A force structure is the
combat-capable part of a
military organisation which describes how military personnel, and their
weapon
A weapon, arm or armament is any implement or device that can be used to deter, threaten, inflict physical damage, harm, or kill. Weapons are used to increase the efficacy and efficiency of activities such as hunting, crime, law enforcement, ...
s and equipment, are organised for the operations, missions and tasks expected from them by the particular
doctrine
Doctrine (from la, doctrina, meaning "teaching, instruction") is a codification of beliefs or a body of teachings or instructions, taught principles or positions, as the essence of teachings in a given branch of knowledge or in a belief syste ...
of the
service or demanded by the environment of the
conflict
Conflict may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
Films
* ''Conflict'' (1921 film), an American silent film directed by Stuart Paton
* ''Conflict'' (1936 film), an American boxing film starring John Wayne
* ''Conflict'' (1937 film) ...
.
Force structuring considers the allocation of
officers
An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," f ...
and other service men and women, their skills, and the relationship between their
military units required to provide mutual support during
military operation
A military operation is the coordinated military actions of a state, or a non-state actor, in response to a developing situation. These actions are designed as a military plan to resolve the situation in the state or actor's favor. Operations ma ...
s as a
military capability
Military capability is defined by the Australian Defence Force as "the ability to achieve a desired effect in a specific operating environment". It is defined by three interdependent factors: combat readiness, sustainable capability and force stru ...
of the
armed forces in part or as a whole. The totality of the force structure committed to any given military operation, mission or task is called an
order of battle
In modern use, the order of battle of an armed force participating in a military operation or campaign shows the hierarchical organization, command structure, strength, disposition of personnel, and equipment of units and formations of the arme ...
.
Another important part of the force structure planning is how the command structure is organised within the order of battle will not reflect the force structure, but the forces
command hierarchy and their relative deployment within the
Theatre of Military Operations, during
operational manoeuvre, or in the
Tactical Area of Responsibility.
The adaptability of any force's force structure is usually tested in wartime to reflect changing nature of warfare, and therefore
military doctrine, it usually entails for the participants. Force structure is also often shaped by forces of necessity when there is a lack of trained personnel, experience or appropriate equipment.
David Glantz in his ''When Titans Clash'' provides an example of how the Red Army after three years of retreats, massive losses, steep learning curves, maturation and regaining the initiative identified this process of change in force structure by ''The 1944 Field Regulations of the Red Army'', or ''Ustav'', formalised their experiences of 1943, including the artillery and the air offensives for the ground forces. Importantly, the 1944 ''Ustav'' "stressed the importance of maneuver, surprise, and initiative, three hallmarks of interwar German and Soviet theory". This reflected a continuation of the a steady growth in mechanised force structure pursued by the Red Army since the 1930s, and when "
Khalkhin-Gol demonstrated the viability of Soviet theory and force structure".
Currently changes in force structure can be caused not only by changes in forms of warfare and doctrine, but also rapid change in technology and budgetary considerations based on the wider national economy.
US Air Force FY10 Force Structure announcement
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References and notes
{{reflist
Military organization