2. THE BRITISH APPROACH TO
OPERATIONAL ART
Part 1 – The Levels of warfare
Part 2 – The Characteristics of the
Operational Level
Part 3 – The Campaign Plan
Part 4 – The basic principles of the
Operational Art
3. THE BRITISH APPROACH TO
OPERATIONAL ART
Levels of Warfare
• The Grand Strategic
• The Military Strategic
4. ‘The military objective should be governed by
the political objective, subject to the basic
condition that policy does not demand what is
militarily……impossible’
Liddell Hart
5. THE BRITISH APPROACH TO
OPERATIONAL ART
Levels of Warfare
• The Grand Strategic
• The Military Strategic
• The Operational
• The Tactical
6. THE 3 TESTS
• Is there a political imperative for action?
•Will/might the action achieve, or does the
action have the possibility of achieving a
decision that materially alters the situation
in terms of the overall campaign?
•Might the action achieve a decision that
materially assists in realising strategic
goals?
7. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE
OPERATIONAL LEVEL
• Freedom of Action
• Joint Operations
• Multinational Operations
• Concentration of Force
• Media Dimension
• Total Effect
8. The Campaign Planning
Concepts
• End-state
• Centre of Gravity (CoG)
• Decisive Points (DPs)
Joint Activities
• Lines of Operation
• Sequencing and Phases
• Branches and Sequels
• Culminating Point
• Operational Pause
9. The End-state
… that state of affairs which
needs to be achieved at the end
of a campaign either to
terminate or to resolve the
conflict on favourable or
satisfactory terms …
JWP 5-00
10. The Campaign Planning
Concepts
• End-state
• Centre of Gravity (CoG)
• Decisive Points (DPs)
Joint Activities
• Lines of Operation
• Sequencing and Phases
• Branches and Sequels
• Culminating Point
• Operational Pause
11. The Centre of Gravity
That aspect of the adversary’s overall
capability which, if attacked and
eliminated, will lead either to his
inevitable defeat or his wish to sue
for peace through negotiations
JWP 5-00
12. Alexander the Great had a strong army
but a very weak navy; he identified in his
campaign against the Persians that his
success depended upon gaining control
of the Mediterranean Sea and he
determined that the Persian CoG was
their shore bases. Securing those bases
with his army …… meant that he was
able to gain control over the sea without
a naval battle ….
UKOPSDOC, Chapter 3
13. The Campaign Planning
Concepts
• End-state
• Centre of Gravity (CoG)
• Decisive Points (DPs)
Joint Activities
• Lines of Operation
• Sequencing and Phases
• Branches and Sequels
• Culminating Point
• Operational Pause
14. The Decisive Point
An effect, the successful
outcome of which is a
precondition to unlocking the
enemy’s CoG
15. The Campaign Planning
Concepts
• End-state
• Centre of Gravity (CoG)
• Decisive Points (DPs)
Joint Activities
• Lines of Operation
• Sequencing and Phases
• Branches and Sequels
• Culminating Point
• Operational Pause
16. Joint Activities
….a set of measurable activities that
contribute to the achievement of a
DP and involve assets or resources
of one or more component
JWP 5-00
17. The Campaign Planning
Concepts
• End-state
• Centre of Gravity (CoG)
• Decisive Points (DPs)
Joint Activities
• Lines of Operation
• Sequencing and Phases
• Branches and Sequels
• Culminating Point
• Operational Pause
18. Lines of Operation
‘… a line linking decisive points in
time and space on the path to the
CoG.’
JWP 0-01.1
19. The Campaign Planning
Concepts
• End-state
• Centre of Gravity (CoG)
• Decisive Points (DPs)
Joint Activities
• Lines of Operation
• Sequencing and Phases
• Branches and Sequels
• Culminating Point
• Operational Pause
20. Sequencing and Phases
Sequencing is the arrangement of
events within a campaign in the
order most likely to achieve the
elimination of the adversary’s Centre
of Gravity
JWP 5-00
21. The Campaign Planning
Concepts
• End-state
• Centre of Gravity (CoG)
• Decisive Points (DPs)
Joint Activities
• Lines of Operation
• Sequencing and Phases
• Branches and Sequels
• Culminating Point
• Operational Pause
22. Branches and Sequels
• Branches are options within a
particular phase.
• Sequels provide options for the next
phase.
23. The Campaign Planning
Concepts
• End-state
• Centre of Gravity (CoG)
• Decisive Points (DPs)
Joint Activities
• Lines of Operation
• Sequencing and Phases
• Branches and Sequels
• Culminating Point
• Operational Pause
24. Culminating Point
An operation or battle reaches its
culminating point when the current
operation can just be maintained but
not developed to any great
advantage.
JWP 5-00
26. Political
Direction
Military
Directive
WAYS
(Mission and Guidance
On use of resources)
ENDS
(End-state, Military Strategic
Objectives and Exit Strategy)
MEANS
(Resources)
ESTIMATE
Review Situation
Mission analysis
Evaluation of Factors
JTFC’s Guidance
CoA Development
Consideration of CoA
JTFC Decision
CAMPAIGN PLAN
Op
CoG
Operational
end-state
Strategic
CoG
PHASE 1 PHASE 2 PHASE 3
Strategic
end-state
Line of OP DP DP
DP
DP
DP
DP DP DP
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
Line of OP
Line of OP
Line of OP
DP
Branch
Sequel
S
p
a
c
e
Other
Lines of
Operation
Culminating
Point
Op pause
27. THE OPERATIONAL ART
“Tactics make the steps from which
operational leaps are assembled,
strategy points out the path”
AA Svechin
28. Operational Art is
“the orchestration of all
military activities involved in converting
strategic objectives into tactical actions
with a view to
seeking a decisive result”
29. UTILISATION OF
THE OPERATIONAL ART
• Identify the military conditions – or end state – that will
achieve the strategic objectives
•Order activities, both sequentially and simultaneously, that
lead to the fulfilment of the military condition – it is unlikely
that the strategic objective can be achieved by a single
operational gambit
•Apply the military resources allocated to him, within the
constraints imposed upon him, to sustain the sequence of
actions
•Identify the risks involved
31. Main and Supporting Efforts
Supporting/Supported Commanders
Joint Co-ordination Process
Campaign Effectiveness Analysis
Campaign Rhythm
OPERATIONAL MANAGEMENT
Operational Management seeks to achieve the greatest possible synergy, the
required level of tempo, as well as maintaining a clear focus, and judging the
effect of actions on achieving the End-State.
OPERATIONAL
COMMAND
OPERATIONAL ART
The essence of Operational
Art is to identify beforehand
what is going to be decisive,
and the shaping operations
needed for success.
Operational Ideas
COG Analysis
Campaign Fulcrum
Decisive Act
OPERATIONAL DESIGN
Operational Design refines and
develops the Operational Ideas
and is the way in which the
JTFC expresses his vision of
how he sees the operation
unfolding.
The Operational Estimate
The Campaign Plan
Campaign
Planning
Concepts
