In the high stakes chess match of modern warfare, action is often played out in the concrete jungles that make up urban environments. History and current events indicate that future wars will spill onto city streets. Battlefield planners must therefore master urban defense. John Spencer explores this strategic forecast. You can also find out more about the following: Jayson Geroux, of the Modern War Institute in the West Point Military Academy. They believe that, if used effectively, a solid defense in urban areas can be decisive to tip the war scales.
Why Fighting in Cities Is a Big Deal
Open fields and forests are not cities. The cities are filled with streets, alleyways, and buildings that make fighting in them a completely different experience. Battles in cities like the one at Stalingrad and the battle for Mosul have taught us how to effectively defend these urban jungles. Being prepared, having smart plans and changing tactics as needed is key. It’s easier to say than do!
Above: Narrow roads, like alleyways, can create chokepoints that disrupt the flow of opposing forces and may provide an opportunity for massing effects strategies.
Smart Moves for Urban Defense
There are some clever strategies that can be derived from Army guides or history when planning to defend a town:
- Disruption: In order to achieve this, the enemy forces must be dispersed in order for them not to be able execute their plan effectively. In urban areas, disruption is achieved by manipulating the landscape to separate enemy units and degrade their communication. This will slow down their momentum, making them more susceptible to counterattacks.It is important to make it difficult and inconvenient for them. You can create diversionary routes, block roads and make it difficult for the enemy to stick together in cities.
- Mass Effects: This principle focuses on the proper placement and timing of combat forces to maximize their impact. In urban defense, massing effects could mean concentrating firepower on an area that is likely to be breached or organizing forces discretely to launch an unexpected counterattack. Imagine that all of your friends are working together at the right time to make a major move. It’s about getting all your power to one place at the perfect time to surprise your opponent and make a big impact.
- Flexibility: Flexible defenses are essential for success, particularly in urban warfare’s unpredictable terrain. This means being able to adapt quickly to changing conditions. It is important to adapt defensive measures and tactics to the changing urban landscape. You must be able to adapt your plan according to what is happening around you. You need to be smart and quick to respond if the enemy does something new.
Above: Urban centers have a wealth of potential resources for creating obstructions to enemy movement.
Learning from the past is key to winning today
Looking back at how soldiers defended “Pavlov’s House” in Stalingrad or how they made use of broken buildings in Ortona gives us insight for defending cities today. Think about:
- Reinforcing a building to create impenetrable points.
- To create rubble in order to hinder and channel enemy movement.
- Snipers can be used to disrupt enemy plans and inflict serious casualties.
These simple techniques show how to make the most of every corner of a city.
Get Ready for Tomorrow’s Battles
The way we defend cities also changes as the fighting evolves. Prepare for future battles by combining old tricks and new technologies. There are many ways cities can be used to defend themselves and protect their citizens. Using what we have learned in the past, we can make better plans for future conflicts.
The skills and tactics used in urban defense can be very useful to civilians who are trying to survive during a conflict. Selco Begovic, in his interview for the SHTF Anthology recorded in 2009, explored urban survival. This highlights how important it is to understand and master urban defense.
The conclusion of the article is:
The game of defending a city requires both brains and strength. Urban defense combines art and science. It requires a profound understanding of both the physical terrain of urban combat as well as its history. The lessons learned from past battles in urban areas, along with a thorough understanding of military doctrine, can help equip today’s defense forces with the strategies needed to achieve victory.
To get a deeper understanding of the topic of urban defense, read the full article by John & Jayson: Defending the City : An Overview of Defensive Tactics from the Modern History of Urban Warfare
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