The protection warfighting function is a crucial aspect of military operations that aims to preserve the integrity and combat power of the force. It involves a comprehensive approach to safeguarding personnel, assets, and critical capabilities against various threats and hazards. This article explores the purpose, integration, and key elements of the protection warfighting function, drawing insights from relevant sources such as military doctrine and expert articles.
Key Facts
- Purpose: The protection warfighting function enables the commander to maintain the integrity and combat power of the force.
- Integration: Protection capabilities are integrated throughout various phases of military operations, including operational preparation, operations to shape, operations to prevent, large-scale ground combat operations, and operations to consolidate gains.
- Shift in Approach: The protection warfighting function has undergone a significant change in recent years. It has transitioned from a force-protection activity based on legacy counterinsurgency and base-defense thinking to an active approach in competition and armed conflict against peer competitors in all domains.
- Peer Competitors: The protection requirements significantly change as an operation progresses from competition to conflict and back to competition. Peer competitors are always either in competition or conflict, and protection measures need to adapt accordingly.
- Preservation of Critical Capabilities: Preserving critical capabilities, assets, and activities (CCAA) is a foundational aspect of the protection warfighting function. This includes protecting individuals, formations, combat power, access to decisive spaces, sustainment assets, infrastructure, and more.
- Denying Threats: The protection warfighting function involves actively denying threats and an enemy’s freedom of action. This approach aims to prevent the enemy’s ability to see, understand, and strike the critical capabilities of friendly forces.
- Enabling Access: The protection function also focuses on enabling access to maintain momentum, consolidate gains, and make temporary control of terrain permanent. It involves projecting power, dis-integrating the enemy’s lack of access, and expanding into the enemy’s area of stand-off.
Purpose of the Protection Warfighting Function
The primary purpose of the protection warfighting function is to enable commanders to maintain the integrity and combat power of their forces. This is achieved by preserving personnel (combatants and noncombatants), physical assets, and critical information. The protection function ensures that forces can effectively accomplish their missions while minimizing losses and maintaining operational effectiveness.
Integration of Protection Capabilities
Protection capabilities are seamlessly integrated throughout various phases of military operations. These phases include operational preparation, operations to shape, operations to prevent, large-scale ground combat operations, and operations to consolidate gains. By integrating protection measures into each phase, commanders can proactively address potential threats and hazards, ensuring the force’s readiness and ability to adapt to changing operational environments.
Shift in Approach to Protection
The protection warfighting function has undergone a significant transformation in recent years. Traditionally viewed as a force-protection activity focused on counterinsurgency and base defense, it has evolved into an active approach in competition and armed conflict against peer competitors in all domains. This shift reflects the changing nature of warfare and the need for forces to be prepared for a wide range of threats and challenges.
Protection Requirements in Competition and Conflict
The protection requirements for forces significantly change as an operation progresses from competition to conflict and back to competition. Peer competitors are constantly engaged in either competition or conflict, necessitating adaptable protection measures. The protection function must be flexible enough to address the unique challenges and threats encountered in each phase of the operational continuum.
Preservation of Critical Capabilities
Preserving critical capabilities, assets, and activities (CCAA) is a foundational aspect of the protection warfighting function. This includes protecting individuals, formations, combat power, access to decisive spaces, sustainment assets, infrastructure, and more. By safeguarding these critical elements, forces can maintain their operational effectiveness and achieve their objectives.
Denying Threats and Enabling Access
The protection function involves actively denying threats and an enemy’s freedom of action. This approach aims to prevent the enemy’s ability to see, understand, and strike the critical capabilities of friendly forces. Additionally, the protection function focuses on enabling access to maintain momentum, consolidate gains, and make temporary control of terrain permanent. This involves projecting power, dis-integrating the enemy’s lack of access, and expanding into the enemy’s area of stand-off.
Conclusion
The protection warfighting function is a vital component of military operations, ensuring the preservation of force integrity and combat power. Through the integration of protection capabilities, a shift in approach to address peer competitors, and a focus on preserving critical capabilities, denying threats, and enabling access, the protection function contributes to the successful accomplishment of military missions and the overall effectiveness of forces in competition and conflict.
FAQs
What is the protection warfighting function?
The protection warfighting function is a crucial aspect of military operations that aims to preserve the integrity and combat power of the force by safeguarding personnel, assets, and critical capabilities against various threats and hazards.
How does the protection warfighting function contribute to mission accomplishment?
By integrating protection measures into each phase of military operations, the protection warfighting function ensures that forces can effectively accomplish their missions while minimizing losses and maintaining operational effectiveness.
How has the protection warfighting function evolved in recent years?
The protection warfighting function has shifted from a force-protection activity focused on counterinsurgency and base defense to an active approach in competition and armed conflict against peer competitors in all domains.
What are the key elements of the protection warfighting function?
The key elements of the protection warfighting function include preserving critical capabilities, denying threats, and enabling access.
Why is preserving critical capabilities important in the protection warfighting function?
Preserving critical capabilities, assets, and activities (CCAA) is essential for maintaining operational effectiveness and achieving mission objectives. It involves protecting individuals, formations, combat power, access to decisive spaces, sustainment assets, infrastructure, and more.
How does the protection warfighting function deny threats?
The protection warfighting function actively denies threats and an enemy’s freedom of action by preventing the enemy’s ability to see, understand, and strike the critical capabilities of friendly forces.
How does the protection warfighting function enable access?
The protection warfighting function focuses on enabling access to maintain momentum, consolidate gains, and make temporary control of terrain permanent. This involves projecting power, dis-integrating the enemy’s lack of access, and expanding into the enemy’s area of stand-off.
What are some examples of protection measures employed in the protection warfighting function?
Examples of protection measures include employing camouflage, cover, and concealment; constructing survivability positions; hardening facilities; constructing protective barriers; conducting CBRN operations; providing force health protection; and coordinating air and missile defense support.