FM 100-5 Operations - Survival Ebooks Military Manuals Survival ...

WWW.SURVIVALEBOOKS.COMOPERATIONSand friendly vulnerabilities during the battle by answeringa series of questions:- Where and when is the enemy most vulnerable?- When, where, and how can the defender exploitthose vulnerabilities?- What are the specific conditions that trigger theexploitation of those vulnerabilities?- What is the worst thing the attacker can do tothe defending force?To determine the enemy’s vulnerabilities and effectivecountermeasures to their attack, defending commandersconduct a thorough IPB. The IPB enablescommanders and their staffs to anticipate the enemy’sobjectives and courses of action and helps determinewhat control measures are needed. Sometimes the IPBis helped by an enemy who is predictable, rational,and doctrinal. The IPB, however, is more difficult iffriendly units are fighting irregular forces that haveno doctrine and adapt their methods rapidly when fightingconventional forces.In a defense against an enemy in echelon, commandersdetermine the location and response time ofreserves and follow-on forces. Delaying the enemyfollow-on forces may allow defeat in detail. Whenthe defense forces the enemy to increase his tempo ofoperations, the enemy may commit forces earlier thanplanned, thereby disrupting his concept of operationsand creating exploitable gaps between the committedand subsequent echelons. Accurate and timely targetingof enemy units, facilities, and operating systemsand rapid-to-near-real-time shooter-to-user links arecrucial to defeat an attacking enemy in depth.The foundation of a defensive plan is locating, containing,and defeating the attacker’s main and supportingefforts. Commanders use every resource availableto offset the attacker’s numerical advantage, toidentify dangerous threats, and to mass combat poweragainst the vulnerabilities of the enemy force. In particular,planners anticipate the enemy’s use of indirectapproaches and his ability to project combat powerinto the rear area by long-range fires, infiltration, airmobility, unconventional warfare, and weapons ofmass destruction.TERRAIN AND WEATHERThe defender must decide where he can best killthe enemy and plan accordingly. A study of the terrainthat the enemy must traverse to conduct his attackgives valuable information. This study indicatesthe probable positions of assembly areas, logistics dispositions,artillery locations, ground favoring armoredand mechanized attack, and an area most advantageousfor the main attack. Personal reconnaissance is essential.The characteristics of the terrain may exercise adecisive influence on the positioning of the defense.The defending force exploits any aspect of terrain thatimpairs enemy momentum or makes it difficult for theenemy to achieve mass or conduct maneuver.Defenders engage the attacker at points where theterrain puts him at the greatest disadvantage. Defendingcommanders use man-made obstacles to improvethe natural impediments, to slow or canalize enemymovement, and to protect friendly positions and maneuver.Some terrain may be so significant to the defensethat its loss would prove decisive. When terrainis a critical factor in a defense, commanders make it afocal point of their plan.Weather and visibility affect how defenders organizethe terrain. In periods of adverse or limited visibility,commanders plan for the impact on weaponssystems and optical devices. A defensive plan thatsucceeds in clear conditions may be less effective inperiods of bad weather. Contingencies to the basic planshould address necessary modifications to the defenseduring periods of reduced visibility. Commanders andstaffs need local tactical weather information as wellas the more general theater-level forecasts.TROOPSCommanders consider the composition of theirforce. They also consider teamwork, state of training,and experience of leaders when they assign missions.The mobility, protection, morale, and training of theirtroops determine to some extent how they defend. Differencesin mobility, training, and leadership makesome units more suitable for some missions than forothers. In combined operations, for example, particulararrangements may be necessary to accommodatenational pride or interests. In joint operations, specificweapons systems, rates of consumption, and tacticaldoctrine might prohibit certain missions. In addition,the lack of ground combat forces in the initial stagesof forcible-entry operations makes effective synchronizationof joint forces critical at that stage. The abilityof the joint force to synchronize effects is essentialto protect the lodgment area and force buildup duringthis vulnerable stage of operations. The defendershould10-2