SOVIET VOROSHILOV ACADEMY LECTURES
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LESSON II: INTERACTION OF COMMANDER AND CHIEF OF
OPERATIONS
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1. General: This one hour class is designed to give the
students insight into the interactive method in which the chiefs of
directorates work with the commander during the estimate of the situation and
making of the decision. It is a preview of the practical exercises in which
they will take the role of the chief of operations while the instructor
"plays" commander.
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DISCUSSION AGENDA 10 min I. Definitions of troop control terms:
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LECTURE NOTES |
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LIST OF VIEWGRAPHSVG1 - Outline of lesson II VG2 - Concept of the operation (zamysel operatsii) VG3 - Concepts, answers, questions VG4 - Combat capabilities (boyevyye vozmozhnosti) VG5 - Combat instructions (boyevoye rasporyazheniye) VG6 - Combat mission (boyevaya zadacha) VG7 - Combat order (boyevoy prikaz) VG8 - Correlation of forces and means (sootnosheniye sil I sredstv) VG9 - Decision for the operation (resheniye na operatsiyu) VG10 - Working out (design) the decision (procedure for making the decision) VG11 - Estimate of the situation (otsenka obstanovki) VG12 - Making the decision (prinyatiye resheniya) VG13 - Mission clarification (uyasneniye zadachi) VG14 - Operation (operatsiya) VG15 - Decision making and planning (prinatiye resheniya y planirovaniye) VG16 - Planning methods (metody planirovaniya) VG17 - Planning the operation (planirovaniye operatsii) VG18 - Preliminary combat instructions (predvaritel'noye boyevoye rasporyazheniye) VG19 - Preliminary instructions (predvaritel'noye rasporyazheniye) VG20 - Sequential planning method VG21 - Troop control (upravleniye voyskami) VG22 - Command Organization VG23 - Diagram Schematic flow diagram of staff work VG24 - Phases of the basic Soviet combat planning process VG25 - Diagram of process of decision making VG26 - Diagram of process of decision making (cont) VG5 - Content of decision making process VG - Elements of clarification of mission VG - Mission clarification VG - Mission clarification Vg - Mission clarification VG - Mission clarification VG - Mission clarification VG - Mission clarification VG - Estimate of situation VG - Estimate of situation VG - Estimate of situation VG - Estimate of situation VG - Estimate of situation VG - Estimate of situation VG - Estimate of situation VG - Estimate of situation VG - Estimate of situation VG - Estimate of situation VG - Estimate of situation VG - Estimate of situation VG - Estimate of situation VG - Estimate of situation VG - Estimate of situation VG - Estimate of situation VG - Forumlate decision VG - Formulate decision VG - Formulate decision VG - Formulate decision VG - Decentralized versus centralized procedures VG - Soviet control cycle VG - Suggestions of chief of reconnaissance VG - Suggestions of chief of operations VG - Suggestions of chief of staff VG - Sugggestions of chiefs of combat arms and special troops and services VG - Estimate of chief of rear services VG - Plan interaction on terrain VG - Interaction measures VG - Calendar plan VG - Decision VG - Combat support VG - Sequence of organization VG - Organization calculations VG - Time table for preparation of operation |
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LESSON II |
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dual subordination of staffs in Soviet system
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CONCEPT OF THE OPERATION (ZAMYSEL OPERATSII)One of the main elements of the commander's decision, it is reflected in the combat orders and instructions passed to subordinates. It expresses the commander's main guiding idea, which determines the objective of these operations and also, in general terms, the men, equipment, and methods of achieving it. |
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CONCEPTS, ANSWERS, QUESTIONS1. What enemy, where, with what forces and means, and in what sequence does
the commander intend to strike?
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COMBAT CAPABILITIES (BOYEVYYE VOZMOZHNOSTI)Combat capabilities are the quantitative and qualitative indices characterizing the capabilities of subunits, units (ships), formations and strategic formations for accomplishing certain combat tasks and actions such as fire capability, antitank power, air power...in a set time in a specific situation. |
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COMBAT INSTRUCTIONS (BOYEVOYE RASPORYAZHENIYE)Abbreviated directives sent to subordinates that can either precede combat orders (in parallel planning) or modify them. They are used frequently in place of new combat orders when the current orders (plan) is being revised in the course of the operation. In this case they include only the essential information necessary to bring the subordinates into conformity with the new situation and decision (plan). |
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COMBAT MISSION (BOYEVAYA ZADACHA)Missions posed by higher commanders to fronts, armies, divisions, regiments, and subunits for the achievement of specific objectives within established time limits. |
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COMBAT ORDER (BOYEVOY PRIKAZ)
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CORRELATION OF FORCES AND MEANS (SOOTNOSHENIYE SIL I SREDSTV)An objective indicator of the combat power of the belligerent sides, permitting determination of the degree of superiority of one side over the other. |
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DECISION FOR THE OPERATION (RESHENIYE NA OPERATSIYU)The procedures and methods determined by the commander to fulfill his assigned mission. The decision for the operation includes the concept of the operation, the mission of subordinates, the basis for coordination, support and organization of control. |
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WORKING OUT (DESIGN) THE DECISION (PROCEDURE FOR MAKING THE DECISION)1) As a concept, it is an aspect of the decisionmaking and planning
function of troop control in combat. It entails the work that leads directly to
the commander's decision as well as the cognitive activity of the commander
that eventually leads to his making the decision.
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ESTIMATE OF THE SITUATION (OTSENKA OBSTANOVKI)While this can be a formal phase of the decisionmaking process, in more advanced (rapid) methods, it is viewed more appropriately as a function that takes place during decisionmaking whereby the commander (and staff) incorporate all the ramifications of the objective conditions upon the performance of the assigned mission. As a result of this function, factors are brought to light which are either conductive or detrimental to the achievement of success in the forthcoming engagement. |
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MAKING THE DECISION (PRINYATIYE RESHENIYA)In earlier literature the term refers to the act of the commander by which he reaches the necessary conclusion as to how his forces will operate in combat. It is an act both of cognition and of the will. Once the decision is made, it must still be formulated, that is, communicated to the appropriate subordinates through words and diagrams (maps) in order for the necessary orders and plans to be developed. Once this is accomplished the phase of decisionmaking ends and the phase of planning the operation begins. Some planning begins earlier. |
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MISSION CLARIFICATION (UYASNENIYE ZADACHI)This is the first phase of the decisionmaking and planning process. Clarification is the thought process of the commander aimed, on the one hand, at thorough comprehension of the senior commander's concept and, on the other hand, at mastery of the content of his own mission. From his clarification the commander draws conclusions concerning: the place and role of his unit in the mission carried out by higher echelons; his place in the combat formation and its change in the course of battle; in what sector (main or other) his attack is to be made; the directions of main efforts and operational groupings; the role of his unit in the route of the overall enemy grouping; and required rates of advance. The commander also evaluates the time available to prepare his forces for the operation and based on this, selects the method of decisionmaking and planning to employ. |
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OPERATION (OPERATSIYA)The aggregate of engagements, battles, strikes, and maneuvers, coordinated and interdependent in objective, missions (place), and time, carried out simultaneously and successively according to a common concept and plan by diversified troops (forces) in order to accomplish missions in a theater (theaters) of military operations, a strategic or operational sector (in a certain region, zone) within a fixed period of time. |
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DECISIONMAKING AND PLANNING (PRINATIYE RESHENIYA Y PLANIROVANIYE)Identified by Ivanov as one of eight distinct functions of troop control, decisionmaking an planning together are considered central, the other functions being either based on or leading to them. The two were separated by Altukhov into primarily command and staff tasks respectively. The overall process can also be somewhat artificially divided into two phases: decisionmaking and planning the operation (decision). |
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PLANNING METHODS (METODY PLANIROVANIYA)Planning methods characterize the manner in which the inter-echelon work is organized during preparation for combat operations. While this includes activities other than those for the function of planning and decisionmaking, the focus is upon the degree of parallelism in these primary functions that is implemented between echelons. The primary principle in formulation of various planning methods is the timing in delivery of any situation information or control instructions (orders) to subordinates. Although only two terms are commonly used to describe planning methods (parallel and sequential) a larger variety is possible within Soviet control procedures. |
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PLANNING THE OPERATION (PLANIROVANIYE OPERATSII)The latter phase of the decisionmaking and planning function of troop control. It is defined as the activities principally of the staff and follow from the commander's formulation of the decision. This phase is distinct from the more general function of "planning," in that the latter overlaps with decisionmaking. Planning the operation terminates once the necessary plans for the operation have been documented by the staff and approved by the commander (chief of staff). While planning the operation is generally attributed to the period of preparation ad organization for combat, it can also occur as replanning during the course of execution of the operation. The term "planning the decision" is also used in more general contexts. |
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PRELIMINARY COMBAT INSTRUCTIONS (PREDVARITEL'NOYE BOYEVOYE RASPORYAZHENIYE)Information passed to subordinate that enables them to bring their planning and decisionmaking in parallel with the higher command used during employment of parallel planning methods. These generally contain the higher commander's concept of the operation as well as the approximate missions of the forces to which they are delivered. They are distinguished from preliminary instructions in that the latter do not contain mission-specific information. In order to be valid the missions contained in general form must not be changed substantially in the further process of decisionmaking. |
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PRELIMINARY INSTRUCTIONS (PREDVARITEL'NOYE RASPORYAZHENIYE)A document or oral communique which passes information to subordinates allowing parallel preparations for an upcoming operation. Based solely on the commander's clarification of the mission received from above, the possible preparations that ensue cannot include formal planning and decisionmaking. While lacking the subordinates' mission specific information needed for their own purposeful (scientific) planning activity, preliminary instructions still enable them to begin preparations for the likely type of combat and to anticipate the timeframe within which all preparations must be completed. |
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SEQUENTIAL PLANNING METHODThe sequential method amounts to the planning of combat operations separately at each command level: as planning is completed at one echelon, the mission is disseminated to the next subordinate echelon. The planning moves sequentially from top to bottom, possibly involving subordinates in the higher echelon's work. |
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TROOP CONTROL (UPRAVLENIYE VOYSKAMI)The purposeful activity of the commander, staff, political organs, and chiefs of the branches of troops and services for maintaining high combat readiness in their subordinate units, for preparing for their combat operations, and for directing efforts toward successful accomplishment of the combat mission by effective employment of the available forces and means. |
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SUGGESTIONS OF CHIEF OF RECONNAISSANCE enemy composition - grouping, situation
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SUGGESTIONS OF CHIEF OF OPERATIONS own troops - composition - grouping - situation
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SUGGESTIONS OF CHIEF OF STAFF deductions from enemy assessment
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SUGGGESTIONS OF CHIEFS OF COMBAT ARMS AND SPECIAL TROOPS AND SERVICES situation of enemy and own troops
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ESTIMATE OF CHIEF OF REAR SERVICES situation in units
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PLAN INTERACTION ON TERRAIN questions on interaction
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INTERACTION MEASURES front SSM and air force nuclear strikes with strategic
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CALENDAR PLAN making decision and planning operation
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DECISION concept of the operation
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COMBAT SUPPORT reconnaissance
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SEQUENCE OF ORGANIZATION clarification of mission
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ORGANIZATION CALCULATIONS capabilities of enemy forces
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ELEMENTS OF CLARIFICATION OF MISSION mission and concept of higher commander
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