Year: 2002
Type: article
Abstract: Economy of Force: Allocate minimum essential combat power to secondary efforts.""Mass: Concentrate the effects of combat power at the decisive place and time."--US Army Field Manual 3-0, Operations, 2001Mass and economy of force are intimately related principles of war.This article explores the characteristics of this relationship and how new warfighting concepts and capabilities--in particular, network-centric warfare--are likely to change that relationship and even the principles themselves.Economy of force has the distinction of being one of the most misunderstood and unappreciated principles of war.[1] The confusion as to its meaning is no doubt because of the connotations of the word "economy"; in particular, most of us associate the idea of economy with reducing cost--that is, "economizing."Hence, some believe that the principle encourages operational commanders to use as little combat power as possible to achieve the mission--that the commander should be frugal.
Author: Paul Murdock
Language: English
Subfield: Control and Systems Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W2993790645