Warfighting Concepts Flashcards
Warfighting Concepts
Combat Power.
Combat power is the total destructive force we can bring upon the enemy at a given time or place. Combat power consists of material, men, weapons, terrain, leadership, tempo, surprise and many other factors.
Speed and Focus.
Speed is rapidity of action. Speed over time is tempo. Speed and tempo are weapons. We cannot be fast at all times, so we develop a rhythm.
Focus is the convergence of combat power on the objective. We must focus our combat power at the right time and place. Focus requires cooperation toward a common goal. Speed and focus give our actions “shock effect.”
Surprise and Boldness.
Surprise creates disorientation from an unexpected act which degrades the enemy’s will. Surprise is a weapon. Surprise does not have to be total. Surprise can lead to shock. Surprise allows small forces to defeat larger forces. Surprise is easily lost, and requires speed, stealth, ambiguity and deception to manipulate our enemy’s expectations.
Boldness is exploiting the disorderly nature of war unhesitatingly. It does not mean we always take aggressive immediate action. Boldness requires good situational awareness, strong nerves and craftiness. Boldness involves taking risks. When we decide upon a course of action, boldness demands that we execute it violently.
Centers of Gravity and Critical Vulnerabilities.
Centers of gravity may not always be tangible. Morale, capabilities, positions, or the relationship between elements of the enemy forces may be the vital element to the enemy’s ability to fight. We want to eliminate the enemy’s vital components.
We do not want to attack into the enemy’s strengths. We seek to locate his critical vulnerabilities, where our actions will have the most destructive effects. We seek to attack centers of gravity by penetrating the enemy’s critical vulnerabilities.
Creating and Exploiting Opportunity.
At times it may be difficult to identify the enemy’s critical vulnerabilities. We may attack each vulnerability until an opportunity arises. Decisive results come from ruthlessly exploiting these opportunities.
