Operational Fires: Past, Present and Future.
Abstract
This paper provides an analysis of operational fires and certain key elements that are required for the effective employment of operational fires. The paper focuses on the purposes of operational fires, and how they are employed on the battlefield. First, the paper provides background information on the evolution of operational art during World War II. It discusses how Vietnam experiences and the Goldwater-Nichols Act influenced senior military leaders operational thinking prior to the Persian Gulf War. Second, it identifies how operational fires were employed during the Battle of Okinawa, Operation Iceberg. Third, the paper evaluates how battlefield dynamics, technology, political objectives, and constraints influenced the employment of operational fires during the Persian Gulf War, Operation Desert Storm. Fourth, the paper focuses on the future battlefield, and how operational fires may contribute in shaping future battlespace. The paper illustrates how battlefield dynamics, technology, availability of assets, and constraints placed on military operations affected the employment of operation fires. The paper highlights the importance of incorporating operational fires into the operational design in order to synchronize them with operational maneuver, deception, and intelligence. The paper predicts that the commander's ability to shape the future battlespace with operational fires will be limited only by the commander's ability to think operationally. (KAR) P. 3
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 16, 1995
- Accession Number
- ADA297835
Entities
People
- Thomas R. Kelly
Organizations
- Naval War College