Warfighting Functions and Principles of War (1800, 13 JUL 09)

5/25/2018 Warfighting Functions and Principles of War (1800, 13 JUL 09)

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Warfighting Functions

-and-

Principles of War


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Resources Required Readings

United States Marine Corps, Marine CorpsOperations, Marine Corps Doctrinal Publication 1-0,(2001): Appendix A, B.

United States Marine Corps, Campaigning, MarineCorps Doctrinal Publication 1-2, (1997): 76-92.

United States Marine Corps, Intelligence, MarineCorps Doctrinal Publication 2, (1997): 3-8, 33-37.

United States Marine Corps, Logistics, MarineCorps Doctrinal Publication 4, (1997): 3-8, 37-44.

United States Marine Corps, Command and Control,Marine Corps Doctrinal Publication 6, (1996): 35-41.

Supplementary Readings Brown, C.R. The Principles of War. U.S. Naval

Institute Proceedings 75.6 (June 1949): 621-633.


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Overview

Warfighting Functions Command & Control Maneuver

Fires

Intelligence

Logistics

Force Protection

Principles of War MOOSEMUSS


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Learning Objectives

Know and describe the six warfighting functions.

and describe the nine Principles of War.

Comprehend the relationship between the warfighting

functions.

the role of the Principles of War in command

decisionmaking.


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What? Conceptual planning and execution tools used

to create plans

Inseparable parts of a whole

Help the commander achieve unity of

effort and build and sustain combat power

Effective application (in concert), willfacilitate planning and conduct of

operations


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Command & Control

What? The exercise of authority and direction in the

accomplishment of a mission

Overarching warfighting function that

enables all other warfighting functions

Focus of C2 is on commander

His intent, guidance, and decisions

How he receives feedback on results of his

actions

No single activity in war is more important.


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Command & Control

Command (Commander) Very personal function

Commander goes where he can best

influence action, where his moral and physical

presence can be felt, and where his will to

achieve a decision can best be expressed,

understood, and acted upon

Official vs personal authority

Professional competence, personality, and will of

strong commanders represent a significant part

of any units combat power.


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Command & Control

Control (Staff) Monitor the status of the command

Assess gap between what was planned and

what has been accomplished

Feedback allows commanders to adapt and

direct action to exploit new opportunities or

correct deficiencies

Control is successful if cmdr is free to operate,

delegate authority, lead from any critical point on

battlefield, and synchronize actions across AO.


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Maneuver

What?

Movement of forces for purpose of gaining advantage

over EN IOT accomplish an OBJ

The dynamic element of combat and the means of

concentrating forces for decisive action

Maneuver in space

Movement relative to EN to put him at a disadvantage

Maneuver in time

Increasing relative speed (tempo)

Force protection is critical


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Fires What?

Employment of firepower againstair, ground, and sea targets

Objective Delay, disrupt, degrade or destroy

EN capabilities, forces or facilities Effect the ENs will to fight

Collective + coordinated use of target acquisitionsystems, direct and indirect fire, armed aircraft,

and other lethal (e.g. 155mm HE) and nonlethal(e.g. EW, leaflets) means


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Fires

Process must be coordinated with otherwarfighting functions (intel, maneuver, log)

Determining priorities

Identifying and locating targets

Allocating fires assets

Attacking targets

Assessing battle damage


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Maneuver & Fires

Complementary dynamicsof combat

Fires typically shapebattlespace

Maneuver typicallycombined with fires

Synchronizing of organicand supporting fires withscheme of maneuver iscritical to successfulprosecution of combat ops


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Intelligence

What?

The analysis and synthesis of information into

knowledge that supports decision-making

Objective

Accurate, timely, and relevant knowledge about EN(or potential EN) and surrounding environment

Assists in protecting friendly forces through

counterintelligence

Seeks to determine EN capabilities + intentions What can he do?

What will he do? (based on possibilities/probabilities)


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Intelligence

Tangible factors

Number, type of equipment and disposition

Organization

Technical specifications (performance characteristics)

Level of readiness State of training

Quality of leadership

Morale

Methods (Doctrine/TTPs)

Moral and Cultural Forces

Values, goals and past experiences that motivate EN


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Intelligence

Supports command & control (#1 priority) Builds situational picture for commander

Identifies EN CoG and CVs

Confirms or denies adoption of specific EN COAs

Reduces uncertainty and risk

Supports fires and maneuver Identifies target systems, critical nodes, high-value

targets, high-payoff targets

Assesses effects of friendly actions upon EN (combatassessment/BDA)

Supports force protection Identifies, locates, counters ENs intel collection,

sabotage, subversion, and terrorism capabilities


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Logistics What?

The science of planning and carrying out themovement and maintenance of forces

Objective Helps to ensure the effective use of limited resources

Delivers fighting units to theater at time and placedictated by operational requirements

Sustains military forces throughout the course of ops

Returns forces to home bases upon conclusion,rearming and re-equipping as needed

A dependable, uninterrupted log system helps the cmdr

seize + maintain the initiative. Conversely, attacking the

ENs support system can often threaten/weaken his CoG.


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Logistics

Bridge between nations econ + fighting forces Translates national resources into combat power.

Turns manpower, natural resources, and industrialcapacity into units, weapons, equipment, supplies

Combat service support = activitythat provides

services Arming, fueling, fixing equipment, moving, supplying,

manning, and health services

Integration with combat ops

Log cannot be divorced from combat ops; itestablishes limits on what is operationally possible

Log system: robust enough to meet units needs, butnot so robust as to overwhelm force and slow it down


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Force Protection What?

Measures taken to protect forces fighting potential sothat it can be applied at appropriate time and place

Objective Safeguards friendly CoGs and protects, conceals,

reduces or eliminates friendly CVs Remain viable by protecting the force from ENactivities and natural occurrences

Does not imply over-cautiousness or theavoidance of calculated risk

Essential to preservation of combat power across

spectrum of ops, even in benign environments.


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Force Protection

Survivability measures Hardening of facilities and fortifications of

battle positions; air defense

Deception, OPSEC, computer network

defense, and dispersionin conjunction withsecurity ops

Public affairs and civil affairs

Provide FP by establishing a positiveperception of forces and actions among local

population


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Principles of War


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Principles of War

Useful aids to a commander Tools to plan, execute, and assess ops

Assists cmdr in organizing his thinking about

mission, EN, battlespace, and his forces

USMC warfighting philosophy of maneuver

warfare rooted inprinciples

Apply across range of military ops and at

every level of warstrategic, oper, tactical

Nota checklist or prescriptive actions


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Mass

Applies to fires, combat

support, combat service

support, numbers of forces

Decisive local superiority by

numerically inferior forcepossible

Decision to concentrate

requires strict economy and

acceptance of risk elsewhere

Concentrate the effects of combat power at thedecisive place and time to achieve decisive

results.


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Objective

OBJ of each oper must contribute to ultimate

goal of defeating ENs forces or will to fight

OBJ based on consideration of ultimate goal, forces

available, threat, and AO

Cmdr must understand highers mission, his ownmission, and the tasks he must perform

All action must contribute to objective

Cmdr must clearly communicate overall objective to

subordinates

Direct every military operation toward a clearlydefined, decisive, and attainable objective.


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Offensive

Offensedecisive form ofcombat Necessary to seize, retain,

and exploit the initiative and

to maintain freedom of action

Exploit EN weaknesses and

impose your will

Defense Temporary expedient until

resumption of offense (good def

is offensive in character)

Seize, retain, and exploit the initiative.


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Security

Measures taken to prevent surprise,ensure freedom of action, deny EN info

about friendly forces, capabilities, plans

Essential to preservation of combat power

across range of military ops

Notover-cautiousness or avoidance of risk

Security can often be enhanced by boldmaneuver and offensive action

Never permit the EN to acquire an unexpectedadvantage.


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Economy of force

Reciprocal of principle

of mass

Requires acceptance

of prudent risks in

selected areas IOTachieve superiority at

decisive time + place

with the main effort

Allocate minimum essential combat power tosecondary efforts.


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Maneuver

Movement in combination with fires, or fire

potential, to achieve a position of advantage with

respect to EN IOT accomplish the mission

Advantage may be psychological, technological,

temporal, spatial Effective maneuverwith mass, surprise, and

economy of forceallows an inferior force to

achieve decisive superiority at necessary time

and place

Place the enemy in a disadvantageous positionthrough the flexible application of combat power .


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Unity of command

Single cmdr with authority to

direct and coordinate efforts

of all assigned forces in

pursuit of a common OBJ

Goal of unity of command isunity of effort.

For every objective, ensure unity of effort under

one responsible commander.


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Surprise

Not essential that EN be taken unaware; only

that he become aware too late to react effectively

Contributing factors

Speed

Use of unexpected forces Operating at night

Effective and timely intelligence

Deception

Variation in TTPs

Use of unfavorable terrain

Strike the enemy at a time or place or in a

manner for which he is unprepared.


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Simplicity

Plans should be as simple and direct as possible

In combat, even the simplest plan is usually

difficult to execute

Other factors being equal, simplest plan is preferred

Multinational ops place a premium on simplicity Language, doctrine, cultural differences complicate

military ops. Simple plans/orders minimize confusion

Prepare clear, uncomplicated plans and clear,concise orders to ensure thoroughunderstanding.


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Warfighting Functions and Principles of War (1800, 13 JUL 09)

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