Shaping the Deep Fight: Operational Implications for the 21st Century Subterranean Conflict.
Abstract
Over time, underground warfare continues to maintain its allure in conflict as combatants seek a competitive edge over their opponent. Currently, most US doctrine addressing the subterranean environment is from a tactical perspective, focusing on technology, techniques, and procedures to combat a subterranean threat. Understanding subterranean operations remains critical as the United States endeavors to understand themselves, its enemies, and the future environment while preserving the American way of life. Through historical analysis and the development of a subterranean typology, this study provides the operational planner with a better understanding of the operational implications of a subterranean fight. This understanding is critical to the success of the United States in large scale combat operations. It will allow the operational level planner to better understand the operating environment, estimate the enemy's capabilities, and provide the combatant commander with more suitable options for success. The subterranean threat is not an army problem, rather a defense problem requiring combined resources and assets at all echelons. However, physical effects are only cogent when they are followed by deliberate cognitive design and virtual shaping effects.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 23, 2019
- Accession Number
- AD1083592
Entities
People
- Haley E. Mercer
Organizations
- United States Army Command and General Staff College