Loss exchange ratio is a
figure of merit
A figure of merit is a quantity used to characterize the performance of a device, system or method, relative to its alternatives. Examples
*Clock rate of a CPU
*Calories per serving
*Contrast ratio of an LCD
*Frequency response of a speaker
* Fi ...
in
attrition warfare
Attrition warfare is a military strategy consisting of belligerent attempts to win a war by wearing down the enemy to the point of collapse through continuous losses in personnel and materiel. The word ''attrition'' comes from the Latin root ...
. It is usually relevant to a condition or state of war where one side depletes the resources of another through attrition. Specifically and most often used as a comparator in aerial combat, where it is known as a kill-ratio.
Historical applications
Loss exchange ratio has played a significant role in past wars, especially those that have devolved into
stalemate
Stalemate is a situation in the game of chess where the player whose turn it is to move is not in check and has no legal move. Stalemate results in a draw. During the endgame, stalemate is a resource that can enable the player with the infer ...
and become wars of
attrition. For example, the German objective at the
Battle of Verdun
The Battle of Verdun (french: Bataille de Verdun ; german: Schlacht um Verdun ) was fought from 21 February to 18 December 1916 on the Western Front in France. The battle was the longest of the First World War and took place on the hills north ...
(1916) during World War I was not the seizure of any strategic objective, but rather to inflict an LER of 2:1 on the French forces and thereby cripple the French army.
During the
First Indochina War
The First Indochina War (generally known as the Indochina War in France, and as the Anti-French Resistance War in Vietnam) began in French Indochina from 19 December 1946 to 20 July 1954 between France and Việt Minh (Democratic Republic of Vi ...
,
Võ Nguyên Giáp
Võ Nguyên Giáp (; 25 August 1911 – 4 October 2013) was a Vietnamese general and communist politician who is regarded as having been one of the greatest military strategists of the 20th century. He served as interior minister in President ...
, the leader of the
Việt Minh
The Việt Minh (; abbreviated from , chữ Nôm and Hán tự: ; french: Ligue pour l'indépendance du Viêt Nam, ) was a national independence coalition formed at Pác Bó by Hồ Chí Minh on 19 May 1941. Also known as the Việt Minh Fron ...
, told his French opposite number that "you can kill ten of my men for every one I kill of yours, and at that rate, I will still triumph." In fact, the LER was approximately 3:1 in favor of the French, and they did indeed withdraw in defeat. A total of 500,000+ Vietnamese were either killed, wounded or captured during the First Indochina War.
[Smedberg, M (2008), ''Vietnamkrigen: 1880–1980''. Historiska Media, p. 88]
Contemporary employment
It is arguable that the concept of the Loss exchange ratio has become relatively less important in modern Western military doctrine, as some military theories posit that it is just as militarily effective to
disrupt enemy forces and outmaneuver them, thereby reducing their combat effectiveness without necessarily inflicting massive casualties.
See also
*
Civilian casualty ratio
*
Attrition warfare
Attrition warfare is a military strategy consisting of belligerent attempts to win a war by wearing down the enemy to the point of collapse through continuous losses in personnel and materiel. The word ''attrition'' comes from the Latin root ...
*
Body count
A body count is the total number of people killed in a particular event. In combat, a body count is often based on the number of confirmed kills, but occasionally only an estimate. Often used in reference to military combat, the term can also r ...
*
Casualty estimation
References
Military terminology
Attrition warfare
Military science
War
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