff College National Defense University

2. Learning Objectives 1. Understand the relationships between the levels of war 2. Explain key terms of operational art 3. Understand the relationship between operational art and the theater campaign 4. Review concepts via historical analysis

3. Levels Of War National Military Strategy Theater Strategy OPLANs/OPORDs Strategic President (CJCS) Unified Commanders National Policy/ Elements of National Power Operational Joint and Multinational Operations Joint Force Commanders Tactical Commanders Unit Operations and Tactics Battle Groups/ Task Groups Divisions Brigades Battalions MAGTFs Wings Squadrons TTP

4. Principles of Joint Operations Mass Objective Offensive Simplicity Economy of Force Maneuver Unity of Command Security Surprise Restraint Perseverance Legitimacy

5. Operational Art and Design

6. Systems Perspective of the Operational Environment If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. Sun Tzu

7. Operational Design Operational design primarily is an intellectual process based on the creative vision, experience, intuition, and judgment of commanders and planners. The result of this process should be a framework for the joint operation that conceptually links ends, ways, and means across the levels of war. JP 5-0

8. Operational Art Operational art is the application of creative imagination by commanders and staffs--supported by their skill, knowledge, and experience--to design strategies, campaigns, and major operations and organize and employ military forces. It translates the JFC’s strategy into operational design, and ultimately into tactical action, by integrating ends, ways, and means across the levels of war. JP 5-0

9. Plan Initiation Elements • Termination • Listed first because planning cannot occur without a clear understanding of the desired end state and the conditions that must exist to end military operations • End State and Objectives • A point in time and/or circumstance beyond which the President does not require the military instrument of national power to achieve remaining objectives • Effects • Connects strategic and operational objectives to tactical tasks through identifying desired and undesired effects within the operational environment

10. Center of Gravity “The source of power that provides moral or physical strength, freedom of action, or will to act.” JP 5-0 “The hub of all power and movement, on which everything depends. That is the point against which all our energies should be directed.” Clausewitz

11. Center of Gravity A systems prospective assists identification of adversary COGs

12. Center of Gravity • Critical Capability • An adversary means that is considered a crucial enabler for a COG to function, and is essential to the accomplishment of the adversary’s assumed objective(s). • Critical Requirement • An essential condition, resource, and means for a critical capability to be fully operational. • Critical Vulnerability • An aspect or component of the adversary’s critical requirements, which is deficient or vulnerable to direct or indirect attack that will create decisive or significant effects.

13. Decisive Point Decisive Point Protected COG Decisive Point Decisive Points A geographic place, specific key event, critical system, or function that, when acted upon, allows a commander to gain a marked advantage over an adversary or contributes materially to creating a desired effect, thus greatly influencing the outcome of an action. Although decisive points are not COGs, they are the keys to attacking or protecting them.

14. Direct versus Indirect DIRECT JOINT FORCES PRIMARY CENTER OF GRAVITY INDIRECT DEFENSIVE CAPABILITY COMMAND & CONTROL LINES OF COMMUNICATIONS To the extent possible, JFCs attack enemy centers of gravity directly. Where direct attack means attacking into an opponent’s strength, JFCs should seek an indirect approach.

15. Lines of Operations

16. Time and Distance Elements • Operational Reach • Distance and duration across which a unit can successfully employ military capabilities • Linked to Culmination • Simultaneity and Depth • Simultaneous application of military and non-military power against the enemy‘s key capabilities and sources of strength • Timing and Tempo • Conduct operations at a tempo and point in time that best exploits friendly capabilities and inhibits the adversary

17. Operational Elements • Forces and functions • Defeat adversary forces, functions, or a combination of both • Leverage • Relative advantage in combat power across one or more domains (air, land, sea, and space) and/or the information environment • Balance • Appropriate mix of forces and capabilities • As well as the nature and timing of operations • Anticipation • Avoid surprise by gaining and maintaining the initiative • Force the adversary to react rather than initiate • Synergy • Combinations of forces and actions to achieve concentration • Achieve the assigned objective(s) in the shortest time possible and with minimal casualties

18. Culmination • The point at which a force no longer has the capability to continue its form of operations • Offense • The point at which continuing the attack is no longer possible and the force must consider reverting to a defensive posture or attempting an operational pause • Defense • The point at whichcounteroffensive action is no longer possible

19. Arranging Operations JFCs must determine the best arrangement of major operations. This arrangement will often be a combination of simultaneous and sequential operations to achieve the desired end state and conditions quickly at the least cost in personnel and other resources.

20. Operational Plan Phases versus Level of Military Effort

21. Joint Operational Art The Process

22. Theater Strategy “The art and science of developing integrated strategic concepts and courses of action directed toward securing the objectives of national and alliance or coalition security policy and strategy by the use of force, threatened use of force, or operations not involving the use of force within a theater.” Joint Pub 1-02

23. Elements of Theater Strategy • Contains Unified Commander’s Vision • Outlines Concept for Military Operations (within DIME!) • Gives Direction for Campaign Planning • May use regional approach • Defines Theater Endstate • Address Allied Interests

24. Coalition Warfare (doctrine, support structure, history) U.S. Interests Informational Media Political Considerations Economic Considerations Personalities Cultural/Religious Environment Geography and Climate War Termination Goals Center of Gravity Rules of Engagement Lines of Operation Culmination Points Phasing Strategic Forces Enemy Strategic Estimate Considerations • (More Art • than Science)

25. Campaign Plan A plan for a series of related military operations aimed at accomplishing a strategic or operational objective within a given time and space. JP 1-02

26. “Be audacious and cunning in your plans, firm and persevering in their execution.” Clausewitz Principles Of War

27. Operational Warfare Joint Forces Staff College National Defense University