WWW.SURVIVALEBOOKS.COMOPERATIONSFLEXIBILITYDefensive operations epitomize flexible planningand agile execution. In exercising the initiative, theattacker initially decides where and when combat willtake place. The defender who is agile enough tocounter or evade the attacker’s blow can then strikeback effectively. Tactical flexibility stems from detailedplanning, particularly in IPB. It is also neededfor organizing in depth and retaining reserves. Theplan enables commanders to shift their point of maineffort quickly without losing synchronization. Commandersadd flexibility to their basic plans by designatingsupplementary positions throughout the battlefield,designing counterattack plans, and preparing toassume the offensive.Once the defender controls the attacker’s thrust,he can operate against the enemy’s exposed flanks andrear. The defender, under the cover of his own fires,can then maneuver over previously reconnoitered terrainagainst extended elements of the attacking force.The defender’s fires cover all approaches and accommodatechanges in priority and in sequencing targetsand effects. Reserve commanders prepare for movement.They formulate counterattack plans that addresstheir on-order and be-prepared missions and likelycontingencies.DEFENSIVE PATTERNSThe two primary forms of defensive operationsare mobile and area defense. These apply to both thetactical and operational levels of war. Mobile defensesorient on the destruction of the attacking force by permittingthe enemy to advance into a position that exposeshim to counterattack by a mobile reserve. Areadefenses orient on retention of terrain by absorbingthe enemy in an interlocking series of positions anddestroying him largely by fires.Although these descriptions convey the generalpattern of each type of defense, both forms of defenseemploy static and dynamic elements. In mobile defenses,static defensive positions help control the depthand breadth of enemy penetration and ensure retentionof ground from which to launch counterattacks.In area defenses, commanders closely integrate patrols,intelligence units, and reserve forces to cover the gapsamong defensive positions, reinforcing those positionsas necessary and counter-attacking defensive positionsas directed. Defending commanders combine bothpatterns, using static elements to delay, canalize, andultimately halt the attacker and dynamic elements(spoiling attacks and counterattacks) to strike and destroyenemy forces. The balance among these elementsdepends on the enemy, mission, force composition,mobility, relative combat power, and the natureof the battlefield.MOBILE DEFENSEMobile defense orients on the destruction of theenemy force by employing a combination of fire andmaneuver, offense, defense, and delay to defeat hisattack. The minimum force possible is committed topure defense; maximum combat power is placed in astriking force that catches the enemy as it is attemptingto overcome that part of the force dedicated to thedefense. Commanders conducting a mobile defensetake advantage of terrain in depth, obstacles, and mines,while employing firepower and maneuver to wrest theinitiative from the attacker. A mobile defense requiresa mobility greater than that of the attacker. The defenderscause the natural aggressiveness of the attackerto focus on the wrong objective, setting him up forattack from an unexpected direction and driving thatattack home with overwhelming force and violence.Defenders place minimum forces forward, formingpowerful forces with which to strike the enemy athis most vulnerable time and place. Defenders trackthe enemy throughout his attack. They identify criticalenemy nodes, such as C2, radars, logistics trains,and indirect fire support elements. They blind or deceiveenemy critical reconnaissance elements; theyallow less critical reconnaissance elements to drawattention to the friendly forces’ secondary efforts. Atthe decisive moment, defenders strike simultaneouslythroughout the depth of the attacker’s forces. Theyjam or destroy the enemy’s C2 systems, attack ammunitioncarriers and POL tankers by fires, and emplaceminefields aerially or by field artillery behind and infront of the attacking enemy. They strike the enemyby air and ground attacks, assaulting him from an openflank and defeating him in detail.Terrain is traded for maximum effect to divert theattention of the enemy from the defender’s main force,overextend the attacker’s resources, exposing hisflanks, and leading him into a posture and terrain thatdiminishes his ability to defend against the counterattackof the larger, mobile reserve. The mobile defensesets up large-scale counterattacks that offer the defenderthe opportunity to gain and retain the9-2
WWW.SURVIVALEBOOKS.COM<strong>FM</strong> <strong>100</strong>-5initiative, going over to the offense and moving intoexploitation and pursuit. See Figure 9-1.AREA DEFENSECommanders conduct an area defense to deny theenemy access to designated terrain or facilities for aspecified time. In a theater campaign, selective use ofan area defense can be part of a theater’s mobile defense.Those elements designated to conduct areadefense must understand their role in the larger campaignplan. In an area defense, the bulk of defendingforces deploy to retain ground, using a combinationof defensive positions and small, mobile reserves.Commanders organize the defense around a staticframework provided by defensive posi- tions, seekingto destroy enemy forces with interlocking fires. Commandersalso employ local counterattacks against enemyunits penetrating between defensive positions. Asecurity area or covering force is also part of an areadefense.Figure 9-1. Mobile Defense9-3
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