This monograph discusses ways in which airpower can be most effectively applied to hasten or delay the offensive culminating point. Airpower can be used to strengthen friendly combat power, delaying the arrival of the culminating point, or used to...
Since World War II, the Soviet military has maintained a strong belief in the importance of air support for ground operations. The Soviets believe that tactical air operations possess extraordinary flexibility and maneuverability to add depth to...
S.L.A. Marshall stated that no more than 25% of American fighting men engaged the enemy during the course of a World War II battle. His research during the Korean War showed this value had increased to 50%. If the 50% figure remains valid, then the...
Soviet use of partisans has demonstrated an attitude on irregular warfare quite different than the typical western perspective. Soviet irregular warfare in the Russian Civil War and World War II was an integral part of the totality of armed...
This study determines whether the U.S. Army is prepared to sustain U.S. units operating behind enemy lines as guerrilla forces. History provides many examples where guerrilla forces complement conventional operations. The "center of gravity" for...
This paper determines if operational commanders should retain reserves during offensive operations. It examines what Clausewitz, Jomini, and other theorists wrote on the subject. Then it looks at three historical examples, the British during the...
The essence of Soviet maneuver theory rests on two tenets: rapid tempo and concentrated firepower. A dynamic relationship exists between these two conditions. For the Soviets to succeed in the attack they must organize their forces so that they can...
In 1973, Israel found itself fighting its fifth major war against its Arab neighbors since achieving independence 25 years previously. This was a war in which both sides designed their military strategies within the framework of the political...
This monograph examines whether or not the Armored Cavalry Regiment (ACR) has a useful role to perform in the Corps defensive rear battle. Its genesis lies with the appreciation that the Soviets have tremendous capabilities for deep attack but that...
This monograph explores the issue of whether or not the United States Army should have an institutional mechanism to collect, interpret and apply the lessons of operational combat in order to correct the inevitable errors of peacetime planning and...
During the summer and fall of 1982 the Israeli government used military force in an operation which they believed would achieve certain immediate political goals. Israel invaded Lebanon with an announced goal of clearing PLO terrorists from an area...
The individual soldier's physical and mental preparation for battle are arguably two of the most important factors considered when deciding whether a force is ready for commitment to combat. While many believe technological advances reduce the need...
This monograph uses Major General Nathanael Greene's Southern Campaign, 1780-1781, as an historical case study to demonstrate both the validity and the utility of current operational art as it applies to understanding the design and execution of...
Using the historical case study method of examination, this monograph reviews the interrelationship of national power, strategy, and operational plans. It surveys the national power, strategic goals, and war plans of five countries prior to the...
This monograph examines the rear battle to determine if current self-defense doctrine is consistent with the tenets of AirLand Battle and the principles of war. It investigates the importance successful defense has on both the tactical and...
This monograph reviews the experiences of the US Army in planning and conducting rear operations during the Korean War and examines our current rear operations doctrine in light of these experiences. This review is significant because doctrine is...
In 1982, the US Army began its renaissance of the operational level of war with the publication of a revised Field Manual (FM) 100-5, Operations. The rediscovery of this level and the subsequent experimentation with it strained the very limits of...
This monograph discusses the current value of tank destroyer doctrine based on the American experience in World War II. Tank destroyer tactical doctrine for defeating large enemy armored assaults has great utility for our modern force and dovetails...
This monograph analyzes the campaign in the Aleutians of 1943 in which Japanese and U.S. forces struggled violently for strategic control of austere ground in what has been aptly called the "forgotten war". Several theoretical concepts are tested...
Air interdiction is a critical component on the modern battlefield, and an essential element of operational fires to the operational commander. It must bear a relationship to ground operations to be truly effective, but that relationship has not...