The Center of Confusion: Otherwise Known as the Center of Gravity

Abstract

The tangled web of confusion surrounding the Center of Gravity (COG) has morphed this war fighting concept into something that is so abstract, so confusing and so hard to form a consensus on, that the true meaning of its original context has been construed. Each service has a slightly different definition of a COG and Joint Publications offer another. During planning, component commanders and staffs will [rarely] agree on what to call the COG. In fact, Air centric forces will define one aspect as the COG while ground and naval forces will define another. If the COG framework that is currently utilized so ambiguous, so different, and often misunderstood; it may be time to take a critical look at what the Center of Gravity really is and at what level of warfare it really exists.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Feb 13, 2006
Accession Number
ADA463329

Entities

People

  • Stephen P. Armes

Organizations

  • Naval War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Abstracts
  • Air Force
  • American Revolution
  • Asymmetric Warfare
  • Center Of Gravity
  • Doctrine
  • Gravity
  • Insurgency
  • Military Operations
  • Military Science
  • National Security
  • Neurobehavioral Manifestations
  • Operations Research
  • Translations
  • Unconventional Warfare
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Educational Psychology
  • Military History / Militaries and War Studies