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staff must plan for conflict termination requirements when
developing campaign plans.
3.9
Exit Policy. Victory may not always be an appropriate
term to describe the desired outcome of an operation; it may
have to be defined in other terms such as reconciliation,
stabilisation (acceptance of the status quo) or acceptance of
an agreed peace plan. Where such acceptance is hesitant or
reluctant, the prospect is of protracted involvement. While
planning conflict termination it will be prudent to plan a suitable
‘exit policy’ which should cater to various contingencies related
to politico-military aims.
Application of Combat Power
3.10 Combat Power. Combat power defines an army’s
ability to fight. It’s three basic components – conceptual, moral
and physical – have been dilated upon in Section 8.
Overwhelming combat power is achieved when all combat
elements are brought to bear simultaneously with violence,
giving the enemy no opportunity to respond in a coordinated or
cohesive manner, and thereby achieve victory at least cost.
3.11 Modes of Application of Combat Power. In combat
the intention is to bring about strategic dislocation of the
adversary by causing psychological paralysis amongst its
decision-makers. In the physical and logistical planes this is
produced by a combination of IW, securing or isolation of
critical objectives, threatening other objectives, capture of high
value territory and selective destruction of the adversary’s
combat potential. The means to achieve such a state include
the following: Destruction. Physical destruction of the enemy’s
capability to fight is but one of a number of means to
defeat him. This would require focused and coordinated
application of decisive combat power.
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Attacking the Enemy’s Will.
Conflict is subject
to political, economic, ethical and moral constraints.
These limit the freedom of military action. In this
context, attempting to destroy the enemy’s will solely by
direct attack on his forces may be, both, costly and, at
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