Tactics 101: 030 - Planning the Defense

Rick Baillergeon and John Sutherland | September 24, 2008  | 2 comments  | Print  | E-mail

HOW DO YOU EAT AN ELEPHANT?

Marshal of the Soviet Union Mikhail Tukhachevsky

“The person who is able to fully utilize all the equipment of military engineering and show a flexibility of mind and military inventiveness is always able to confront the enemy with unexpected events and unexpected dimensions of the defeat dealt it.” - Mikhail Tukhachevsky

LAST MONTH – A REVIEW
In our last article, we provided a general overview of the defense. Our focus was in four main areas. First, we discussed the various reasons why a unit would conduct a defense. Second, we outlined the three types of the defense – area, mobile and retrograde. Third, we highlighted some key characteristics of the defense, which if adhered to, will greatly assist in mission accomplishment. These characteristics were preparation, security, massing effects, disruption, and flexibility. Finally, we set the conditions for future articles by defining some key terms pertaining to the defense and displaying some graphical control measures principally utilized in the defense.

THIS MONTH
As in all areas in the tactics, effective and timely planning is an imperative when conducting a defensive operation. Detailed planning in the defense is critical to setting the conditions for quality defensive preparation. This in turn, greatly improves the potential for future success during execution. It is a simple relationship to understand, yet such a challenge to effectively incorporate.

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Tags: 20th-21st century warfare, Scholarship