The Canadian Army Journal

dominate the much larger and more complex battlespace with smaller dispersed forces
that rapidly aggregate to achieve surprise and mass for decisive victories against the
enemy at key times and places. This flexible concept is applicable to fighting a
conventional war against a modern aggregated force, and to fighting a counter
insurgency against an adaptive dispersed foe.
Despite increased outputs, ADO imposes new challenges that can already be seen
in dispersed operations in Afghanistan. The dispersed element is no longer able to rely
on concentration of force or mutual support to achieve the mission and to survive.
Instead, each dispersed element requires its own greater ability to act in the evolving
situation.
The operational function Act is a merging of the old combat functions of manoeuvre,
firepower and information operations into one overarching concept with emphasis on the
physical and moral effects as opposed to the means.” 8 Act emphasises not only effects
but also their synchronization and precision. The Army’s force employment concept
develops the concept of synchronization with the vision of networked fighting systems
operating in harmony across the battlespace. 9 This operational function is fine as a
guiding principle for tactical and operational application, but for the development of a
capability it is helpful to drill back down to lower concepts like firepower. Then keeping
operational experience in mind, we can ask how the CF should envision firepower within
the context of ADO and which changes we should be making today.
Firepower
A well rounded close fire system could be seen in a LAV III Company Group
including Mobile Gun System, Armoured Mortar System, Missiles, and long range
sensing.
Firepower is employed to destroy, neutralize, suppress or harass the enemy; its
effects are employed from the strategic level down to the tactical level; and it achieves
the greatest results when coordinated with other battlefield activities such as
manoeuvre. 10 The application of firepower is a joint endeavour, and it brings together
organic firepower and fire support (field artillery, naval gunfire, aviation, and CAS).
One of firepower doctrine’s strengths is the well established emphasis on effect as
opposed to means. “The application of firepower should be judged solely by the effect
required on the enemy in terms of destruction, neutralization or suppression and in
shaping the enemy. This prompts consideration of the volume, duration, and lethality of
Canadian Army Journal Vol. 11.1 Spring 2008
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