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

WWW.SURVIVALEBOOKS.COMOPERATIONSUnlimited resources are seldom, if ever, availableto the commander. He fights with what he has againstwhatever force he is committed. But in so doing, heseeks to attain overwhelming combat power as besthe can at the decisive point and time. Battle shouldnot be a fight between two relatively equal foes. Whentactics are successful, commanders gain a combatpower advantage over the enemy and are able to defeathim quickly with minimal losses to their owntroops. Army forces seek to overwhelm the enemywith a combination of factors, key among which aresuperior equipment, training, leadership, doctrine, andthe qualities and courage of the American soldier.Combat is the traditional role of the Army, and theone on which it principally focuses and trains. Winningin battle depends on an understanding of the dynamicsof combat power and putting them together toensure defeat of the enemy.THE DYNAMICS OF COMBAT POWERFour primary elements—maneuver, firepower, protection,and leadership—combine to create combatpower—the ability to fight. Their effective applicationand sustainment, in concert with one another, willdecide the outcome of campaigns, major operations,battles, and engagements. Leaders integrate maneuver,firepower, and protection capabilities in a varietyof combinations appropriate to the situation.ManeuverManeuver is the movement of combat forces togain positional advantage, usually in order to deliver—or threaten delivery of—direct and indirect fires. Maneuveris the means of positioning forces at decisivepoints to achieve surprise, psychological shock, physicalmomentum, massed effects, and moral dominance.Successful maneuver requires anticipation and mentalagility.Commanders may achieve the effects of maneuverwithout movement by allowing the enemy to moveinto a disadvantageous position. Moving and positioningunits during deployment to a theater and withina theater prior to operations are forms of maneuver ifthis movement gains a positional advantage and caninfluence the outcomes of battles and campaigns.Maneuver is rarely effective without firepower andprotection. Maneuver keeps the enemy off balance,protecting the force. Maneuver continually poses newproblems for the enemy, rendering his reactions ineffective,and eventually leading to his defeat.The positional advantages and staying powergained by ground maneuver forces are unique and cannotbe replaced by other means. Army combat aviationassets can also offer the ground commander greaterflexibility and unique advantages in reconnaissance,protection, and lethality; however, the temporary natureof these platforms cannot replace the permanenceof ground forces. Maneuver and firepower are inseparableand complementary dynamics of combat. Althoughone might dominate a phase of the battle, thesynchronized effects of both characterize all operations.Their joint use makes the destruction of largerenemy forces feasible and enhances the protection ofa friendly force. Maneuver may also exploit the effectsof nuclear weapons.FirepowerFirepower provides destructive force; it is essentialin defeating the enemy’s ability and will to fight.It is the amount of fire that may be delivered by aposition, unit, or weapon system. Firepower may beeither direct or indirect. Integrated as part of thecommander’s concept, firepower includes the fire supportfunctions that may be used separately from or incombination with maneuver to destroy the enemy. Theextended range and precision of direct and indirect fireweapon systems, using laser-guided munitions andintegrated target acquisition systems, make firepowermore lethal than ever before. Firepower can be integratedwith smoke or electronic warfare systems todisrupt or disorganize the enemy, producing specificphysical and psychological effects.Firepower effects occur at the strategic, operational,and tactical levels and must be synchronizedwith other attack systems against the enemy. Maximumfirepower effects require the full integration ofArmy and joint-service systems and procedures fordetermining priorities; locating, identifying, and trackingtargets; allocating firepower assets; and assessingfire effects. Finally, firepower is most effective whencombined with the maneuver force.ProtectionProtection conserves the fighting potential of aforce so that commanders can apply it at the decisivetime and place. Protection has four components.• The first component of protection is OPSECand deception operations, which help keep theenemy from locating friendly units. Skillful reconnaissanceand counterreconnaissance aid2-10