Factors involving Operational Design

ELEMENTS OF OPERATIONAL DESIGN Elements of Operational Design Operational art is the utilization of military forces to attain strategic goals via organization, design, conduct of strategies, integration, major operations, campaigns and battles. It aids commanders in effective and efficient utilization of resources to attain strategic goals and objectives. It ensures that war is a set of connected engagements based on relative attrition as a measure of failure or success. It requires the ability to anticipate, broad vision, and effective multinational and joint cooperation.

It is adopted by JFCs, senior staff officers and subordinate commanders. The major elements of operational design include forces and functions, anticipation, leverage, culmination, operational reach and approach balance, simultaneity and depth, centers of gravity, synergy, timing and tempo, direct vs. indirect approach, arranging operations, decisive points and termination. Operational approach is an operational line used to achieve operational reach, which is the distance a military power can be decisively focused and deployed.

Lines of operations (geographical designations) is a force’s directional orientation in terms of space and time relative to the enemy. It links the force with its objectives and operation bases. On the other hand, lines of effort uses the purposes logic of effect and cause to link many missions and tasks to focus efforts aimed at developing strategic and operational conditions, hence its difference from lines of operations (MAJOR).

Center of gravity (COGs) are capabilities, attributes or locations from which a military forces develops its physical strength, freedom of action or the need to fight or attack an enemy. They include alliances, military forces, public support or national will, national strategy, or a set of critical functions or capabilities. COG is an important analytical tool used to design operations and campaigns. It helps commanders and staffs to assess enemy and friendly strength sources and weaknesses.

Assessment of friendly and enemy COGs is a continuous procedure that takes place throughout an operation. The most direct path to winning a battle is neutralizing or destroy enemy COGs. However, center of gravity can change at any point during an operation, meaning it is not readily discernible or apparent. It takes detailed knowledge and proper understanding of how the enemy organizes, fights and makes decisions, including their psychological and physical strengths and weaknesses to determine enemy COGs (Reilley et al., 2012).

Therefore, military forces must be alert to conditions capable of causing change in COGs, to suitably adjust friendly operations. Enemy COGs are often well-protected, making it expensive and difficult for friendly forces to attack. As a result, joint operations may be required to attain indirect attacks until prevailing conditions allow for direct attacks. Friendly COGs must also be determined for protection. Long CONUS air and sea LOCs or supporting theaters are good examples of COGs.

Critical capabilities are important enablers for COGs to function for the attainment of assumed or specified goals. Critical requirements are important resources, conditions or ways for an essential capability to be completely operational. On the other hand, critical.