OPERATIONAL ART AND

DOCTRINE
By
DR M. VEGO
JMO DEPARTMENT,
U.S. NAVAL WAR COLLEGE,
NEWPORT, RI.
• Official manuals, by the nature of
their compilation, are merely
registers of prevailing practice, not
the log-books of a scientific study of
war. 
B.H. Liddell Hart: Thoughts on
War, xii, 1944
• Adherence to dogma has destroyed
more armies and cost more battles
than anything in war.

General J. F. C. Fuller
 ORIGIN OF THE TERM
• “DOCTRINA” (LATIN)-- “TEACHING"
• A PARTICULAR PRINCIPLE, POSITION, OR
POLICY TAUGHT OR ADVOCATED
• TENET, DOGMA, PRECEPT
• CATHOLIC CHURCH TEACHINGS
• FIELD MANUALS
• FIELD SERVICE REGULATIONS.
 WHAT ISN’T A DOCTRINE

• SERVICE’S ROLES AND

MISSIONS
• STRATEGY
• OPERATIONAL ART
• PRINCIPLES OF WAR
• TACTICS, TECHNIQUES AND
PROCEDURES (TTP).
 TERM DEFINITION
• In generic terms, a doctrine can be
defined as a set of commonly held,
concisely stated, and authoritatively
expressed beliefs, fundamental principles,
organizational tenets, and methods of
combat force employment intended to
guide the planning, preparation, and
execution of one’s forces to accomplish
given military objectives.
HISTORICAL EVOLUTION
• 1270-- THE FIRST DOCTRINAL DOCUMENT FOR
THE SPANISH NAVY
• 1530--DOCTRINE WRITTEN FOR THE ROYAL
NAVY
• 1690-- WRITTEN DOCTRINE FOR THE FRENCH
NAVY
• US NAVY’S FLEET TACTICAL PUBLICATIONS
(FTPs) and UNITED STATES FLEET (USF)
PUBLICATIONS IN THE 1920s, 1930s, AND 1940s.
THE PURPOSE
• IT PROVIDES A MILITARY ORGANIZATION WITH
A COMMON PHILOSOPHY, A COMMON
LANGUAGE, A COMMON PURPOSE, AND A
UNITY OF EFFORT
• IT BINDS A MILITARY ORGANIZATION INTO AN
EFFECTIVE COMBAT FORCE
• IT INFLUENCES, TO A MAJOR DEGREE, ONE’S
STRATEGIC, OPERATIONAL OR TACTICAL
THINKING, FORCE PLANNING, ORGANIZATION,
EDUCATION, AND TRAINING.
• IN GENERAL, THE MAIN PURPOSE OF A
DOCTRINE IS TO PROVIDE A MILITARY
ORGANIZATION WITH A COMMON PHILOSOPHY,
A COMMON LANGUAGE, A COMMON PURPOSE,
AND UNITY OF EFFORT. DOCTRINE IS A BRIDGE
BETWEEN MILITARY THEORY AND PRACTICE. IT
TRANSLATES THEORETICAL IDEAS INTO
DOCTRINAL PRINCIPLES. THESE PRINCIPLES
ARE THEN USED TO DEVISE TACTICS,
TECHNIQUES, AND PROCEDURES.
 SOURCES OF DOCTRINE
WAR GAMES DEMONSTRATIONS
PLANNING GAMES

COMBAT
WEAPONS
EXPERIENCES
EXPERIMENTS
OF ONE’S
/TESTS
OWN FORCES
MAIN
SOURCES

COMBAT MANEUVERS
EXPERIENCE
OF FOREIGN
FORCES

EXERCISES OF
FOREIGN FORCES
LESSONS LEARNED
EXERCISES OF
FROM HISTORY
ONE’S
OWN FORCES

PPT-98-VEG0-40 (PFR)
ROLE OF THEORY
ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY
 TYPE OF DOCTRINE
• MILITARY (STRATEGIC LEVEL)
DOCTRINE
• OPERATIONAL
---> SERVICE
---> JOINT (MULTI-SERVICE)
---> COMBINED (MULTI-NATIONAL)
• TACTICAL.
 DOCTRINE
FRAMEWORK
STRATEGY &
POLICY JOINT FORCE
DOCTRINE STRATEGIC PLANNING
CONCEPT

SERVICE
DOCTRINE
OPERATIONAL TACTICAL
CONCEPT CONCEPT
TACTICAL
MEMOS TACTICAL
DOCTRINE
TACTICAL PUBS

SERVICE
PUBS

JOINT PUBS
OPERATIONAL
TACTICS ART
03-JMO-VEGO-JOINT-SERVICE
 HIERARCHY OF DOCTRINES

Tactical Tactical
Doctrine Doctrine

Tactical Tactical Tactical Tactical

Doctrine Doctrine Doctrine Doctrine

Tactical Tactical
Doctrine Doctrine

Tactical
Doctrine

Tactical Tactical
Doctrine Doctrine

Tactical
Doctrine

2005/jmo/vego/hierarchy of doctrines
 TACTICAL DOCTRINE
• IS CONCERNED WITH THE EMPLOYMENT
OF ONE’S PLATFORMS AND THEIR
WEAPONS AND ASSOCIATED SENSORS,
INDIVIDUAL COMBAT ARMS, AND
COMBINED ARMS IN PLANNING,
PREPARING, AND CONDUCTING
TACTICAL ACTIONS. IT IS FOCUSED ON
THE EMPLOYMENT OF ONE’S FORCES
AT THE TACTICAL LEVEL OF WAR.
SERVICE (OPERATIONAL) DOCTRINE

• PROVIDES BROAD GUIDELINES FOR THE EMPLOYMENT

OF ONE’S SERVICE FORCES TO ACCOMPLISH
OPERATIONAL OBJECTIVES THROUGH THE PLANNING,
PREPARATION, AND CONDUCT OF MAJOR OPERATIONS.
A PROPERLY WRITTEN SERVICE DOCTRINE SHOULD
EXPLAIN IN SOME DETAIL THE EMPLOYMENT OF THE
NUMBERED OR THEATER FORCES AT THE OPERATIONAL
LEVEL OF WAR AS PART OF A JOINT OR COMBINED
FORCE; OTHERWISE, IT WILL BE TOO NARROW AND
TACTICAL IN CHARACTER. IT SHOULD PROVIDE A CLEAR
LINKAGE BETWEEN THE OPERATIONAL AND TACTICAL
LEVELS ON ONE HAND AND THE STRATEGIC LEVEL OF
WAR ON THE OTHER.
 SERVICE DOCTRINE: THEORY AND PRACTICE

JOINT FORCE
DOCTRINE PLANNING
SERVICE
DOCTRINE
OPERATIONAL
ART

THEORY OPERATIONAL
PLANNING

PRACTICE
TRAINING IN
COMBAT PEACETIME

BATTLE EXERCISES
EXPERIMENTS OPERATIONAL
PLANNING
03-JMO-VEGO-SERVICE DOCTRINE & WAR GAMES
 JOINT DOCTRINE
• PROVIDES GUIDELINES FOR EMPLOYING THE
FORCES OF TWO OR MORE SERVICES IN
PLANNING, PREPARING, AND CONDUCTING
CAMPAIGNS OR MAJOR JOINT/COMBINED
OPERATIONS AIMED TO ACCOMPLISH A
LIMITED STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE. JOINT
DOCTRINE FOCUSES ON THE EMPLOYMENT OF
MULTISERVICE FORCES AT THE OPERATIONAL
AND STRATEGIC LEVELS OF WAR.
• IT SERVES AS A LINK BETWEEN
STRATEGY AND POLICY ON ONE
HAND AND OPERATIONAL ART ON
THE OTHER. IT PROVIDES A
FRAMEWORK FOR WRITING THE
DOCTRINE OF EACH SERVICE OF
THE ARMED FORCES.
 INPUTS TO SERVICE/JOINT DOCTRINE

MILITARY
PHYSICAL
DOCTRINE
ENVIRONMENT

OPERATIONAL
NATIONAL ART
STRATEGY

SERVICE/JOINT
DOCTRINE SERVICE
CULTURE
NATIONAL
MILITARY
STRATEGY
SERVICE ROLES
&
FORCE MISSIONS
PLANNING
 MULTINATIONAL DOCTRINE
[JP 1-02 (APRIL 2001)]

• FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES THAT

GUIDE THE EMPLOYMENT OF
FORCES OF TWO OR MORE NATIONS
IN COORDINATED ACTION TOWARD
A COMMON OBJECTIVE
• IT IS RATIFIED BY PARTICIPATING
NATIONS.
 OPERATIONAL ART VS.
SERVICE/JOINT DOCTRINE
• OPERATIONAL ART IS MUCH
BROADER THAN ANY
SERVICE/JOINT DOCTRINE
• IT PROVIDES A FRAMEWORK FROM
WHICH SELECTED ELEMENTS ARE
INCORPORATED IN A SUMMARIZED
FORM INTO SERVICE/JOINT
DOCTRINE.
• A DOCTRINE DOES NOT EXPLAIN OR
ANALYZE ELEMENTS OF
OPERATIONAL THEORY
• THE ENTIRE DOCTRINE IS WRITTEN
FROM AN OPERATIONAL
PERSPECTIVE
• OPERATIONAL ART DRAWS ON
MUCH LARGER AND BROADER
SOURCES THAN ANY
SERVICE/JOINT DOCTRINE.
 OPERATIONAL ART AND SERVICE
/JOINT DOCTRINE

CAMPAIGN FUNDAMENTALS
PLANNING FOR OF COMMAND AND
MAJOR OPERATIONS PLANNING
CONTROL

PRINCIPLES
OF WAR AT THE
OPERATIONAL OPERATIONAL
PLANNING LEVEL
DOCTRINE
FUNDAMENTALS FUNDAMENTALS
OF THE THEATER OF OPERATIONAL
ORGANIZATION LEADERSHIP

ELEMENTS TYPES OF
OF MAJOR
TYPES OF
OPERATIONAL OPERATIONS
CAMPAIGNS
WARFARE
MILITARY CONCEPTS
 MILITARY CONCEPTS

TYPE
HIERARCHY

•HISTORICAL
•CURRENT •INSTITUTIONAL CONCEPTS
•FUTURE •OPERATING CONCEPTS
MILITARY •FUNCTIONAL CONCEPTS
CONCEPPTS •ENABLING CONCEPTS

ATTRIBUTES ELEMENTS

•SERVES STATED PURPOSE •PURPOSE

FOUNDATIONS •TIME FRAME
•ACCEPTS THE BURDEN OF
PROOF •ASSUMPTIONS
•DIFFERS CONSIDERABLY FROM •RISKS
THE EXISTING CONCEPTS •HISTORICAL AWARENESS •SYNOPSIS OF THE
•EXPLICIT RELATIONSHIP TO •CONSONANT WITH THE NATURE CENTRAL IDEA
OTHER CONCEPTS AND THEORY OF WAR •DESCRIPTION AND
•WRITTEN IN CLEAR AND •BALANCE BETWEEN MILITARY INTERPRETATION OF
CONCISE LANGUAGE ART AND SCIENCE MILITARY FUNCTION
•ROBUSTNESS •EMBEDDED IN THE PROPER •NECESSARY
•PROMOTES DEBATE MILITARY TECHNOLOGICAL CAPABILITIES
CONTEXT •SPACE – TIME
•REFLECTS NATIONAL WAY OF DIMENSIONS
WAR
 OPERATING CONCEPT
• REFERS IN BROAD TERMS TO THE
APPLICATION OF MILITARY SOURCES OF
POWER WITHIN A CERTAIN FRAMEWORK. IT
DESCRIBES HOW MILITARY FORCES OPERATE.
• THE OPERATING CONCEPT, DOES NOT REFER
TO ANY SPECIFIC LEVEL OF WAR; IT IS
GENERIC IN NATURE AND CAN BE APPLIED AT
MORE THAN A SINGLE LEVEL OF WAR.
 OPERATING CONCEPTS

STRATEGIC CONCEPT

IONA L CON ER ATIONA L CON C

P ERAT CE OP EP
T
O PT
FUNCTIONAL CONCEPT
• C2
• MANEUVER
• FIRES
• SUSTAINMENT
• PROTECTION

ENABLING CONCEPT

ER ATIONA L CO NC
OP EPT
 SCALE OF OPERATING CONCEPTS

• TACTICAL CONCEPT IS DESIGNED FOR

FIGHTING BATTLES, ENGAGEMENTS, ATTACKS,
AND OTHER TACTICAL ACTIONS IN A GIVEN
COMBAT ZONE OR SECTOR.
• STRATEGIC CONCEPT DEALS WITH THE USE OF
BOTH MILITARY AND NONMILITARY SOURCES
OF POWER TO ACCOMPLISH NATIONAL OR
MILITARY OR THEATER-STRATEGIC
OBJECTIVES.
• IN THE PROPER UNDERSTANDING OF THE TERM,
AN OPERATIONAL CONCEPT IS INTENDED FOR
THE EMPLOYMENT OF ONE’S COMBAT FORCES
IN A MAJOR OPERATION OR CAMPAIGN. IT IS
NOT RELATED TO ANY SPECIFIC MISSION AND
SITUATION.
• IT PROVIDES A BLUEPRINT OF HOW ONE’S
FORCES SHOULD BE MOST EFFECTIVELY
APPLIED TO ACCOMPLISH THE ASSIGNED
OPERATIONAL OR, IN SOME CASES, STRATEGIC
OBJECTIVES.
 FUNCTIONAL CONCEPTS
• A SOUND MILITARY CONCEPT SHOULD
CONSIST OF A NUMBER OF FUNCTIONAL
CONCEPTS THAT COLLECTIVELY
ENSURE THAT THE PLANNED MILITARY
OBJECTIVES ARE ACCOMPLISHED
QUICKLY AND WITH THE FEWEST
LOSSES FOR ONE’S FORCES.
• THE PRINCIPAL FUNCTIONAL CONCEPTS
INCLUDE COMMAND AND CONTROL,
MANEUVER, FIRES, SEQUENCING AND
SYNCHRONIZATION, SUSTAINMENT,
PROTECTION, AND REGENERATION OF
COMBAT POTENTIAL.
• INTELLIGENCE IS SOMETIMES GROUPED
TOGETHER WITH COMMAND AND
CONTROL.
 TYPES OF OPERATING CONCEPTS

• HISTORICAL

• CURRENT

• FUTURE
TACTICAL CONCEPTS
OPERATIONAL CONCEPT
 OPERATIONAL CONCEPT

• AN OPERATIONAL CONCEPT
PROVIDES BROAD FRAMEWORK FOR
THE EMPLOYMENT OF TWO OR
MORE COMBAT ARMS/BRANCHES
OF A SINGLE OR MULTI-SERVICE
FORCES FOR THE
ACCOMPLISHMENT OF
OPERATIONAL OBJECTIVES IN
COMBAT.
 OPERATIONAL CONCEPT
Method of Combat Fires
Force Employment

Purpose Protection

Regeneration of
KEY Command
Combat Power
ELEMENTS and
Control

Sequencing
Tenets
• Agility
• Simplicity Synchronization
• Depth Sustainment
• Initiative
• AN OPERATIONAL CONCEPT IS ORIENTED
TOWARD THEATER-WIDE EMPLOYMENT OF
COMBAT FORCES IN THEIR RESPECTIVE
FUNDAMENTAL WARFARE AREAS
• IT DEALS WITH THE EMPLOYMENT OF ONE’S
COMBAT FORCES TO ACCOMPLISH AN
OPERATIONAL OR STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE
• A TACTICAL CONCEPT MUST EVENTUALLY BE
ELEVATED TO THE OPERATIONAL LEVEL.
 OPERATIONAL vs. TACTICAL CONCEPT
LEVELS
OF
WAR

MILITARY APPLICATION
OBJECTIVE METHOD OF (SIZE OF
TO BE COMBAT PHYSICAL
ACCOMPLISHED FORCE ENVIRONMENT)
OPERATIONAL

EMPLOYMENT

AREA OF
OPERATIONAL OPERATIONAL MAJOR OPERATIONS/
THEATER OF
CONCEPT OBJECTIVE OPERATION OPERATIONS
OPERATIONAL

OPERATIONAL
TACTICAL

LOGISTICS &
SUSTAINMENT
TACTICAL

BATTLE
TACTICAL TACTICAL ENGAGEMENTS, COMBAT ZONE/
AREA OF
CONCEPT OBJECTIVE STRIKES, OPERATIONS
ATTACKS

TACTICAL
LOGISTICS
PPT-01-VEGO-70(JMP)041101
 U S S E A -B A S E D L O G IS T IC S

C O M B A T L O G IS T IC S F O R C E
O B J E C T IV E
S H U T T L E & S T A T IO N S H IP S
ALPHA
A M P H IB IO U S
TA S K F O R C E L O G IS T IC S O V E R
(A T F )
THE SHO RE

C A R R IE R B A T T L E
G R O U P (C V B G )
A S S E M B LY
AREA

S T R A T E G IC S E A L IF T S H IP S A N D
M A R IT IM E P R E P O S IT IO N IN G S H IP S PORT

A IR F IE L D
S T R A T E G IC A IR L IF T

C D -0 1 -V E G O -2 3 -(jm p )0 3 2 5 0 1
HISTORICAL EXAMPLES
• GERMAN “BLITZKRIEG”
• SOVIET “DEEP BATTLE”
• SOVIET “DEEP OPERATION”
• U.S. ARMY’S AIRLAND BATTLE
• SOVIET OPERATIONAL MANEUVER GROUP
(OMG)
• GERMAN CONCEPT OF MASS
EMPLOYMENT OF U-BOATS (SUBMARINE
SCREENS)
• 1930s-- U.S. CONCEPT OF EMPLOYING
FAST CARRIER FORCES
• 1930s--JAPANESE CONCEPT OF
EMPLOYING FAST CARRIER FORCES
• 1934-- U.S. MARINE CORPS AMPHIBIOUS
LANDING OPERATIONS
• 1996- U.S. MARINE CORPS– OPERATIONAL
MANEUVER FROM THE SEA (OMFTS)
 U.S. Army’s Airland Battle

xxxx
DEEP
OPERATION

COUNTER
FIRE

xx

xx x

XXX
x x
XXX

x
x
x
PPT-99-VEGO-57 (PFR)

xxx
xx
SOVIET
OPERATIONAL
MANEUVER
GROUP (OMG) xxx
CONCEPT,
1980s xx xx xx

XXX
XXX
x x x

xxx

LL
PPT-99-VEGO-58 (PFR)

RES
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JAMAICA
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CD-99-VEGO-48(PFR)

SIERRA LEONE
FREETOWN
PROCESS OF WRITING A
DOCTRINE
• IT IS DEVELOPED TOP-DOWN NOT BOTTOM-
UP
• A STRATEGIC CONCEPT SHOULD BE
DEVELOPED FIRST AND THEN
OPERATIONAL AND TACTICAL CONCEPTS
SHOULD FOLLOW
• THIS WOULD ENSURE THAT EACH CONCEPT
FLOWS LOGICALLY AND CONSISTENTLY
AND IS A PART OF THE LARGER CONCEPT.
 DOCTRINE DEVELOPMENT STEPS
VISUALIZE
THE NATIONAL STRATEGIC
FUTURE ROLES & MILITARY FORCE PLANNING STRATEGIC
WAR MISIONS STRATEGY CONCEPT

ART INPUTS
OPERATIONAL DETERMINE SERVICE
VISUALIZE THE VISUALIZE COMBAT ARMS’
FUTURE CAPABILITIES NEW
FUTURE METHODS
TO CONDUCT OPERATIONAL
OPERATIONAL OF COMBAT FORCE
FUTURE METHODS OF
EMPLOYMENT CONCEPT
WARFARE COMBAT FORCE
EMPLOYMENT

LESSONS LEARNED
LESSONS LEARNED
VISUALIZE THE
CHARACTERISTICS
OF THE FUTURE
THEATER

DEBATE & MODIFIED/

PLANNING &
DISCUSSION NEW
EXECUTION
DOCTRINE
OF THE NEW TACTICAL
OPERATIONAL CONCEPTS
CONCEPT
FUNDAMENTAL
S OF
OPERATIONAL
TEST & LEADERSHIP
EVALUATION

PPT-99-VEG0-68 (PFR)
 PRINCIPAL FEATURES
FORCE CAPABILITIES POTENTIAL OPPONENTS AUTHORITATIVE
EXPRESSED IN ARE NOT SPECIFIED
BROAD TERMS
IT IS
CONCISE
NO SPECIFIC AND CLEAR
PHYSICAL
ENVIRONMENT
IS IDENTIFIED SOUND LOOKS SEVERAL
DOCTRINE YEARS INTO
THE FUTURE
NO WEAPONS
PLATFORM IS
SPECIFIED PROVIDES A
VISION OF THE
FUTURE WAR
NO HISTORICAL
VIGNETTES ARE NO
CONCLUSIONS PROVIDE A FRAME
INCLUDED
ARE DRAWN OF REFERENCE

IT DOES NOT PROVIDE NO ORGANIZATIONAL

PROVIDES FOR
ANY ORGANIZATIONAL OPTION IS IDENTIFIED
FLEXIBILITY
OPTION OR RECOMMENDED
IN APPLICATION
PPT-98-VEG0-40 (PFR)
 CONCLUSION
• A DOCTRINE IS NOT A SET OF RIGID RULES BUT A
GUIDE FOR ACTION
• IT IS A BRIDGE BETWEEN MILITARY THEORY AND
PRACTICE
• PROVIDES A COMMON BASIS FOR TRAINING IN
PEACETIME AND THE EMPLOYMENT OF COMBAT
FORCES IN WAR
• IT SHOULD BE AUTHORITATIVE BUT NOT DIRECTIVE
• IT SHOULD BE WRITTEN TOP-DOWN NOT BOTTOM-
UP; A STRATEGIC CONCEPT IS DEVELOPED FIRST,
THEN AN OPERATIONAL CONCEPT FOLLOWED BY
TACTICAL CONCEPTS
• OPERATIONAL ART IS MUCH BROADER THAN A
DOCTRINE
• IT PROVIDES A FRAMEWORK FOR WRITING A
SOUND DOCTRINE
• AN OPERATIONAL CONCEPT FORMS THE BASIS OF
ANY SOUND SERVICE/JOINT DOCTRINE
• A DOCTRINE IS TESTED THROUGH EXERCISES,
WAR GAMES AND COMBAT
• IT SHOULD BE CONSTANTLY REEVALUATED,
REFINED, MODIFIED, AND IF NECESSARY
COMPLETELY REWRITTEN TO MEET THE CHANGES
IN A SITUATION.
QUESTIONS?