Page 54 - Navy Journal 219

Navy Journal 2019

affect the war making capability of the enemy. This in turn will affect the
strategic CG of the enemy from which the enemy nation draws strategic strength.
However, Decisive Points (DP) must be eliminated if we want to inflict the CG.
A campaign plan may need re-appreciation to face exigencies for which the
operational commanders must be flexible and cater for Operational Pause (OP).
Finally, a good campaign plan should always avoid the Culmination Point (CP)
so that the operations and efforts can fulfill objectives before own probable CP,
if any. Forget not that in a campaign military does not operate in isolation. Here,
military, diplomatic, media and psychological – all LOOPs should operate
handsomely side by side maintaining the synergy in the overall operational
canvas.
Campaign plan is a vast subject which is taught in the military institutions.
Therefore, military forces prepare their leaders step by step – from tactical
fighters to operational and strategic level decision makers. Therefore, military
officers at different levels of training need to grasp the insight of operational
warfare, cohesion of national elements, media management, diplomacy and their
linking with operational environment etc. As such, military institutions should
continue to enrich the concepts through training, symposiums, workshops,
exercises, interactions with other national elements and so on. Military War
Gaming and various Command Post exercises can be thought provoking
platforms to enhance ‘on job grooming’ of Officers. In modern armed forces,
Digital War Gaming Centers and Command hubs are used for training,
exercising and side by side conducting operations at dispersed theatres of a
campaign.
The attributes of operational planning and military decision making do not
develop in a day; it needs gradual enhancement of thoughts, experience and
exposure to various real or near to real time conflict. Good analytical perception
and operational knowledge can ease the complexities of the decision making. But
to cultivate such attributes Army, Navy and Air Force should have their
Doctrinal Centers and concerned Directorates to undertake and promote research
on doctrinal, national and international affairs. This will in turn foster inter
services joint operations and multinational doctrinal practice and alignment
while operating in regional domain.

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