the british approach to operational art lt col david broadfoot mbe the highlanders chief instructor...
TRANSCRIPT
THE BRITISH APPROACH TO
OPERATIONAL ART
Lt Col David Broadfoot MBE The Highlanders
Chief Instructor JSOC
THE BRITISH APPROACH TO OPERATIONAL ART
Part 1 – The Levels of warfare
Part 2 – The Characteristics of the Operational Level
Part 3 – The Campaign Plan
Part 4 – The basic principles of the Operational Art
THE BRITISH APPROACH TO OPERATIONAL ART
Levels of Warfare
• The Grand Strategic
• The Military Strategic
‘The military objective should be governed by the political objective, subject to the basic
condition that policy does not demand what is militarily……impossible’
Liddell Hart
THE BRITISH APPROACH TO OPERATIONAL ART
Levels of Warfare
• The Grand Strategic
• The Military Strategic
• The Operational
• The Tactical
THE 3 TESTS
• Is there a political imperative for action?
•Will/might the action achieve, or does the action have the possibility of achieving a decision that materially alters the situation in terms of the overall campaign?
•Might the action achieve a decision that materially assists in realising strategic goals?
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE OPERATIONAL LEVEL
• Freedom of Action• Joint Operations• Multinational Operations• Concentration of Force• Media Dimension• Total Effect
The Campaign Planning Concepts
• End-state • Centre of Gravity (CoG)• Decisive Points (DPs)
Joint Activities• Lines of Operation • Sequencing and Phases• Branches and Sequels• Culminating Point• Operational Pause
The End-state
… that state of affairs which needs to be achieved at the end
of a campaign either to terminate or to resolve the conflict on favourable or
satisfactory terms …
JWP 5-00
The Campaign Planning Concepts
• End-state • Centre of Gravity (CoG)• Decisive Points (DPs)
Joint Activities• Lines of Operation • Sequencing and Phases• Branches and Sequels• Culminating Point• Operational Pause
The Centre of Gravity
That aspect of the adversary’s overall capability which, if attacked and eliminated, will lead either to his
inevitable defeat or his wish to sue for peace through negotiations
JWP 5-00
Alexander the Great had a strong army but a very weak navy; he identified in his campaign against the Persians that his success depended upon gaining control of the Mediterranean Sea and he determined that the Persian CoG was their shore bases. Securing those bases with his army …… meant that he was able to gain control over the sea without a naval battle ….
UKOPSDOC, Chapter 3
The Campaign Planning Concepts
• End-state • Centre of Gravity (CoG)• Decisive Points (DPs)
Joint Activities• Lines of Operation • Sequencing and Phases• Branches and Sequels• Culminating Point• Operational Pause
The Decisive Point
An effect, the successful outcome of which is a
precondition to unlocking the enemy’s CoG
The Campaign Planning Concepts
• End-state • Centre of Gravity (CoG)• Decisive Points (DPs)
Joint Activities• Lines of Operation • Sequencing and Phases• Branches and Sequels• Culminating Point• Operational Pause
Joint Activities
….a set of measurable activities that contribute to the achievement of a DP and involve assets or resources of one or more component
JWP 5-00
The Campaign Planning Concepts
• End-state • Centre of Gravity (CoG)• Decisive Points (DPs)
Joint Activities• Lines of Operation • Sequencing and Phases• Branches and Sequels• Culminating Point• Operational Pause
Lines of Operation
‘… a line linking decisive points in time and space on the path to the CoG.’
JWP 0-01.1
The Campaign Planning Concepts
• End-state • Centre of Gravity (CoG)• Decisive Points (DPs)
Joint Activities• Lines of Operation • Sequencing and Phases• Branches and Sequels• Culminating Point• Operational Pause
Sequencing and Phases
Sequencing is the arrangement of events within a campaign in the order most likely to achieve the
elimination of the adversary’s Centre of Gravity
JWP 5-00
The Campaign Planning Concepts
• End-state • Centre of Gravity (CoG)• Decisive Points (DPs)
Joint Activities• Lines of Operation • Sequencing and Phases• Branches and Sequels• Culminating Point• Operational Pause
Branches and Sequels
• Branches are options within a particular phase.
• Sequels provide options for the next phase.
The Campaign Planning Concepts
• End-state • Centre of Gravity (CoG)• Decisive Points (DPs)
Joint Activities• Lines of Operation • Sequencing and Phases• Branches and Sequels• Culminating Point• Operational Pause
Culminating Point
An operation or battle reaches its culminating point when the current
operation can just be maintained but not developed to any great
advantage.
JWP 5-00
Operational Pause
A periodic pause in operations while initiative is retained in other ways
JWP 0-01.1
PoliticalDirection
MilitaryDirective
WAYS(Mission and GuidanceOn use of resources)
ENDS(End-state, Military StrategicObjectives and Exit Strategy)
MEANS(Resources)
ESTIMATEReview SituationMission analysis
Evaluation of FactorsJTFC’s GuidanceCoA Development
Consideration of CoAJTFC Decision
CAMPAIGN PLAN
OpCoG
Operationalend-state
StrategicCoG
PHASE 1 PHASE 2 PHASE 3
Strategicend-state
Line of OP DP DP
DP
DP
DP
DP DP DP
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11Line of OP
Line of OP
Line of OP
DP
Branch
Sequel
S
p
a
c
e
Other Lines of Operation
Culminating Point
Op pause
THE OPERATIONAL ART
“Tactics make the steps from which operational leaps are assembled,
strategy points out the path”
AA Svechin
Operational Art is
“the orchestration of allmilitary activities involved in convertingstrategic objectives into tactical actions
with a view to seeking a decisive result”
UTILISATION OF THE OPERATIONAL ART
• Identify the military conditions – or end state – that will achieve the strategic objectives
•Order activities, both sequentially and simultaneously, that lead to the fulfilment of the military condition – it is unlikely that the strategic objective can be achieved by a singleoperational gambit
•Apply the military resources allocated to him, within the constraints imposed upon him, to sustain the sequence of actions
•Identify the risks involved
OPERATIONALLEVEL
DECISIONMAKING
OPERATIONAL& TACTICAL
LEVEL ACTION
STRATEGICDIRECTION &RESOURCES
END-STATE
OPERATIONAL ART
Main and Supporting EffortsSupporting/Supported Commanders
Joint Co-ordination ProcessCampaign Effectiveness Analysis
Campaign Rhythm
OPERATIONAL MANAGEMENTOperational Management seeks to achieve the greatest possible synergy, the required level of tempo, as well as
maintaining a clear focus, and judging the effect of actions on achieving the End-State.
OPERATIONAL COMMAND
OPERATIONAL ARTThe essence of
Operational Art is to identify beforehand what is going to be decisive, and the
shaping operations needed for success.
Operational Ideas COG Analysis
Campaign Fulcrum Decisive Act
OPERATIONAL DESIGNOperational Design
refines and develops the Operational Ideas and is
the way in which the JTFC expresses his
vision of how he sees the operation unfolding.
The Operational Estimate The Campaign Plan
Campaign Planning Concepts
THANK YOU