Ch. 7 Army Operations in Maritime Environments

Army Operations in Maritime Environments

• War's objective is destroying enemy capacity and will to fight, forcing acceptance of the victor's will. This is often achieved through pressure on land and sea (and air, in more modern conflicts).
• Optimum pressure is achieved through physical occupation (best on land).
• Maritime environments present unique characteristics and challenges for Army operations.
• Land masses near water create maritime choke points, enable force projection, and contain most of the world's population. Control of these land masses is the ultimate objective.
• Maritime operations require integrated joint force planning and coordination with other services.
• Maritime environments include littoral areas (seaward and landward).
• Littoral regions include enclosed/semi-enclosed seas, islands, archipelagos, open seas, and marginal seas.
• Islands vary in size and geology, including jungle, savanna, arctic, or desert environments. Unique considerations (cold weather, jungle, etc.) must be addressed.
• Arctic regions are influenced by maritime considerations, competition, and possible conflict.
• Numerous international responsibilities/relationships exist, along with varying geopolitical pressures.
• Challenges in a predominantly maritime environment include operational reach and the impact of space and time on reinforcement; remoteness leading to vulnerability.
• Threats to Army forces in a maritime theater include those in other theaters, plus unique maritime considerations.
• Joint force operations in maritime environments require a shared understanding of the threats and constraints, including the dynamic nature of them (in contrast to land-based environments which are typically more static).
• Terrain, climate, and infrastructure variability in maritime environments pose challenges to military operations.
• Maintaining control of key terrain in the face of multiple threats is crucial.
• Friendly forces often will be stationed in widely dispersed locations.
• Protection of friendly forces in a maritime environment needs to address numerous factors.
• Considerations for physical isolation in a maritime environment need to be addressed (for personnel, equipment, and supplies) as well.
• Enemy forces may employ asymmetric tactics.
• Intelligence preparation of the battlefield must adjust to maritime environments (considering likely enemy actions).

Maritime Environment Planning and Operational Framework

• Amphibious warfare requires cooperation from all combatant services in planning and execution.
• Planning should reflect understanding of maritime factors, such as tides, wind, and currents.
• Army planning should account for impact of waves, tides, winds, and currents to equipment and operations.
• Maritime operations require consideration of factors affecting friendly and enemy forces (e.g., coastal terrain compositions, geographic areas).
• Joint operations may need to occur across widely dispersed geographical locations.
• Commanders and staffs need to be able to understand the impact of maritime factors (and other factors of maritime environments) on planned operations.
• Effective planning considers possible implications of enemy actions for friendly forces.
• Maritime operations need to consider the capabilities, locations, and actions of enemy forces, including enemy courses of action unique to maritime environments.

Deep, Close, and Rear Operations in Maritime Environments

• Deep operations in a maritime environment might involve defeating enemy anti-access capabilities with intelligence and special operations forces.
• Close operations will involve activities such as airborne or amphibious operations to seize key terrain.
• Rear operations in a maritime environment will involve operations designed to support the broader joint force effort in the wider theater.

Establish Command and Control

• Size and distance between locations in a maritime theater often require significant command and control adaptations and measures.
• Protection of friendly forces and assets through a comprehensive security posture (active and passive).
• Coordinating across components (and potentially other nations) to ensure unity of effort.
• Protection and augmentation of other services is critical in the maritime theater due to the isolation of forces.
• Ensuring that Army forces are not subject to unnecessary threats.
• Commanders and staff need to identify potential issues affecting survivability for friendly forces.