Conventional Operations & Tactics

Asymmetric Warfare< Guerrilla/Unconventional Warfare >

vs.

Giap’s Three Stages of Struggle

1) Building the Base1) Building the Base

2) Guerrilla Warfare2) Guerrilla Warfare

3) Mobile Warfare3) Mobile Warfare

Stage 1:Building the Base

Situate headquarters in difficult terrain for Situate headquarters in difficult terrain for meetings, supplies and refugemeetings, supplies and refuge

Win hearts and minds of peasantryWin hearts and minds of peasantry Beat/Assassinate landlords/tax collectorsBeat/Assassinate landlords/tax collectors Redistribute land holdingsRedistribute land holdings Education/literacy campaignsEducation/literacy campaigns Help with farmingHelp with farming

GainGain TaxesTaxes SuppliesSupplies IntelligenceIntelligence PortersPorters

Stage 2:Guerrilla Warfare

Pin-prick attacks meant to frustrate the enemy and incite overblown reprisals

Guerrilla “Pin-Prick” tactics Sabotage (road cutting, damage to vehicles, poison) Traps (IEDs, trip wires, traps) Terrorism (attacks on civilian targets, R&R sites) Camouflage (local vegetation, holes, tunnels) Human Shields

Reprisals confirm propaganda and drive civilians to guerrilla group for support and guidance, increasing their popularity and strength

Stage 3:Mobile Warfare

May receive financial, equipment, supply, May receive financial, equipment, supply, intel, training and/or personnel from proxy intel, training and/or personnel from proxy statesstates Allows for more conventional, regular forcesAllows for more conventional, regular forces

Guerrilla infrastructure allows for Guerrilla infrastructure allows for Speed, Surprise, Stealth Speed, Surprise, Stealth

Conventional Operations & Tactics

Offensive Forms of Maneuver

•EnvelopmentEnvelopment

•Turning MovementTurning Movement

•InfiltrationInfiltration

•Penetration Penetration

•Frontal AttackFrontal Attack

ENVELOPME

NT

TURNING MOVEMENT

INFILTRATION

PENETRATION

FRONTAL ATTACK

The Operations Process

Full Spectrum Operations

The Operations Process