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The Art of Maneuver Robert Leonhard (Chapter 1: Framework for Maneuver…
The Art of Maneuver
Robert Leonhard
Chapter 1:
Framework for Maneuver
Levels of War
Strategic
Strategy
National
Foreign policies in peace & war
Integrate military with political, economic & diplomatic efforts
Military
Application of armed forces to attain national goals
Planning Level
Apply military means to achieve national aims
Develop war plans & theater goals
Dictates operational objectives
Operational
Campaign
Related joint actions to achieve theater goals
Major operations are subset of campaign
Planning level
Construct campaigns & major operations to accomplish theater goals
Integrates tactical events into a campaign
Dictate tactical objectives
Tactical
Battle
Direct conflicts between large tactical units committed in major operations
Engagement
a subset of battle
can occur unexpectedly
To be relevant, must directly related to campaign plan
Priorities must be clear
Strategic plan demands, operational art supply
Problem of Battle
Too much focus on battle, fail to understand operational art
Operational perspective
Mechanised Infantry have greater potential velocity to affect operations
Tactical perspective
Infantry are relevant only when dismounted, close in and destroy enemy by fire & maneuver
Planning for victory begins at top national levels and work logically downwards to operational and tactical levels
Dynamics of Operational Art
Battle is a building block
Operational Art - Operational planner use battles with other assets to structure a winning campaign
Decide whether to accept battle or decline through maneuver
Battles must be directly related to campaign plan
Use battle to further plan
When enemy won battle, resources are consumed and cannot use for other purpose
Wrong battle waste valuable units that might be employed better elsewhere
Winning the first battle
Concept developed during Nuclear age
Need to secure first battle as next conflict will be violent & fast paced where decisions will be reached immediately
Game of Chess
Tempo
Force opponent to react defensively
Serve as shield against opponent's attacks
Develop & pursue plans faster to defeat opponent. Opponent have no time to put plans into action. "
Through tempo, make enemy's plan meaningless
"
Sustain tempo advantage over enemy makes their intentions less relevant
Mobility
Ability to project power over distant
Thinking Ahead
Employing similar basic strategies
Repetition allows player to experiences similar outcomes
Force play into situations that player is prepared to deal
Operational Perspectives
Construct & Execute game plan to checkmate opponents
Lose tactical battles to win game
Movement & Maneuver
Maneuver
Movement of forces
Supported by fire
achieve positional advantage to destroy or threaten to destruction of enemy
Application at operational & strategic levels
Movement towards objectives
Gain positional or psychological advantages over enemy
Attrition & Maneuver Theory
Attrition
Method of fighting war, campaign and battles where friendly forces defeat enemy through destruction of enemy's mass
"Bottom-up" approach
Bring enemy to battle and seek to defeat him in battle
Adjust focus upwards, structure operations and strategy around battles
Seek to improve force ratio
Maneuver
Defeat enemy through means other than destruction of mass
Methods
Preempt
Disarm or neutralise enemy before fight
Dislocate
Remove enemy from decisive point
Render them useless or irrelevant to fight
Disrupt
Destroy or neutralise Centre of Gravity
Of Kings & Queens
(Analysis of CoG)
"Warfighting Capabilities"
(Queens Theory)
Source of strength
Attrition warfare
"Critical Vulnerabilities"
(Kings Theory)
Neutralisation ends the war
Maneuver warfare
Exist in all planning levels
Strategic
(Destroy enemy's will/ means to fight)
Cities
Seat of Government
Industries
Transportation
Civil or Religious Leader / Group
Economic Ideas
Religious Belief
Army
Operational
(From enemy's perspectives, what constitutes critical vulnerabilities)
Geographical Locations
Loss make enemy army's position untenable
HQs
Tactical
Geographical locations
(Key Terrain)
Tactical HQ
Communication Links
Logistics
Fire Support