On Flexibility: Recovery from Technological and Doctrinal Surprise on the Battlefield

Meir Finkel

Buch

On Flexibility

Recovery from Technological and Doctrinal Surprise on the Battlefield

Meir Finkel

Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlicht/Copyright: 2011

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This book addresses one of the basic questions in military studies: How can armies cope effectively with technological and doctrinal surprises—ones that leave them vulnerable to new weapons systems and/or combat doctrines?

Author Meir Finkel contends that the current paradigm—with its over-dependence on intelligence and an all-out effort to predict the nature of the future battlefield and the enemy's capabilities—generally doesn't work.

Based on historical case analysis of successful "under-fire" recovery and failure to recover, he identifies the variables that have determined these outcomes, and he presents an innovative method for military force planning that will enables armies to deal with the uncertainties of future wars "in real time."

His proposed method combines conceptual, doctrinal, cognitive, command, organizational, and technological elements to produce optimal battlefield flexibility and adaptability. He then demonstrates that, when properly applied, this method can eliminate most obstacles to overcoming battlefield surprises.

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Meir Finkel is the Director of the Israeli Defense Force's Ground Forces Concept Development and Doctrine Department. As a Colonel in the IDF, he commanded armor units up to brigade level.

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"[A] thoroughly researched and objective work of events impacting America's military affairs and security policies."—Parameters --- "This is an outstanding work. Inculcating adaptability, flexibility, and responsiveness to surprise is the chief preoccupation of the major armies of the world. Doctrine writers, practitioners, scholars, and policy-makers concerned with the effectiveness of military force should read this book."—David Betz, Department of War Studies, King's College London --- "A highly original work, dealing with an important and little-explored subject."—Martin van Creveld, author of Land of Blood and Honey; The Rise of Modern Israel --- "This book combines solid history and an innovative analytical structure. It begins to fill in a serious hole in our understanding of flexibility or what could better be called 'adaptation under fire.' It is strongly recommended for senior military leaders and students of military innovation and force planning. In the future, surprise will continue to characterize the character of modern warfare, and the need to be flexible will be at a premium. On Flexibility provides great insights on flexibility and will prove to be an enduring contribution to our understanding of military history and to enhancing our ability to adapt when we hopefully do not get things too terribly wrong."—Frank Hoffman, Journal of Military History --- "Originally published in Israel in 2007, this thoughtful work by Col. Finkel (IDF) looks at how modern military forces have coped with surprise in terms of innovative technologies, techniques, or tactics."—A. A. Nofi, StrategyPage.com

Fachgebiete

Frontmatter Öffentlich zugänglich PDF downloaden	i
Table of contents Öffentlich zugänglich PDF downloaden	vii
Acknowledgments Öffentlich zugänglich PDF downloaden	ix
Introduction Erfordert eine Authentifizierung Nicht lizenziert Lizenziert	1
Part one. The challenge of force planning facing future surprises
1. Prediction and intelligence: the dominant approach in force planning and its failure to answer the challenge of technological and doctrinal surprise Erfordert eine Authentifizierung Nicht lizenziert Lizenziert	21
Part two. Flexibility-based recovery— a theoretical view
2. Conceptual and doctrinal flexibility Erfordert eine Authentifizierung Nicht lizenziert Lizenziert	55
3. Organizational and technological flexibility Erfordert eine Authentifizierung Nicht lizenziert Lizenziert	73
4. Cognitive and command and control (c2) flexibility Erfordert eine Authentifizierung Nicht lizenziert Lizenziert	98
5. The mechanism for lesson learning and rapid dissemination Erfordert eine Authentifizierung Nicht lizenziert Lizenziert	111
Part three. Recovery from surprise— a historical view
6. The German recovery from the surprise of British chaff Erfordert eine Authentifizierung Nicht lizenziert Lizenziert	123
7. The German recovery from the soviet t-34 tank surprise Erfordert eine Authentifizierung Nicht lizenziert Lizenziert	138
8. The Israeli recovery from the Egyptian Sagger missile surprise Erfordert eine Authentifizierung Nicht lizenziert Lizenziert	150
9. The Israeli air force recovery from the Arab anti-aircraft missile surprise Erfordert eine Authentifizierung Nicht lizenziert Lizenziert	164
10. The slow British recovery from the German armor and anti-tank tactics Erfordert eine Authentifizierung Nicht lizenziert Lizenziert	179
11. The slow soviet recovery from the surprise of low-intensity conflict in Afghanistan Erfordert eine Authentifizierung Nicht lizenziert Lizenziert	191
12. The french failure to recover from the surprise of the German blitzkrieg Erfordert eine Authentifizierung Nicht lizenziert Lizenziert	205
Summary and conclusions Erfordert eine Authentifizierung Nicht lizenziert Lizenziert	223
Appendixes to chapter 1 Erfordert eine Authentifizierung Nicht lizenziert Lizenziert	233
Notes Erfordert eine Authentifizierung Nicht lizenziert Lizenziert	249
Bibliography Erfordert eine Authentifizierung Nicht lizenziert Lizenziert	301
Index Erfordert eine Authentifizierung Nicht lizenziert Lizenziert	321

Informationen zur Veröffentlichung

Seiten und Bilder/Illustrationen im Buch

eBook veröffentlicht am:

7. September 2020

eBook ISBN:

9780804777155

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Inhalt:

336

https://doi.org/10.1515/9780804777155

eBook ISBN: 9780804777155

Zielgruppe(n) für dieses Buch

For an expert adult audience, including professional development and academic research

On Flexibility

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