ASIC Working Groups

Force Application

ASIC Working Definition:

Force Application is the integrated use of maneuver and engagement to create the effects necessary to achieve assigned mission objectives.

Description:

Fundamental to force application, maneuver is the coordinated movement of forces into and through the theatre of operations to a position of advantage in order to generate or enable the generation of desired operational effects. Freedom of maneuver throughout the theater of operations for coalition forces will enable decisive engagements. In combat, maneuver will pose compounding dilemmas for enemy forces that disrupt their decision-making ability and cause them to bend to friendly force will. In operations other than war, maneuver offers a wide range of options to accomplish the mission. ASIC includes battlefield mobility, airland and airdrop in Force Application.

Engagement is the use of kinetic and non-kinetic means in order to generate the desired lethal and non-lethal effects. Force application expands the view of how enemy forces can be affected beyond the traditional use of lethal fires. Engagements must capitalize on the synergies of timely and effective use of kinetic (e.g. bombs, missiles, supplies, etc.) and non-kinetic (e.g. information operations, directed energy, etc.) means to create lethal and non-lethal effects.

Desired Interoperability:

The interoperability focus for ASIC Force Application is compatibility of doctrine and procedures, with the education and training to reinforce them. Maximizing the effectiveness of coalition forces in the application of overwhelming force demands highly interoperable coalition equipment and information exchange.

The effects achieved ultimately validate force application. It is important to have interoperability to develop an ability to predict and measure effects both in physical and behavioral terms. Physical terms include items such as enemy armor or aircraft destroyed, terrain occupied, or numbers of forces that surrender; behavioral terms include items such as enemy reactions or the responses of the local populace to our efforts. Regardless, interoperability in measuring whether and how well effects are achieved will be crucial in force application.

Synchronization is also important to force application. Synchronization is defined as "the arrangement of military actions in time, space and purpose to produce maximum relative combat power at a decisive place and time." In the future, coalition forces down to the tactical level must be enabled with an interoperable operational picture of the battlespace in order to quickly generate effects at decisive points. This information network must eliminate classic deconfliction and coordination challenges or problems that slow down the potential speed of maneuver forces and weapons/targets matching required in future conflicts. Interoperable technology can produce a secure, accurate, and timely information flow to warfighters, thereby ensuring that combat forces will be able to take a coalition force commander's intent and maximize those enduring attributes to stay well within an enemy's decision process and rapidly meet military objectives.

Specifically, Force Application has the pervasive requirement for a high level of interoperability in Close Air Support, Air Interdiction, Strategic Attack, Information Operations, Electronic Attack, Directed Energy, and air and space maneuver to support joint operations. Successful force application also relies heavily on personnel interoperability, with an emphasis on a high level of interoperability achieved through appropriate doctrine and training.

Because of the global nature of air and space power, interoperability efforts in force application will of necessity take place both in theatre and out of theatre.

Chairman: United States Management Committee Member , - tel: 703 696 8422 .