This monograph explores the capability of army tactical headquarters to fight and sustain combat brigades and task forces simultaneously. Its focus is on the tactical transportation shortfall which exists in the army today, the impact of this...
The campaign conducted by General Helmuth von Moltke into Bohemia against the Austrians was the most brilliant of that era. The Koniggratz campaign is a classic example of the art of war practiced at the operational level. The Chief of the General...
This monograph analyzes the Iran-Iraq War from its inception in September of 1980 through the Iranian Faw Counteroffensive of February 1986. It uses the precepts of operational art to examine the performance of the belligerents in this prolonged...
Currently NATO forces in Central Europe face a potential adversary who possesses a marked numerical superiority in artillery firepower. This fact is due in part to a political and military decision which tips our doctrine in favor of maneuver and...
Several theoretical and doctrinal problems limit current US Army understanding of conflict, war and operational art. Those problems include confusion between conflict and war, ambiguity of theoretical terms such as "center of gravity" or...
Quantification in tactical decision making is the application of mathematical measurements and estimates to tactical considerations of time, space, and relative combat power. The United States and the Soviet Union are remarkably divergent in the...
This is a theoretical paper on campaign planning. The paper examines the processes and principles involved in campaign plan formulation and modification within the context of all three levels of war. A series of theoretical models are used to...
This study assesses the sufficiency of the current operations order format through an examination of its form and content. First, the study uses current communications and cognitive theory to evaluate the form of the operations order. These...
During the Cold War, the National Guard served the nation as an insurance policy designed for mass mobilization in the event of a major war or national emergency. The nation could maintain a small but well-trained standing army and a large pool of...
This monograph discusses the elements and dynamics of tactical surprise on the mid- to high-intensity conventional battlefield. Surprise has been a decisive principle of war throughout history. Today, however, surprise is increasingly critical to...
This monograph addresses the dynamics of the culminating point and its impact on the modern battlefield. It does so by first establishing a theoretical framework for operational culmination and then examining the theory as reflected in recent...
This monograph discusses how well U. S. Army doctrine exploits the development of weapons. With the rapid ongoing modernization of our forces, it is imperative that the army make the most out of new technology. The premise is that current U. S....
This monograph analyzes the Confederate Maryland campaign of 1862 in regard to several key concepts of military theory. As an operation involving extended effort and multiple battles, the campaign serves as a case study reinforcing the utility of...
This monograph discusses the importance of responsive, timely, and accurate intelligence upon the tactical ground commander's ability to influence the battlefield decisively. The effective use of tactical air reconnaissance can provide the ground...
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...
The U.S. Army, after years of false starts and unfilled promises, is about to make good on its commitment to field an unmanned aerial vehicle system at the maneuver brigade level. Called the Shadow 200 tactical UAV (TUAV), it promises to...