"“Don’t start a battle you can’t supply.”" (Rupert Smith, The Utility of Force The Art of War in the Modern World)

Book The Evolution of Operational Art: From Napoleon to the Present, edited by John Andreas Olsen and Martin van Creveld, provides a comprehensive overview of how military planning has bridged the gap between grand strategy and local tactics over the last two centuries. Here are 5 top takeaways from my highlights:

6/ Information and the OODA Loop Speed isn't everything. A force that fails to process information is essentially blind. The true goal of the information staff isn't just to move through the OODA loop faster, but to protect the quality of the process while corrupting the opponent's ability to make sound decisions. #InformationWarfare #OODALoop medium.com/@vwhtrbj/redefini…

5/ The Shift to "War Amongst the People" The paradigm has shifted from industrial war to war amongst the people. This new reality makes it harder to define success, identify the theatre of operations, or manage multinational strategic direction. Today’s operational artists must orchestrate not just firepower, but information and resourcesto achieve complex political goals. #FutureOfWar #InternationalRelations

4/ Manoeuvre as the Core. Historically, manoeuvre has been the antidote to static entrenchment. Whether through the corps system of Napoleon or the panzer divisions of the 20th century, the goal is to create opportunities on the enemy's flank and rear. However, the rise of superior firepower and technology-centric thinking can sometimes de-emphasize this creative, non-linear approach. #Innovation #Tactics

3/ Mastering Two "Grammars" Modern operational art requires mastering two distinct grammars. The first grammarinvolves defeating an opponent with armed force, while the second grammar deals with insurgencies and irregular warfare. Success in the first does not guarantee success in the second, as seen in conflicts like Vietnam and Iraq. #Geopolitics #History

2/ The Necessity of Strategic Alignment Without a clear strategic objective, operational art is merely "grand tactics". Proficiency on the battlefield cannot save a campaign from strategic miscalculation. A plan must include a clear "exit strategy" or termination phase to link the fighting to the desired political end state. #Leadership #StrategicPlanning

🧵 A Masterclass in Military Thought: 6 Key Takeaways from "On Operations" by B.A. Friedman Friedman's work challenges modern military dogma, stripping away unnecessary jargon to reveal the true mechanics of warfare. Here’s how you can rethink operational art.👇

1/ Defining the "Grey Area". Operational art emerged in the nineteenth century as a distinct component of warfare, acting as the bridge between strategy and tactics. It is the systematic planning of campaigns to achieve strategic goals in a specific theatre, essentially governing tactical creativity to ensure local actions serve the broader political objective. #MilitaryStrategy #ModernWarfare

6 lessons from On Operations by @BA_Friedman in 8 slides 👇

Slides 5–8

Saved this as a carousel for easy reference.

Which takeaway do you agree with ?

5/ The Six Disciplines Successful operations require a harmony of specific disciplines. I’ve noted that the core requirements include administration, information, operations, fire support, logistics, and command and control. These disciplines must work together to synchronize tactical actions across time and space. #MilitaryTraining #Organization

4/ The Origin of the Concept Modern Western doctrine often misinterprets operational art. These ideas were first codified by the Red Army to address the changing character of warfare in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The U.S. later adopted these Soviet concepts, sometimes erroneously conflating "operational art" with an "operational level." #MilitaryDoctrine #SovietHistory

3/ Logistics as the Foundation Amateurs talk strategy, professionals talk logistics. In book, Friedman argues that logistics is the foundation of operational art. It acts as the vital bridge between a national economy and combat forces in the field, determining what is actually possible. #Logistics #Warfare medium.com/@vwhtrbj/the-staf…

2/ The Role of the Staff. While commanders are naturally tacticians, the functions of operational art are performed by staff officers who support those commanders. In essence, command is what the leader does, while control is what the staff does to manage the immense complexity of modern conflict. #Leadership #MilitaryHistory medium.com/@vwhtrbj/the-rise…

1/ Defining Operational Art Operational art is the link between tactics and strategy. It is not a separate "level of war" but the active process of planning, sequencing, and sustaining tactics to achieve strategic goals. It’s what connects individual battles to the ultimate purpose of the campaign. #MilitaryStrategy #OperationalArt

In 1898, Nikola Tesla debuted a radio-controlled boat, envisioning a future of unmanned machine warfare. As highlighted in @David_Hambling's book "Swarm Troopers," this legacy now spans over a century, evolving into modern layered developments like silent, biomimetic autonomous robot fish! #TechHistory #Robotics

1/ Book: “Redlines Redrawn: Operation Sindoor” Main idea: India demonstrates a “dynamic response doctrine” — calibrated, cross‑domain retaliation that answers terrorism and Pakistani nuclear blackmail without sliding into full‑scale war, setting a “new normal” of credible, limited but decisive force across land, air, sea, cyber and space. @AmbTrigunayat @BipsBak