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

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

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 all military activities involved in converting strategic 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 single operational gambit Apply the military resources allocated to him, within the constraints imposed upon him, to sustain the sequence of actions Identify the risks involved

OPERATIONAL LEVEL DECISION MAKING OPERATIONAL & TACTICAL LEVEL ACTION STRATEGIC DIRECTION & RESOURCES END-STATE OPERATIONAL ART

Main and Supporting Efforts Supporting/Supported Commanders Joint Co-ordination Process Campaign Effectiveness Analysis Campaign Rhythm OPERATIONAL MANAGEMENT Operational 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 ART The 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 DESIGN Operational 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

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