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

WWW.SURVIVALEBOOKS.COMFM 100-5DEEP OPERATIONSAt the tactical level, commanders design operationsin depth to secure advantages in later engagementsand to protect the force. The preferred methodis to simultaneously engage enemy forces throughoutthe depth of the battle area and achieve decisive resultsrapidly. The purpose of these operations is todeny the enemy freedom of action and to disrupt ordestroy the coherence and tempo of his operations.Attack of enemy formations at depth destroys, delays,disrupts, or diverts enemy combat capability. Theseattacks also aim at enemy functions such as command,logistics, or air defense, thus exposing or creating avulnerability that friendly forces can exploit.Typical deep operations include interdiction byground and air maneuver and fires, either singly or incombination; deep surveillance and target acquisition;and command, control, and communications countermeasures(C3CM). Other activities in depth, such ascounterfire and electronic countermeasures, focus oneffects that protect the force before and during the closebattle. To synchronize activities that are both deepand close, commanders prioritize and integrate theavailable collection and intelligence resources with aplan of attack to give the tactical information necessaryto make critical decisions.Deep operations for different echelons may occuranywhere on the battle-field. To ensure unity of effort,higher echelons and joint forces coordinate deepactivities that may affect or complement the operationsof brigades and subordinate units.CLOSE OPERATIONSClose operations are when soldiers close with anddestroy the enemy. Close combat is normally requiredfor decisive and lasting effects on the battlefield. It isalso the type of combat that places soldiers at greatestrisk. Close operations are the activities of the mainand supporting efforts around or through enemy defensesto occupy objectives that permit the defeat ofdefending forces. Commanders pick a combinationof the forms of offensive operations and maneuver touse at the critical time and place to close with and destroythe enemy. Dispersed formations that mass tofight decisive, close battles disperse again to protectthe force and allow attacking commanders to pick thetime, place, and circumstances for the battle.Commanders weight their combination of optionsto mass effects. For example, commanders may fixpart of the enemy force with a frontal attack by asmaller force, while maneuvering the rest of the forcein an envelopment to turn the enemy from his defensivepositions and defeat him in detail. This causescommanders to designate the envelopment as the maineffort so they can concentrate forces and mass the effectsof combat power to achieve decisive results.Priority of fires shifts with the main effort during theseoperations. Massed fires are critical. Setting a baseof fire and movement of forces to close with and destroythe enemy is the essence of close operations.Allocation of forces, selection of the location at whichthe enemy will be destroyed, and the tempo of the fightare functions of METT-T. Once committed, friendlyforces press the fight to overwhelm the enemy rapidly.In close operations, reconnaissance and securityforces serve as covering forces. They are the advance,flank, or rear guards that locate the enemy, find gapsin his defenses, protect the force from surprise, developthe situation, and give commanders time andspace in which to control enemy actions. Given extendedand noncontiguous battlefields, tactical commandersmay choose a variety of methods to securethe gaps between their subordinate units when theyare operating at great distances from one another.The reserve enters the action offensively at theproper place and moment to clinch the victory. Thisis its primary purpose. In this way it provides thesource of additional combat power to commit at thedecisive moment, and it provides a hedge against uncertainty.Once the attack begins, commanders shapethe course of the battle and take decisive action, decidingwhen, where, and if to commit the fires of thesupporting arms and their reserves. Thus, the initialstrength and location of reserves vary with contemplatedmissions, the type of maneuver, possible hostilereaction, and clarity of the situation.REAR OPERATIONSRear operations ensure freedom of action of committedand uncommitted forces and protect the meansnecessary to sustain combat operations and supportthe force. The location of CSS functions need not becontiguous to their supported combat forces. Sometimesa rear area may not be apparent. A rapid, extendedmajor operation may place tactical units farfrom the original support area. Commanders may decideto separate their support units and extend theirLOCs. They then consider the resources for temporaryLOCs.7-13