Document Type

Article

Department

Politics and Economics (CGU)

Publication Date

1996

Disciplines

Political Science | Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration

Abstract

In the article "Center of Gravity" (Military Intelligence, April-June 1995), Captains Bruce Niedrauer and Lisa Bennett succinctly emphasized the concept of understanding the center of gravity and why it is critical to intelligence personnel. This concept, based upon Army doctrine, has been published in FM 100-5, Operations. Since the publication of FM 100-5 in June 1993, however, a number of doctrinal concepts and premises have become obsolete in the rapidly changing environment in which the Army conducts operations. Questions of "conceptual obsolescence" have already been raised toward the former concept of operations other than war (OOTW) and, more recently, toward unidimensional definitions of battlespace.Given this concern, the utility of the center of gravity concept for military intelligence (MI) practi- tioners should be reexamined. It is only through such reexamination and continual questioning of basic ideas and warfighting doctrine that the Army can attain its Force XXl vision, assured of its dominance on the emerging information battlefield.

Comments

First appeared in the Military Intelligence Professional Bulletin published by the U.S. Army Intelligence Center and Fort Huachuca.

Rights Information

No known copyright restrictions.

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