Tactical Implications of the Adoption of Auftragstaktik for Command and Control on the AirLand Battlefield
Abstract
To fight effectively on the cellular battlefield that AirLand Battle doctrine envisages will demand individual and tactical initiative of a higher order. Auftragstaktik, and system which encourages decentralized decision authority and mission orders, seems to be the only command method that offers the speed and precision of response to match the tempo of future maneuver warfare. Despite some signs that Auftragstaktik is being implemented, it remains untested and superficially underground by many professional soldiers. This assay explains the origins of Auftragstaktik and the reasons for its inclusion in the 1982 Field Manual 100-5. It then considers conditions which will probably obtain upon the Army's full acceptance of Auftragstaktik. These conditions are illuminated by historical examples and are examined relative to command and control, combat orders, and decentralized decision authority. The study also looks at conditions unfavorable to Auftragstaktik. The author concludes that, during this century, decentralized command methods consistently have proved more effective than centralized methods. Indeed, decentralized tactical control is now a combat imperative.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 02, 1985
- Accession Number
- ADA167919
Entities
People
- John M. Vermillion
Organizations
- United States Army Command and General Staff College