Land Warfare Development Centre Army Doctrine Publication AC 71940

Land Operations

HANDLING INSTRUCTIONS & CONDITIONS Of ReLeASe

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Foreword CGS foreword to ADP Land Operations

ADP Land Operations is the British Armys core doctrine. It provides the framework of understanding for our approach to combat and to operations. It is the foundation for all of our tactical doctrine. It recognises that the nature of warfare remains constant: it remains visceral and violent, characterised by friction, in which the simplest things become difficult; its outcomes are more often about the effects on peoples minds than they are about physical effects; and it is always about politics. This new edition is necessary because the character of conflict has evolved significantly due to the pervasiveness of information.

The context is complex and dynamic. We live and fight in a goldfish bowl. There are few secrets any longer. We have access to multiple audiences and they have access to us. No longer is there a clear distinction between war and peace. We live in an era of constant competition and confrontation in which our adversaries exploit the grey area short of combat operations to seek advantage. There is no boundary between what happens abroad and what happens at home. Success is more likely to be achieved through non-military or non-lethal means, and invariably it is the triumph of the narrative that is decisive, not necessarily the facts on the ground. The battlefield is increasingly decentralized with a premium placed on the talent of low level leadership and its understanding of the strategic context. And the expectations of military restraint, as well as the complexity of the legal context, constrain commanders as never before.

The two central ideas in British Doctrine remain constant. The requirement for Mission Command and the Manoeuvrist Approach has not changed, however the latter is focused on the enemy and in this complex and dynamic environment manoeuvre has to take account of a much broader audience than simply the enemy. A new idea is therefore required - this is called Integrated Action. It is a unifying doctrine that requires commanders first to identify their outcome; second to study all of the audiences that are relevant to the attainment of the outcome; third to analyse the effects that need to be imparted on the relevant audience; before determining the best mix of capabilities, from soft through to hard power, required to impart effect onto those audiences to achieve the outcome.

Put simply, doctrine is not just what is taught, it also captures a set of beliefs the beliefs that underpin how we practise our profession. ADP Land Operations should be read by all, applied at the appropriate level, and used intelligently as the framework of understanding to inform our Armys development in this increasingly complex and dynamic context.

CGS

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Preface

Army Doctrine Publication (ADP) Land Operations is the primary source of doctrine for UK land operations. Building on the foundations laid by higher-level North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and Defence doctrine, it provides the philosophy and principles that guide land forces approach to operations. As the capstone doctrine of UK land forces, its philosophy and principles inform the practices and procedures in the Army field Manual (AfM) series, handbooks and aides-memoire.

ADP Land Operations is required reading for all land force commanders from sub-unit upwards and for staff officers working in the land environment. They must explain the doctrine to their subordinates and so ensure that the whole land force operates in accordance with its principles. It is also useful for allies, joint staffs, civil servants and civilians working alongside land forces.

Unless otherwise specified, all definitions used in ADP Land Operations are consistent with those of NATO Allied Administrative Publication (AAP) 06, NATO Glossary of Terms.

ADP Land Operations has three parts.

Part 1 establishes the context which informs the fundamentals of land doctrine.

Chapter 1 describes the nature of conflict, of the land environment and of land forces, how the character of conflict changes, and key aspects of contemporary conflict. It identifies important implications for land forces.

Chapter 2 examines the UK national context and describes the NATO framework of operations and relationships within which operations are conducted.

Chapter 3 describes the three components of land forces fighting Power: conceptual, moral and physical.

Part 2 describes the fundamentals of land doctrine.

Chapter 4 explains Integrated Action, a unifying doctrine, which guides the orchestration and execution of operations whether the task is any combination of fighting, engagement, security or support.

Chapter 5 describes the Manoeuvrist Approach, the British Armys fighting doctrine for the tactical level, specifically focused on the enemy.

Chapter 6 is concerned with Mission Command, the command philosophy of the British Army.

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Part 3 introduces how operations are conducted. These subjects are covered in greater detail in the AfM series.

Chapter 7 explains interoperability, how land forces organise for operations, and how they support and are supported by other components.

Chapter 8 provides general guidance on how operations are planned and conducted to achieve Integrated Action. It explains the tactical functions, operational art, various doctrinal frameworks and provides a summary of the tactical activities that contribute to Integrated Action.

Chapter 9 describes wider aspects of command (in the context of Mission Command), the characteristics of the commander and staff, how operations are controlled and the operations process.

Chapter 10 is concerned with sustainment of land operations, its philosophy and principles and how it is planned and executed.

ADP Land Operations continues the evolution of modern land forces capstone doctrine, from British Military Doctrine (1989) and its associated five volumes of ADPs, to ADP Land Operations (2005) and ADP Operations (2010).

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Contents

FOreWOrD i

PreFACe ii

PArt 1 - COntext OF OPerAtiOns P1

ChAPter 1 - nAtUre AnD ChArACter OF COnFLiCt 1-1

introduction 1-1

the nature of conflict 1-2

the land environment 1-3

Land forces 1-4

the character of conflict 1-5

implications of the nature and character of conflict 1-8

Annex 1A - Principles of war 1-11

ChAPter 2 - nAtiOnAL AnD OPerAtiOnAL COntext 2-1

introduction 2-1

UK context 2-1

Campaign authority, legitimacy and legality 2-2

Military frameworks of operations 2-4

Operational relationships 2-8

Joint 2-8

Inter-agency 2-9

Multinational 2-10

Whole force approach 2-12

UK land forces contribution to strategy and joint operations 2-13

ChAPter 3 - Fighting POWer 3-1

introduction 3-1

the conceptual component 3-3

the moral component 3-8

the physical component 3-13

readiness, deployability and recovery 3-16

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PArt 2 - FUnDAMentALs

ChAPter 4 - integrAteD ACtiOn

introduction

Understanding and the audience

integration of actions to achieve desired outcomes

ChAPter 5 - MAnOeUvrist APPrOACh

introduction

requirements

Psychological impact of the Manoeuvrist Approach

seizing and holding the initiative

shaping understanding

Attacking will and cohesion

ChAPter 6 - MissiOn COMMAnD

introduction

Context

nature of command

Mission Command

Principles of Mission Command

Application of Mission Command

PArt 3 - COnDUCt OF OPerAtiOns

ChAPter 7 - OrgAnising FOr OPerAtiOns

introduction

interoperabilty