Seizing the Lodgment: Forcible Entry Lessons from Panama and the Falklands
Abstract
This monograph analyzes factors critical to the success of two forcible entry operations. In 1989, the US military conducted one of the most complex forcible entry operations in its history. The US invasion of Panama leveraged a semi-permissive presence in the country, multiple modes of power projection, effective intelligence, creative deception, and overwhelming combat power to seize 27 major objectives in the opening hours of the conflict. In 1982, the British deployed a combined naval, amphibious, and ground task force 8,000 miles to retake the Falkland Islands after an Argentinian invasion. The British Task Force's understanding of the operational environment, strategic and operational deception, application of synchronized combined arms, and logistics operations enabled British forces to effectively isolate the lodgment, gain, and maintain access.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 10, 2016
- Accession Number
- AD1021809
Entities
People
- James A. Beaulieu
Organizations
- School of Advanced Military Studies