Objective (military)
Encyclopedia
A military objective is a clearly defined desired result
in a given campaign
, major operation, battle
, or engagement
set by the senior command for their formations and units to achieve. Military objectives can be set within a three-tier scale of combat structure of tactical
, operational
and strategic
management of the conflict
, and the conduct of its combat operations process
. The objective is usually defined in the orders within the operational plan
's written specification.
A tactical objective
is often an intermediate step to achieving an operational objective
, and as such requires decision making
and problem solving
skills applied during the execution of the tactical plan as part of the operational plan
. The operational objective is often a significant intermediary objective before forces reach the strategic objective, often a goal
set by the defence policy during the conduct of the campaign or the war
, existing within the trade
, political and international relations policy
.
While in recent military history
the term had been applied to all military operations, originally it meant specific object
s as map terrain features of reference on the battlefield
for identification of positions to commanders and their troops. During the 19th century, as armed forces
and their armies
grew in size, the military objective acquired a meaning of a general desired dislocation of troops on conclusion of the ordered action, movement or operation.
The degree to which an objective is attained at the completion of combat is the subject of the intelligence analysis
phase
in the combat operations process.
Result
A result is the final consequence of a sequence of actions or events expressed qualitatively or quantitatively. Possible results include advantage, disadvantage, gain, injury, loss, value and victory. There may be a range of possible outcomes associated with an event depending on the point of...
in a given campaign
Military campaign
In the military sciences, the term military campaign applies to large scale, long duration, significant military strategy plan incorporating a series of inter-related military operations or battles forming a distinct part of a larger conflict often called a war...
, major operation, battle
Battle
Generally, a battle is a conceptual component in the hierarchy of combat in warfare between two or more armed forces, or combatants. In a battle, each combatant will seek to defeat the others, with defeat determined by the conditions of a military campaign...
, or engagement
Engagement (military)
A military engagement is a combat between two forces, neither larger than a division and not smaller than a company, in which each has an assigned or perceived mission...
set by the senior command for their formations and units to achieve. Military objectives can be set within a three-tier scale of combat structure of tactical
Military tactics
Military tactics, the science and art of organizing an army or an air force, are the techniques for using weapons or military units in combination for engaging and defeating an enemy in battle. Changes in philosophy and technology over time have been reflected in changes to military tactics. In...
, operational
Operational warfare
Operational mobility, beginning as a military theory concept during the period of mechanisation of armed forces, became a method of managing movement of forces by strategic commanders from the staging area to their Tactical Area of Responsibility....
and strategic
Military strategy
Military strategy is a set of ideas implemented by military organizations to pursue desired strategic goals. Derived from the Greek strategos, strategy when it appeared in use during the 18th century, was seen in its narrow sense as the "art of the general", 'the art of arrangement' of troops...
management of the conflict
War
War is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...
, and the conduct of its combat operations process
Combat operations process
Combat operations process is undertaken by armed forces during military campaigns, major operations, battles, and engagements to facilitate the setting of objectives, direction of combat, and assessment of the operation plan's success....
. The objective is usually defined in the orders within the operational plan
Operational plan
Operational plan is a term that can be used for* Military purposes, see Operation plan or "OPLAN"* Business purposes, see Business operations* Operational planning, see operational planning...
's written specification.
A tactical objective
Tactical objective
A tactical objective is the immediate short term desired result of a given activity, task or mission, usually entrusted to the lower positioned management in a three-tier organisation's structure of field or front desk, middle and executive management....
is often an intermediate step to achieving an operational objective
Operational objective
An operational or operating objective is a short-term goal whose attainment moves an organization towards achieving strategic or long-term goals. In business, operational objectives define a clear, often measurable, outcome of a business operation or process typically expected to be achieved within...
, and as such requires decision making
Decision making
Decision making can be regarded as the mental processes resulting in the selection of a course of action among several alternative scenarios. Every decision making process produces a final choice. The output can be an action or an opinion of choice.- Overview :Human performance in decision terms...
and problem solving
Problem solving
Problem solving is a mental process and is part of the larger problem process that includes problem finding and problem shaping. Consideredthe most complex of all intellectual functions, problem solving has been defined as higher-order cognitive process that requires the modulation and control of...
skills applied during the execution of the tactical plan as part of the operational plan
Operational plan
Operational plan is a term that can be used for* Military purposes, see Operation plan or "OPLAN"* Business purposes, see Business operations* Operational planning, see operational planning...
. The operational objective is often a significant intermediary objective before forces reach the strategic objective, often a goal
Goal
A goal is an objective, or a projected computation of affairs, that a person or a system plans or intends to achieve.Goal, GOAL or G.O.A.L may also refer to:Sport...
set by the defence policy during the conduct of the campaign or the war
War
War is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...
, existing within the trade
International trade
International trade is the exchange of capital, goods, and services across international borders or territories. In most countries, such trade represents a significant share of gross domestic product...
, political and international relations policy
Foreign policy
A country's foreign policy, also called the foreign relations policy, consists of self-interest strategies chosen by the state to safeguard its national interests and to achieve its goals within international relations milieu. The approaches are strategically employed to interact with other countries...
.
While in recent military history
Military history
Military history is a humanities discipline within the scope of general historical recording of armed conflict in the history of humanity, and its impact on the societies, their cultures, economies and changing intra and international relationships....
the term had been applied to all military operations, originally it meant specific object
Object
Object may refer to:* Object , a thing, being or concept** Entity, something that is tangible and within the grasp of the senses* As used in object relations theories of psychoanalysis, that to which a subject relates....
s as map terrain features of reference on the battlefield
Battle
Generally, a battle is a conceptual component in the hierarchy of combat in warfare between two or more armed forces, or combatants. In a battle, each combatant will seek to defeat the others, with defeat determined by the conditions of a military campaign...
for identification of positions to commanders and their troops. During the 19th century, as armed forces
Armed forces
The armed forces of a country are its government-sponsored defense, fighting forces, and organizations. They exist to further the foreign and domestic policies of their governing body, and to defend that body and the nation it represents from external aggressors. In some countries paramilitary...
and their armies
Field army
A Field Army, or Area Army, usually referred to simply as an Army, is a term used by many national military forces for a military formation superior to a corps and beneath an army group....
grew in size, the military objective acquired a meaning of a general desired dislocation of troops on conclusion of the ordered action, movement or operation.
The degree to which an objective is attained at the completion of combat is the subject of the intelligence analysis
Intelligence analysis
Intelligence analysis is the process of taking known information about situations and entities of strategic, operational, or tactical importance, characterizing the known, and, with appropriate statements of probability, the future actions in those situations and by those entities...
phase
Phase (combat)
A Phase in combat is usually a period within a military operation of a longer duration that is a part of a serial chain of logically connected activities planned to culminate in a defined objective or goal....
in the combat operations process.